Cheryl Carr

Cheryl Slay Carr, J.D., Ed.D., M.P.A. is an award-winning innovator, author, attorney, speaker, and singer/songwriter championing the three faces of justice: organizational, cultural, and soul justice. She holds a Juris Doctor from the University of Maryland, a Doctor of Education from Fairleigh Dickinson University, a Master of Public Administration from Clark-Atlanta University, Bachelor of Arts from the University of Michigan, and completed the Harvard Law School Program in International and Comparative Intellectual Property.

As a professor, Dr. Carr designs courses blending law, culture, and justice, including Law and Justice in Movies and Music, Copyright Law, Music Industry Contract Law, and Building Your Authentic Career in Entertainment. Her publications include Music Business Careers: Career Duality in the Creative Industries, co-authorship of Music Copyright Law, and contributions to Trademark Infringement Remedies.

A seasoned leader, Dr. Carr served seven years as Associate Dean of the Curb College, overseeing strategic initiatives and operations. She founded and manages an intellectual property and entertainment law firm representing creatives and innovators, and chaired the Maryland Bar Association Entertainment & Sports Law Committee for five years. Her 17 years in federal public policy include roles as Presidential Management Fellow at NASA and the EEOC, Attorney-Advisor at the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, and Division Director at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. She is also an alumna of prestigious executive leadership programs, including Leadership Music and Clark-Atlanta University’s HBCU Executive Leadership Institute.

Her honors include Maryland Bar Foundation Fellow, Nashville Business Journal’s Women of Influence and Women in Music City awards, and nFocus magazine’s Model Behavior recognition. Cheryl has served the cultural community on boards including Nashville Opera (President), Opera America, Maryland Lawyers for the Arts, and the Association of Arts Administration Educators. An accomplished vocalist, she produced Invocation, an EP of jazz-inspired recordings (www.musicarr.com).