Pamela Samuels-Young
Reading and writing (but not arithmetic) were two things Pamela Samuels-Young enjoyed as a kid. So it should be no surprise that in addition to careers in journalism and law, she has now added author to her resume. An avid reader of legal fiction, Pamela’s desire to see engaging female and African-American characters in today’s mainstream legal fiction motivated her to start writing despite a busy career as an attorney. Pamela is the author of two legal thrillers, In Firm Pursuit (January 2007) and Every Reasonable Doubt (February 2006). Her short story, Setup, is also featured in the Sisters in Crime Anthology, Landmarked for Murder.
A native of Compton, California, Pamela works as Managing Counsel for Labor and EmploymentLaw at Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc., in Torrance, California. She earned her bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Southern California and her master’s degree in broadcasting from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism. Pamela’s career as a broadcast journalist began at WXYZ-TV in Detroit, where she worked as a production assistant and news writer. A few years later, she returned to the Los Angeles area and joined KCBS-TV as a news writer and associate producer.
Pamela took a break from the news business to serve as a Coro Foundation Fellow in St. Louis, Missouri, and then earned her law degree at UC Berkeley’s Boalt Hall School of Law. Prior to joining Toyota, Pamela was a Special Counsel, specializing in Labor and Employment Law, at the law firm of O’Melveny & Myers in Los Angeles. She also served as in-house Employment Counsel at Raytheon Company in El Segundo, California, and as a legal consultant to the Showtime television series, Soul Food. Pamela is married and lives in Southern California, where she teaches ethics and business law at the University of Redlands’ Graduate School of Business. She is also the legal columnist for Global Woman magazine.
An excerpt of Every Reasonable Doubt won the Black Expressions Book Club’s Annual FictionWriting Contest and received an Honorable Mention in the SEAK Legal Fiction Writing Competition.
A popular speaker, Pamela's recent presentations include the following topics:
Pursuing Your Passion Despite Your Day Job
We all have dreams, but how do we make them come true? In this inspiring presentation, Pamela provides practical tips for finding time to pursue your passion despite the demands of a full-time job.
Finish That Book Despite Your Day Job!
Want to write a fiction or non-fiction book but don't think you have the time? Learn the secrets Pamela used to not just write, but actually finish and sell two legal thrillers while working full time as an attorney.
We All Fall Down: How Faith Can Pick You Back Up
In this presentation, Pamela discusses the role of faith in achieving your personal and professional goals. She will share her own stories of triumph and how her faith in God guided her every step of the way.