When Mr. Joseph E. Porter III enrolled at the University of Southern California (“USC”) Law School in 1968, he was one of six Black students – the most at the time.  Inspired by the nation’s changing social fabric, an encounter at USC with Thurgood Marshall that served as a pivotal moment in his professional trajectory, and the need for increased African American representation in the legal field, he founded the USC Black Law Students Association in 1969 – the first of its kind on the West Coast.  While at USC, he continued to excel, winning the Hale Moot Court Competition, being awarded the Edward S. Shattuck Award, participating in the National Moot Court Competition, and discovering his passion for correcting injustices in the entertainment industry and advocating for fairness in recording artist contracts.

His storied career has led him to represent notable figures like Berry Gordy – Chairman and Founder of Motown Records, Clarence Avant, George Benson and more.  With his colleagues, he founded BESLA, the Black Entertainment and Sports Lawyers Association, which now boasts a network of over 3,000 lawyers, professionals and students, to foster collective unity and resource-sharing among Black attorneys in the sports and entertainment sector.  Joseph served on the Board of Directors of BESLA for over 25 years and General Counsel for 15 years.

Specializing in domestic and foreign recording, music publishing and the television and music industries, he continues to defend the “little guy”, guiding his clients through the complexities of entertainment, intellectual property and trademark law, and ensuring his client’s interests are protected.