It’s safe to say Lauren Lake isn’t quite like other TV courtroom judges. Yes, she earned her law degree at Wayne State University in Detroit and she’s a member of the New York, New Jersey and Michigan bars with concentrations in family, criminal and entertainment law. But this judge is a former professional singer, songwriter and producer who sang back-up for multi-platinum artists such as Jay-Z, Mary J. Blige, P. Diddy, Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg. She’s also an interior design expert who hosted HGTV’s Spice Up My Kitchen for six seasons and was the HGTV Showdown Champion for two consecutive years.

Now, Lauren can be seen each day on the nationally syndicated, Emmy Award-winning daytime TV series Lauren Lake’s Paternity Court, which recently began its seventh season. In each episode, Judge Lake presides over highly emotional family cases that lead to life-changing consequences and new beginnings. Using her experience as a woman, a mother, a relationship expert and an attorney, Lake has helped reunite more than 800 families.

Lauren Lake is a highly sought-after speaker and lecturer, a best-selling author (2009’s Girl, Let Me Tell You), and a strong advocate for women’s empowerment, having founded the Women in Entertainment Empowerment Network. Speak with Lauren about her unusual path to the courtroom, what is legal in terms of relationships (tracking your partner’s car or phone, divorce, custody hearings, etc.) and what viewers can expect in the new season of Lauren Lake’s Paternity Court.