best entertainment law school? Forum

[vanwinkle]

VanWinkle: plenty of people choose SW because of entertainment law. I know because I have met them. I'm not sure why you think you are more qualified on this point than I am.

I'm sure they do, but that fact doesn't make it the best place to choose by any means. The fact that people choose to go somewhere doesn't make it better, or the best. It just makes it something people chose.

McDonald's advertises "billions and billions served" out front, but everyone knows you can get better burgers somewhere else.

[1ferret!]

VanWinkle: plenty of people choose SW because of entertainment law. I know because I have met them. Contrary to what you might think, the education (curriculum) you receive actually matters. Employers want to hire people who actually know how the entertainment industry works. I'm not sure why you think you are more qualified on this point than I am.

There is a lot of misinformation flying around on this board.

Dammit Danteshek - couldn't you just leave well enough alone and let people believe that either there is no such thing as entertainment law or at least that they will never be able to practice it? We don't need any more people competing in the LA market.

But OP- UCLA>USC>Pepperdine=LoyolaLA~>Southwestern

You need to be in Los Angeles if you want to work in the field because you get externships/internships with entertainment firms here that might make you more attractive to firms with this practice. Small field, connections matter a great deal. Coursework can help, but its one of those things that might help you get the interview rather than a sure ticket into practice.

[PDaddy]

Top-5

T1) UCLA
T1) USC
3) NYU
4) Columbia
T5) Loyola (CA)
T5) Pepperdine
T5) Southwestern
T5) Tulane
T5) Vanderbilt
T5) Fordham

Best of the rest:

Yale, Duke, Cardozo, NYLS, St. John's, Miami

it's the best idea, because you don't get into "entertainment law" out of law school, so you need to do well get a job and then make the connections to lateral. And btw, entertainment law is just corporate law corporate law and labor law, but your clients are virgin instead of lehman brothers.

Also highly credited. Get into the best school you can. Breaking into entertainment law is more about general law experience and who you know than specialized training. Excelling at it is about training (mostly on-the-job). But if you want the specialized electives, choose from my list above.

[clintonius]

Top-5 (in no particular order)

How in the hell does that make sense?

[PDaddy]

Top-5 (in no particular order)

How in the hell does that make sense?

fixed. I started a list that had no order, but decided to order it. I just forgot to remove the text.

And fwiw, you can have a top-5 with no particular order...just a group of five schools. Think about it. Your top three female sex kittens could be named Scarlett, Meagan and Charlize...with no order. So, partial fail on your part.

[td6624]

im a freshman

leave this website and don't come back for three years. in the meantime, have fun.

[senunit]

Disco_Barred's guide to the top entertainment law schools:

1: YHS

2: CCN

3: MVPB

4: DCNG

5: A couple of other schools I always forget. Vandy? USC? I think WUSTL maybe?

6: The Abyss

7: Cooley, Ave Maria, Florida Coastal

8: People's college of law

You clearly are impressed with your own cleverness since I see you post this so frequently. Unfortunately:

1. This list becomes less clever every time you post it, and it wasn't that impressive to begin with. Get a new shtick.

2. This list doesn't actually help the OP answer his/her question. Do you really think that Cornell would be a better choice for entertainment law than UCLA, or that WUSTL would be as good a choice as USC? Applying the US News rankings as a one-size-fits-all evaluation of where to go for law school makes me question why anybody would actually pay attention to the advice that you post.

+10000000000000

well said.

+10000000000001

[legalease9]

it's the best idea, because you don't get into "entertainment law" out of law school, so you need to do well get a job and then make the connections to lateral. And btw, entertainment law is just corporate law, but your clients are virgin instead of lehman brothers.

This is a good point, and brings me to a question I have.

Why do so many people want entertainment law. Just because its about "entertainment" companies doesn't mean the work is going to be more entertaining or engaging. Its still just deals and contracts etc. Am I missing something here? Are they hoping to get into the hollywood parties? Does it pay better?

[clintonius]

it's the best idea, because you don't get into "entertainment law" out of law school, so you need to do well get a job and then make the connections to lateral. And btw, entertainment law is just corporate law, but your clients are virgin instead of lehman brothers.

This is a good point, and brings me to a question I have.

Why do so many people want entertainment law. Just because its about "entertainment" companies doesn't mean the work is going to be more entertaining or engaging. Its still just deals and contracts etc. Am I missing something here? Are they hoping to get into the hollywood parties? Does it pay better?

Anecdotal: my brother wanted to go into "entertainment law" until he actually started working in entertainment law. By his own volition, he is no longer an attorney.

[skoobily doobily]

Top-5

T1) UCLA
T1) USC
3) NYU
4) Columbia
T5) Loyola (CA)
T5) Pepperdine
T5) Southwestern
T5) Tulane
T5) Vanderbilt
T5) Fordham

Best of the rest:

Yale, Duke, Cardozo, NYLS, St. John's, Miami

I lol'd, glad you still stick around to troll pdaddy.

