2012 Florida State University Media & Communication Studies alum, Carter McMillan, was determined to advance into Florida State University College of Law during his undergraduate studies. His hard work through communications’ law and policy granted him admission into law school in 2012 and helped him earn his current position within the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in Commissioner Clyburn‘s office as a Legal Clerk in Washington D.C.
“My job at the FCC takes me to new and exciting places every day. I am glad that the College of Communication and Information gave me the subject-matter grounding necessary to do the work that I am doing,” he says.
Before his employment in the Commissioner’s office, McMillan was exposed to different elements of law and communication policy through several jobs and associateships during his seven years at Florida State. In August 2014, Carter was offered a part-time position as a Law Clerk to Judge Mark Walker in the United States District Court for the Northern District, where he drafted orders, composed memoranda of law, observed proceedings and learned about federal litigation.
In the beginning of Summer 2014, McMillan worked for the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau of the FCC in Washington D.C. While there, he assisted in drafting final orders and notices of proposed rulemaking. He researched issues related to FCC’s Open Internet initiative and assisted in conducting the competition analysis the Commission uses for reviewing company mergers and acquisitions.
In June 2014, McMillan joined the In-House Legal Team at FIS in Jacksonville, Fla. as a Summer Associate. There he researched transactional, intellectual property, regulatory, compliance and employment law issues. McMillan also spearheaded and conducted a research seminar for the corporate legal team.
As for his campus involvement during his undergraduate studies, McMillan remained extremely busy. As Vice-Chairman of the Oglesby Union Board, founding member and Treasurer of FSU Disabilities Student Union, and member of IFC fraternity, Chi Phi, Carter’s diverse leadership skills helped him achieve personal and professional success. After his undergraduate commencement, he volunteered in Rwanda for several months to construct water tanks as part of a Kathryn W. Davis Foundation Project for Peace.
“While attaining my degree in Media & Communication Studies, I worked as well. I was an intern in the Public Information Office of the Board of County Commissioners for Leon County. This was in addition to an internship at a local law firm, Friedman and Abrahamsen. I also bartended and managed at a few local bars in Tallahassee,” McMillan explains.
In his spare time, Carter runs in road races, attends live music performances, likes to explore D.C. and loves to make hot sauce with his dad when he visits home. He also writes about technology law and policy issues for online magazines. This spring 2015, McMillan will graduate from the College of Law with a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree.
“Courses like Dr. Jennifer Proffitt’s “Political Economy of Media” and Dr. Stephen McDowell’s “Media Legalities” gave me an excellent background in some of the relevant issues and this greatly improves my work,” he says.
Dr. McDowell has nothing but fond memories of his former student.
“Mr. McMillan showed a strong interest in and aptitude for communication law and policy during his time in the School of Communication. He undertook internships in public affairs and legal setting during his time here. I was very glad to work with him then and have also been glad to keep up as his career has progressed,” McDowell says.
Take a look at Carter’s LinkedIn here.