Introducing “Off the Record — A Lifestyle Blog”

Have you ever felt unsure of starting something but yet passionate about it at the same time?

Hey there! It’s your favorite public defender! My name is Imani J. Carter, a.k.a. Moni Jay, a.k.a. Lawyer Lady. I live and work in Athens, Georgia, but I am from the north – Pennsylvania. No not, Philadelphia, because Philly is not a state. I am from a small town in PA called New Castle, it is about 45 minutes north of the Pittsburgh International Airport and known as the fireworks capital of America!

I have four brothers, yup I’m the only girl, and no I wasn’t spoiled 😊. My parents and my brothers still live in Pennsylvania. I also have 10 nieces and nephews. My family is close-knit and it is extremely important to me, as you will see throughout my blog.

After high school, I slowly made my way down south. I went to West Virginia University to obtain my undergraduate degree. “Welcome to West Virginia – where degrees are earned and couches are burned” (I remember seeing that on a sign somewhere once!) I graduated from West Virginia University in December 2011 with a B.A. in Criminology and Investigations and two minors in Communication Studies and Spanish (side note: I studied Spanish in school for 9 years and still cannot speak it fluently *long sigh*). I didn’t just party during my years in Morgantown, West Virginia. I got pretty good grades and that’s also where I began my volunteering. #LetsGOOOMountaineers!

I volunteered with the Morgantown Boys and Girls Club for a few years. I had the pleasure of working with 4th and 5th graders. I swear I remember that age being somewhat a weird one. Not a teenager yet, but don’t want to be treated as a little kid anymore. Want more independence, but still not afraid to ask for help. Weird but beautiful time of our lives.

Towards the end of my college career, end of junior year to be exact, I made the decision to apply to law school. (Fun fact: for like .23 seconds I actually thought about applying to the police academy and becoming an officer… Thank God for bringing me back to my senses!) I never grew up saying “I want to be a lawyer when I grow up.” I actually always said “I want to be a doctor when I grow up.” But the way my science skills are set up…

Anywho, I applied to a few law schools down south, because that’s where I knew I wanted to go. I am a t e r r i b l e standardized test taker. I had to take the SAT 3 times, the LSAT 2 times, and as you will learn later, the Bar exam 2 times. I am a firm believer that your test score does not define who you are as a person or as a member of your field 😊. I got accepted into the University of Georgia School of Law. In April 2012, one of my lovely brothers and I drove from PA to Athens, GA to find me a place to live. That was not the easiest experience. Apartments have a reeaalll good way of posting beautiful but deceiving photos of their properties online. #stressed. But right when we were about to give up, our last stop ended up being a great fit! Look at God!

My mother and I drove down to Athens in September 2012 and I began my law school career. I went into law school knowing I wanted to do criminal defense. I knew I wanted to be the person to help someone get a second chance. During law school I attended different panel discussions and events that were not related to practicing criminal defense, just to see if I had any interest. Nope. None. I do not know exactly from where this passion for criminal defense grew, but I aint never letting go of it. We in this for life!

As some may know, law schools offer different clinics and practicums (i.e. internships) where students can work out in the field, get hands-on experience, and obtain class credit. I took the Criminal Defense Clinic and interned at the public defender office in Athens for three semesters. It was such a valuable experience! I highly recommend students taking advantage of any internship and externship opportunities that are available to them; it is the best way to actually apply what you’re learning in class. (I swear law school only needs to be two years of classes and one year of externship, but that’s a topic of discussion for a different day). Without those semesters of interning at the PD office, yall wouldn’t have ever met your favorite public defender.

I graduated law school in May 2015. I began working at the Athens public defender office on August 15, 2015, and got sworn in to officially practice law in June of 2016. (I am going to save my Bar exam story/testimony for another post). My boss, coworkers, and various interns are who I have to thank for molding me into the lawyer I am today. As I ventured through many seasons of my career, trying to figure out how to avoid burnout while taking care of my clients’ various needs, one thing remained true – I was meant to be a public defender.

And then Lawyer Lady was born! Haha, @lawyer.lady_ is my personal Instagram handle; “Moni Jay” has been my social media nickname for years starting from when I thought it would keep potential employers and professors from finding me on Facebook in college. I am growing into those identities and they all serve their purpose for the various areas of my life.

So… what does all of that stuff about me and my life have to do with this blog? Well, this is a lifestyle blog. But I do not plan on writing many posts about my childhood or my rowdy college days. I plan on bringing insightful, inspiring, and informative content through my present-day involvements in my Athens community; the things I do outside of work (hence my title “Off the Record”), but they still shape who I am as a lawyer. I’ll be covering the good and the bad moments of my life because they’re things that make me, me – unapologetically me.

A lot of people know me as a lawyer, but I want to share the quirky, not-so-perfect, and relatable moments of my life with you! I am 30 years old, single, a dog mom to one doggy named Cole, a devout Christian, and a lover of my community. Maybe sharing my life off the record will help you dig into your passion, navigate your purpose, identify what brings you joy outside of your day job – whatever that may be, and push you to be your unapologetic self daily. Or maybe it will just bring you a good chuckle every other week. But I hope the main takeaways from this blog are you feel uplifted and supported, and in turn you will uplift and support someone else.

“For you created me my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” –Psalms 139:13;14 NIV.

Welcome, and happy reading!

Moni Jay, Off the Record