[judgeholden]

Fuck entertainment law. It's still the same exact boring, repetitive garbage everyone else is doing.
Also, fuck the music industry. It's dying, you know. How many attorneys do you really think it'll be supporting 15 years from now? Sure, you can work for bands, but then you're not doing all that much.


Want to get into entertainment? Fuck law altogether. Again, entertainment lawyers are just pushing the same papers for more clients in Ed Hardy.
Go get your MBA from USC. Go into entertainment from there. USC MBAs pretty much run the entertainment industry in LA. You'll actually be making decisions and, rather than being a servant to the stars, you'll be the one telling them what to do. You'll be an equal, not an underling. Of course, you'll be making $35k to live in LA and work in the industry that most cares about what you drive and how you dress. And you'll have friends that go out to work at P&G or Credit Suisse, make 3-6 times your starting salary, then come back with that experience and actually network their way into a position a level or two above yours, but that's the way entertainment works.

[Stupendous_Man]

My two cents, I'd say USC is the best "entertainment law" school there is, for a few reasons.

1) Location. It's in LA, what more do I need to say?
2) A lot of the people here are looking to do entertainment law, so you're in good company. USC has a very active entertainment law club.
3) USC just launched an entertainment law program, headed by the recently retired vice president and head general counsel for Warner Bros. John Schulman
4) USC has arguably the best film school in the country. As part of your curriculum, you can take classes at the film school for credit towards your law degree.
5) You can do the same at the business school. As someone else said, a lot of USC MBAs go into entertainment, so it's a great networking opportunity.

All that said, I'd like to reiterate that entertainment law is really just corporate law, but with a specific focus on the entertainment industry. The really valuable assets you have going into this business seem to be your personal connections, and everything I've mentioned above certainly gives the advantage here to USC. I'd say you'd also want to look at NYU and UCLA for similar reasons.

Obviously I'm bias, but I'd give the edge to USC over UCLA, if only because USC's film school is better than UCLA's, and assuming UCLA also allows you to take classes and network in their film school (I have no idea if they do), I'd rather be networking with USC or NYU film students.

[vanwinkle]

All that said, I'd like to reiterate that entertainment law is really just corporate law, but with a specific focus on the entertainment industry.

This, and it's why it doesn't matter so much where you go to school in terms of what they teach. If you can do corporate law you can do entertainment law.

Schools in LA are great because you're already there and you can develop ties to the local community and network. But you're not going to get a particularly better education there, and there's nothing that makes the education any different at those schools. The advantages of law school prestige play out at firms that do entertainment law just like they do in the rest of the legal industry, so there are real advantages to going T14 if that's an option for you.

Plus, there are not that many true "entertainment law" jobs, the overall field is not enormously large, and it's wise to keep your options open. If it's what you really want to do, you can go do corporate law for a few years and then lateral to a firm that specializes in entertainment law. That's an option that'll be far more available to you if you're at a T14 or at least a highly-ranked school like UCLA or USC.

[ScaredWorkedBored]

Why do so many people want entertainment law. Just because its about "entertainment" companies doesn't mean the work is going to be more entertaining or engaging. Its still just deals and contracts etc. Am I missing something here? Are they hoping to get into the hollywood parties? Does it pay better?

I think it's people confusing being an agent, being a manager, and being a lawyer, and confuse all of these with Entourage. Once you've had PR you realize why these are not coextensive jobs.

On the corporate side of it, it's invariably people who haven't been to law school yet and haven't realized that contract law is generally the same, and every kind of business deal involves some IP issues.

[CurbYourEnthusiasm]

it's the best idea, because you don't get into "entertainment law" out of law school, so you need to do well get a job and then make the connections to lateral. And btw, entertainment law is just corporate law, but your clients are virgin instead of lehman brothers.

This is a good point, and brings me to a question I have.

Why do so many people want entertainment law. Just because its about "entertainment" companies doesn't mean the work is going to be more entertaining or engaging. Its still just deals and contracts etc. Am I missing something here? Are they hoping to get into the hollywood parties? Does it pay better?

I think its a combination of things. I would love to get into some sort of entertainment law when I am older, but I am realistic to know its a poor reason to attend law school JUST for that. I plan on going to law school, working my tail off and networking, and then see if I can represent athletes on the side. My passion has always been sports, and the business side of the industry. This coupled with a law degree in order to negotiate contracts, would help. I feel like people do want to go for the wrong reasons though. They definitely look at Ari Gold or Jerry Maguire and say, "Wow, thats what I want to be!" And as cool as that is (even though I am realistic, I still would love to be in that type of position), its extremely tough position to get into. I mean your pay is most likely commission based. If you represent a decent baseball athlete, you make 10% of his salary. Considering the lowest paid player in the majors makes $550,000, do the the math. Again, its not that easy, players want reputable agents, knowledge, etc., but I can definitely understand the appeal, and shows like Entourage only enhance it.

