Career Path of an Attorney and Filmmaker at Bailey Law Firm and YachtKlub Productions
Michael's career journey began with various on-campus jobs at LMU, ranging from a short-lived library role ("I lasted the least amount of time at a job than anybody else") to longer-term administrative positions that allowed flexibility with studies. This led to summer research programs, further employment opportunities, and ultimately, leveraging law school connections to transition into the film industry, culminating in their recent successful short film, "Still Short," and current pursuit of a debut feature film.
Career Exploration, Networking, Overcoming Challenges, Achieving Goals, Motivational Stories
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Michael Erike
Attorney & Filmmaker
Bailey Law Firm & YachtKlub Productions
Loyola Marymount University
Sandra Day O’Connor College Of Law - J.D.
Finance
Arts, Entertainment & Media, Law
Legal
Scholarship Recipient, Greek Life Member
Video Highlights
1. While in college at Loyola Marymount University (LMU), Michael held various on-campus jobs, including roles in the library, graduate admissions center, and working with the communications and accounting departments. These experiences provided him with practical skills and flexibility, even allowing time for his studies.
2. Michael actively pursued summer undergraduate research programs (SERP) which enabled him to stay at LMU during the summer and gain research experience. This demonstrates proactive career planning and initiative.
3. After law school, Michael leveraged his network and connections at LMU to secure roles in the entertainment industry in Hollywood. His persistence and networking led to the creation of his own production company, demonstrating the importance of building relationships and pursuing one's passions alongside a traditional career path.
Transcript
Could you walk me through your career path, starting with your experiences in college and any internships or jobs you had before your current role?
Okay, so the second week I was at LMU, my first job was at the library. I was a book organizer and coordinator for exactly six days because I was so bored. My friends all made fun of me because I lasted the least amount of time at a job.
Then, I looked around for other jobs and found one in the graduate admissions center for the teachers program. The lady there was super nice and said I could do admin work, like answering emails and phone calls. When I wasn't busy with that, I could do my homework and still get paid. I thought it was perfect.
I worked there for about a semester and a half, which led up to my first summer. Every summer after that, I participated in the Summer Undergraduate Research Program, or SERP. They paid us to create a research program and share our results at the end of each summer. My brother, who is a grade older than me, and I enrolled because we wanted to stay at LMU during the summers.
Our parents had moved back during the summers after we had been living in LA for a couple of years. The SERP program paid for our room and board on campus and paid us. We got to do research and hang out with our friends. We did this every single summer we were at LMU.
On top of that, my brother and I worked for the communication school for Bianca, who was on the dean's staff. Her family name was Joanie because we knew her family. She paid us to work with the finance team, do Excel documents, and handle accounts receivable. It was boring stuff, but easy, and we didn't have to be there the entire shift. She was awesome and still pays us. I wonder if she still works there.
I also worked for the accounting and finance department for a semester and a half, where students pay tuition. My girlfriend worked there, and it was cool. I met a ton of students because they were coming to pay their tuition.
I think those were all the roles I had at LMU. Then I went to law school back in Arizona. Every summer I was there, I worked for a different law firm. My brother and I always wanted to end up in Hollywood. I knew ASU had a lot of connections in Hollywood, and specifically, lawyers who came from ASU.
I was pretty close with my dean, and he set up a meeting for me with a woman who worked in business affairs at Sony. From when I was in law school, she would invite me to the Sony lot and show me around. By the time I finished law school, she offered me a job at Sony, but I took a job at another production company nearby instead. That was my first foray into the Hollywood world.
Then COVID happened and shut down Hollywood. I had to get another job. We used all the Hollywood connections for my brother Drake and me to start our own production company, alongside our work as lawyers. We bounced around different law firms, sometimes working together and sometimes not. Our production company kept growing.
Last year, or about a year and a half ago, we had the inception for our debut film, "Still Short." We wrote and pitched it because we had filmed a nine-minute short during COVID about a person who was alone, which fit the theme perfectly. Using the strength of that, we got $300,000 to $350,000 in funding for a 40-minute short. Through word of mouth, we reached the Academy, and they screened it in May. That's been our pinnacle.
Now, based on the success of that, we're in pre-production for our debut film. We're having meetings with different production companies and studios to find the right partners. It's very tiring, on top of still being lawyers. But it's been worth it because it's been a seven or eight-year journey from the end of LMU to being able to do what we want. Although some years seemed slow, it's all led to this. It's been wild, from working at LMU to this. It's been crazy.