- About
About USC Gould
USC Gould is a top-ranked law school with a 120-year history and reputation for academic excellence. We are located on the beautiful 228-acre USC University Park Campus, just south of downtown Los Angeles.
- Academics
Academics
Learn about our interdisciplinary curriculum, experiential learning opportunities and specialized areas.
Student Quick Links:
- Admissions
Admissions
USC Gould helps prepare you for a stellar legal career. You can pursue a JD degree, one of our numerous graduate and international offerings, or an online degree or certificate.
- Students
Students
Participate in an unparalleled learning experience with diversity of people and thought. Get involved in the law school community and participate in activities that enhance your studies.
Student Quick Links:
- Careers
Careers
We work closely with students, graduates and employers to support successful career goals and outcomes. Our overall placement rate is consistently strong, with 94 percent of our JD class employed within 10 months after graduation.
- Faculty
Faculty
Our faculty is distinguished for its scholarship, as well as for its commitment to teaching. Our 12:1 student-to-faculty ratio creates an intimate and collegial learning environment.
- Alumni and Giving
- Admissions

Hollywood Social Action Hero
USC Gould School of Law
- ABOUT USC GOULD
- A MESSAGE FROM THE DEAN
- + HISTORY OF USC GOULD
- LAW, RACE AND EQUITY
- + NEWS
- + EVENTS
- BOARD OF COUNCILORS
- CONSUMER INFORMATION (ABA REQUIRED DISCLOSURES)
- VISIT US
- SOCIAL MEDIA
- + CONTACT US
Friday, February 17, 2023
PJ Shapiro (JD/MBA 1999) and colleagues launch new entertainment law firm with civic engagement in its DNA
By Diane Krieger

“Like every other business in Los Angeles,” he says, “we were taking a look in the mirror and seeing if we could do better.”
In January 2022, Shapiro and three like-minded colleagues launched Johnson, Shapiro, Slewett and Kole, a new entertainment law firm emphasizing “values-driven excellence and social impact.” All four founding partners are perennial honorees on The Hollywood Reporter’s Power Lawyers list. In an April 6 article, THR called JSSK “a next-gen boutique with inclusion, philanthropy and civic engagement in its DNA.”
The mission, Shapiro says, was to “create a firm that better reflected the demographics of our client base, our community and our personal vision for the future.” Of the 14 lawyers at JSSK, more than half are women and six are people of color.
It was difficult to leave. “We felt a tremendous amount of loyalty, love and affection for Ziffren Brittenham,” Shapiro says. “But at the end of the day, Matt (Johnson) and I wanted to build a new house instead of remodeling our beautiful house of 20 years.”
In less than a year, JSSK had already made maverick moves. Its members played a meaningful part in crafting the diversity and inclusivity rider now considered a critical component of production agreements industry-wide. Organizationally, it recruited a chief engagement officer who promotes advocacy work among firm employees and helps clients navigate social and political action opportunities. JSSK collaborates with a long list of activist groups, and the partners regularly host political fundraisers.
“The energy is electric,” says Shapiro.
From Dentistry to Entertainment Law
Growing up in Chatsworth, Calif., Shapiro attended UCLA as a pre-med major. Just days into his dentistry program, also at UCLA, Shapiro realized he would “be a horrible dentist — I hated science, felt sick at the sight of blood and had very poor manual dexterity,” he explains.
He entered USC’s joint JD/MBA program and considered pursuing a career in investment banking. However, friends urged him toward entertainment law. An internship at O’Melveny & Myers LLP led to a job offer and his career.
At Gould, Shapiro was the 1L class representative and graduated Order of the Coif while making the Dean’s List at USC Marshall School, where he completed an MBA. He was influenced by former Gould Professor Erwin Chemerinsky, whose above-board negotiation style Shapiro incorporates into his own practice.
In an industry known for playing hardball, Shapiro strives to be a mensch.
“This was not a financially motivated decision,” he says, of the creation of JSSK. While the firm represents A-list talent like Bryan Cranston, Selena Gomez and Emma Stone, it also prioritizes veterans and people with disabilities in the entertainment space.
“I come from a pretty humble beginning and have reached a level of success that I never imagined,” he says. “This is about creating a new chapter of giving back.”
Read More
- Next Article: Professor Erin Miller named co-winner of AALS Future Promise Award
- Previous Article: Blazing their own trails: Q&A with Richard Kendall
RECENT NEWS

Public Interest Career Fair facilitates lasting connections
March 27, 2023
More than 40 public interest organizations took part in the annual fall event

Without water, Native American tribes hit hard by the pandemic
March 27, 2023
Robin Craig's new research underscores need for U.S. to honor legally recognized, but never delivered on, tribal water r...

Elyn Saks honored for efforts to lessen stigma of mental illness
March 20, 2023
Prof. Saks earns 2023 President’s Award from Schizophrenia International Research Society