[Stupendous_Man]

You don't need a JD to be Jerry McGuire or Ari Gold. The majors all have mailroom (mailrooms? who is still sending mail?) programs that pay you minimum wage regardless of what degree you have. Some people theorize that having a degree helps you move out of there, but a lot of people who get out of there don't have advanced degrees. Being an agent is not being an entertainment lawyer, and you need to make sure you understand the difference or have very generous parents before you commit $200k in law school loans for a minimum wage paycheck afterwards to sort mail.

[GATORTIM]

VanWinkle: plenty of people choose SW because of entertainment law. I know because I have met them. I'm not sure why you think you are more qualified on this point than I am.

I'm sure they do, but that fact doesn't make it the best place to choose by any means. The fact that people choose to go somewhere doesn't make it better, or the best. It just makes it something people chose.

McDonald's advertises "billions and billions served" out front, but everyone knows you can get better burgers somewhere else.

but wouldnt your better burgers reasoning go right back to the quality of education???? Sure there are better burgers out there, but if you live next door to a McDonald's I'm sure you will be heading there a lot more often.

I think SW makes perfect sense for OP:
1. It's located in the entertainment mecca (read networking opportunity galore)
2. It has programs geared toward what OP is looking for (maybe the horse came before the cart...I can't imagine SW offers such an array of entertainment courses just for shitsngiggles)
3. It's located close to McDonald's and several other mediocre chain eateries

[itzjulz]

it's the best idea, because you don't get into "entertainment law" out of law school, so you need to do well get a job and then make the connections to lateral. And btw, entertainment law is just corporate law, but your clients are virgin instead of lehman brothers.

This is a good point, and brings me to a question I have.

Why do so many people want entertainment law. Just because its about "entertainment" companies doesn't mean the work is going to be more entertaining or engaging. Its still just deals and contracts etc. Am I missing something here? Are they hoping to get into the hollywood parties? Does it pay better?

As someone who worked for an entertainment company during 1L summer, I can confidently say that the work is more entertaining and engaging. Maybe it's just my view, but my doc review and research projects were infinitely more interesting than some of the things my friends worked on at their respective jobs.

[2011Cycle]

it's the best idea, because you don't get into "entertainment law" out of law school, so you need to do well get a job and then make the connections to lateral. And btw, entertainment law is just corporate law, but your clients are virgin instead of lehman brothers.

This is a good point, and brings me to a question I have.

Why do so many people want entertainment law. Just because its about "entertainment" companies doesn't mean the work is going to be more entertaining or engaging. Its still just deals and contracts etc. Am I missing something here? Are they hoping to get into the hollywood parties? Does it pay better?

As someone who worked for an entertainment company during 1L summer, I can confidently say that the work is more entertaining and engaging. Maybe it's just my view, but my doc review and research projects were infinitely more interesting than some of the things my friends worked on at their respective jobs.

Which law school are you attending?

[MrAnon]

2. It has programs geared toward what OP is looking for (maybe the horse came before the cart...I can't imagine SW offers such an array of entertainment courses just for shitsngiggles)

No, SW offers such an array of entertainment courses because it knows by virtue of its location that it will attract a certain type of student who wants to be in L.A., wants to be in entertainment, and could not cut it at a better school that entertainment companies actually hire grads from for entertainment positions or that feeds into BIGLAW firms where by and large entertainment firms recruit from. SW is not worth the money. If you want to be in the entertainment industry go out there and get in it tomorrow. Having a law degree is not your ticket into the industry. You would be better off as an established person within it, then adding your law degree.

[GATORTIM]

Having a law degree is not your ticket into the industry. You would be better off as an established person within it, then adding your law degree.

I know who you are....

[MrAnon]

I hope you don't think that since Jerry OConnell attends SW that it makes it a better school or gives it more credo in the industry.

[GATORTIM]

I hope you don't think that since Jerry OConnell attends SW that it makes it a better school or gives it more credo in the industry.

No

--ImageRemoved--

[itzjulz]

it's the best idea, because you don't get into "entertainment law" out of law school, so you need to do well get a job and then make the connections to lateral. And btw, entertainment law is just corporate law, but your clients are virgin instead of lehman brothers.

This is a good point, and brings me to a question I have.

Why do so many people want entertainment law. Just because its about "entertainment" companies doesn't mean the work is going to be more entertaining or engaging. Its still just deals and contracts etc. Am I missing something here? Are they hoping to get into the hollywood parties? Does it pay better?

As someone who worked for an entertainment company during 1L summer, I can confidently say that the work is more entertaining and engaging. Maybe it's just my view, but my doc review and research projects were infinitely more interesting than some of the things my friends worked on at their respective jobs.

Which law school are you attending?

Michigan (which I chose over both USC and UCLA)

[hefox]

Well, outside of Cali and NY, Louisiana is 3rd in the the most films/TV shows (things of the entertainment biz) made in the US. Also, Louisiana has that weird civil law, not common law. It seems like it has a decent market and its has to employ ppl who understands civil law. Tulane and Loyola New Orleans would probably be good schools to go to for that. I'm excluding LSU just bc i want to. Finally, I know Tulane has a great sports law program. I'm pretty sure there they have some clinical contract thing with the saints, but I'm not positive on that.