bennet kelley, the veloz group, speaker, public speaking, lawyer

Bennet Kelley Speaks at The Veloz Group

Bennet Kelley, an accomplished lawyer, recently came to speak at The Veloz Group. Kelley works as an attorney for an Internet Law Center in Santa Monica, California. He handles legal issues involving the digital economy, cyber crime, and more. Additionally, Kelley applies his interests in other areas outside of the law firm. He is currently a Radio Host for a weekly Cyber Law and Business Report, and contributes to the Huffington Post and Santa Monica Daily Press.

Early in his speech, Bennet Kelley told the audience “get involved early, because people will remember you.” When Kelley was young, his future path was unclear. At the ripe age of fifteen years old, Kelley started getting “involved.” His first accomplishment was volunteering for a senate race. This experience brought him various internships and further opportunities. When talking about his experiences, he stated they “opened my eyes to a lot of possibilities I wasn’t aware of.” After college, he worked as a lobbyist and spent his nights attending Law School. Kelley engaged the audience with a story describing his encounter with a frustrated woman leaving her office and saying out loud, “this isn’t what I thought it would be.” From that moment on, Kelley knew that he wanted to go on a path that was right for him.

Kelley started off working litigation and once his job moved him to Los Angeles, he decided to get involved in the business and tech side of things. His exposure to online advertising pushed him to pursue internet law. Soonafter, he created a law firm dedicated to tackle cyber harassment, regulate e-commerce, and more. He stated that the cyberspace is a “booming area” and a big problem that we have to deal with it. Flash forward to 2017. Kelley is currently in his tenth year with his firm and continues to help people tackle various problems involving cyberspace. Nonetheless, Kelley has proven that this is his area of expertise and he is a passionate and successful worker.

As he continues to pursue other activities outside of work, Kelley has made it clear that practicing law is not his primary interest. He stated that “my first love was politics, not law.” Some examples of his other involvements include working for Bill Clinton’s presidential campaign and contributing political articles to different journals. Thus far, Kelley has won two Los Angeles Press Club/Southern California Journalism awards. In addition to his writing, he has a radio show and is currently on his 7th season. When talking about his interests, Kelley stated that “it does take time and is sometimes a distraction from my practice, but it forces me to be as current and knowledgeable in my space” and “it is a way of increasing my cue rating in this space and to distinguish myself against competitors.”

Overall, Bennet Kelley’s presentation was engaging and motivating for the crowd. He is an example of someone who has successfully pursued what he or she is passionate for, without giving up on other interests. Kelley concluded his speech stating “follow what you are interested in. Don’t just limit yourself to your job. Choose a career that is fun, and don’t foreclose other opportunities.”

Leave a Reply
