Graduate Profile: Heaven Jones

For many, the rigors of law school require hitting "pause" on a professional career. For Heaven Jones, law school was an exercise in high-altitude integration. Balancing a full-time career as a flight attendant with the demands of the FlexTime JD program at Touro Law Center in Central Islip, Heaven has spent the last few years briefing cases at 35,000 feet and studying in airport terminals across 48 countries. With a background in the music industry and a passion for protecting creative integrity, she has emerged as a leader both on campus and within the New York legal community.

Redefining the Law Student Mold
Heaven was raised in the Bronx, NY and spent a significant portion of her life in North Carolina. From an early age, she was interested in the music and entertainment industries. She earned a BA in Music Business from Georgia State University and an MS in Entertainment Business from Full Sail University. During her undergraduate and graduate years, she had multiple internships at major labels and entertainment companies.

The decision to pursue a law degree was born from witnessing the power of the "fine print" in the music industry. Seeing artists sign away rights without fully understanding the long-term impact sparked a desire to become a protector of creative value.
The realities of tuition and bills steered Heaven to a career as a flight attendant. She was able to work, go to school, and travel the world. But the passion that was ignited in her remained and she decided to pursue a degree in law to work in the music and entertainment industry.

Touro Law’s FlexTime JD program provided the strategic flexibility to pursue this goal while maintaining a full-time career in the sky. Operating as a flight attendant cultivated a unique brand of discipline, requiring a seamless transition from managing a cabin of 300 passengers to analyzing complex legal concepts. This dual life sharpened a legal approach defined by composure under pressure and the ability to think three steps ahead.

Community Leadership & Impact  
Throughout her years in law school, Heaven was deeply involved in student life, serving on the Executive Boards of both the Black Law Students Association and the Sports and Entertainment Law Society. Her leadership extended to the broader legal community through appointments as Co-Chair of the Sports and Entertainment Law Section of the Metropolitan Black Bar Association and Chair of the Young Entertainment Lawyers Committee within the New York State Bar Association (Entertainment, Arts, and Sports Law Section).

Hands-on Experience & the Roc Nation Milestone
Law school provided an opportunity to refine technical skills developed at prior internships at major labels like Def Jam, Bad Boy, and Roc-A-Fella Records. Through the Small Business and Non-Profit Clinic and Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts, Heaven gained foundational experience in contracts and intellectual property. A defining moment came with a self-secured internship at Roc Nation, a full-service entertainment company, where she drafted recording and distribution agreements and analyzed royalty structures, confirming her place at the intersection of law and culture.

The Power of Pro Bono
Pro bono work served as an essential grounding force for Heaven. By assisting filmmakers and musicians through Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts, she learned to translate abstract legal theory into practical advice for those without easy access to resources. This work reinforced the core mission of the nonprofit and further developed Heaven’s passion: ensuring creators understand their rights before they are signed away.

Future Outlook & Legacy
Now, Heaven’s focus is on passing the bar exam and continuing to build a well-rounded professional foundation. Her ultimate goal is to serve as General Counsel for a music, media, or tech company.

When reflecting on the last few years, Heaven hopes to be remembered for her consistency and for breaking the "traditional mold" of a law student. Her advice to incoming Flex students is to be intentional: "The structure gives you flexibility, but it also requires discipline... make a conscious effort to connect with people outside your immediate circle". While she has studied in dozens of countries, she cites the chaos of a packed NYC rush-hour train as the most interesting place she’s ever locked in to study for law school. She stated being in the middle of chaos with so many people around but still being able to focus on studying for law school was a challenge, but also a testament to the focus that defined her journey.