The #CardozoLeader campaign celebrates the outstanding members and achievements of the Cardozo alumni community through different themes each month. This March, we are spotlighting alumni working in Entertainment Law.
To nominate alumni, please email cardozoalumni@yu.edu.
#CardozoLeader
Sarah Resnick ’08
Sarah Garza Resnick is the CEO of Personal PAC. In the 34 years since its founding, Personal PAC has been an instrumental player in turning Illinois from one of the most virulent anti-choice states in the country to a leader in reproductive freedom. This evolution can be credited to Personal PAC’s leadership, board, donors and partners who helped elect pro-choice leaders into positions where they could make a difference for Illinois. Personal PAC believes that every woman in Illinois should have equal access to safe and affordable reproductive health care, including contraception and abortion, without government interference or restrictions. Prior to her current role, Sarah was the Chief Deputy Assessor for Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi. Before that, she served as Cook County Clerk David Orr’s Chief of Staff for three years. Prior to joining the Cook County Clerk’s office, Sarah worked as an Assistant Cook County Public Defender for six years. Sarah was also the elected Secretary of AFSCME Local 3315 for three years. She graduated from Cardozo School of Law, where she worked at the Innocence Project. She received her undergraduate degree in political science and economics from Brandeis University and her master’s degree in political sociology from The London School of Economics and Political Science. Prior to law school, Sarah worked on Democratic political campaigns, as a Field Director, for four years. During those campaigns, she created and ran the Election Protection Programs. She lives with her husband, Paul Miller, and their sons, Abe and Zeke, in Bridgeport.

Octavia Taylor ’01
Octavia passed the New York State Bar with a singular focus: to be an advocate for artists. Before law school, she worked in the music and television industries, where she learned that artists and creative professionals needed help dealing with legal and business matters.
Octavia began her legal career at a music boutique law firm, where she reviewed and negotiated music agreements for emerging producers and employment agreements for music executives. After a stint at VH1, Octavia enjoyed solving business and legal issues within the creative paradigm of a program so much that she decided to pursue a career in the TV/film industry.
For the past 15 years, Octavia has provided business and legal advice to artists, producers and senior executives and handled the day-to-day legal affairs for various types of programs, most often under fast-paced and hectic circumstances. -She is a skilled negotiator and has experience structuring, drafting and negotiating production, development, license and marketing agreements for television and film as well as advising on standards and practices, fair use and avoiding claims based on privacy/rights of publicity, defamation and copyright infringement. Octavia has had her own law practice and has worked for production companies and major networks such as Disney--ABC Domestic Television, BET, HBO and Fox Television Stations. She is a Senior Director of Legal & Business Affairs at A+E Networks, where she structures, negotiates and drafts development agreements for the unscripted division, A+E Factual. She prides herself on having great business judgment, problem solving skills and the ability to connect and build relationships with others.
Octavia was on the board of New York Women in Film & Television for six years, serving as the Vice President of Programming.

Jaclyn Metzinger ’08
Jaclyn is a partner at Kelley Drye & Warren LLP, a nationally ranked law firm and one of the oldest firms in the United States. She focuses on commercial and complex civil litigation in state and federal courts, including consumer class actions, false advertising claims and government enforcement actions filed by the Federal Trade Commission and state Attorneys General. Jaclyn’s practice involves all phases of litigation, ranging from pre-certification motion practice and discovery to class certification motions, expert discovery, hearings and trial. Jaclyn manages even the most complex and large-scale litigations, which often require simultaneous defense of government enforcement actions and tagalong class actions in multiple jurisdictions. Her track record has earned her accolades from The U.S. Legal 500, Benchmark Litigation and Super Lawyers. Additionally, Jaclyn is very active in the development and promotion of female attorneys at Kelley Drye and, prior to her election to the partnership, she was co-chair of the firm’s Women At KDW associate affinity group for six years. She is also the firm’s Hiring Partner for the New York office. At Cardozo, Jaclyn served on the executive board and was a senior brief editor for the Cardozo Moot Court Honor Society.

Marissa Lewis ’13
Marissa is a partner at Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp’s Entertainment & IP Litigation Practice Group. Her practice includes intellectual property counseling, prosecution, enforcement and litigation, with a focus on copyright, trademark, unfair competition and right of publicity actions in federal court and proceedings before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board. Marissa represents established and up-and-coming companies, including those in the media, entertainment, music, sports, gaming and technology industries.
