Vandy/USC/UCLA entertainment law programs Forum

[smacroon]

All things equal does anyone have any thoughts or expertise about the best entertainment law programs? Vandy v USC v UCLA?

Thanks!

[b0dylanguage]

I'd be interested in this as well.

Also, what, exactly, does an entertainment lawyer do?

[jarofsoup]

I dont know about those schools. But I do know that Loyola LA brags about entertainment law.

[Aeon]

http://www.top-law-schools.com/entertai ... hools.html

Also, what, exactly, does an entertainment lawyer do?

Various things, including contracts, negotiation, copyrights, trademarks, etc. It probably also merits mentioning that few attorneys are actually involved exclusively with entertainment law - in many cases, it's only one of several practice areas in which they're engaged. Keep in mind too that the field is notoriously difficult to break into, especially without any connections in the entertainment world.

[bconly]

Entertainment law is a broad field that incorporates transactions and litigation. On the transactional side there are lawyers that represent talent (actors, directors, producers, writers, etc.) and negotiate the finer points of their contracts on their behalf. On the flip side, of course, there are attorneys working at/for the studios who negotiate in their best interests. There is also a niche called "production counsel" where the attorneys are hired to take the necessary steps to get a movie made (i.e., file 'chain of title' with the copyright office, file with the guilds, etc.). The litigation side of things is similar other civil litigation, just with cases that involve entertainment entities.

As for schools, I don't see how Vanderbilt could have anything close to USC or UCLA, as it is not in Los Angeles. USC, UCLA, Loyola, and even Southwestern have a sizable presence in the Entertainment Law community, but you do NOT have focus on entertainment law in law school if you don't want to. More than half of the entertainment attorneys I've talked to tell me how entertainment law just sort of fell into their laps.

[redginseng]

Entertainment law is more so network based than corporate, litigation, and IP. You would be far better off to go to USC/UCLA. Schools in NYC would be a good choice too. Basically you want to be where lots of movie/tv/sports/music stars are.

[holydonkey]

Vandy = Taylor Swift/Clint Black

UCLA = Carrot Top/Lindsay Lohan

[GordonBombay]

FWIW I work at a production company with an in house attorney who also has an exec role in managing our operations. He went to UCLA, worked at an LA firm before going over to a network. He handles anything legal such as releases, contracts, deals with networks, standards and practices, clearances, IP. We make a lot of gameshows and he reviews the rules with contestants, monitors the games to make sure that everything is kosher, and what we have to accept as enough to win money etc. This is the "judges" that you hear about when someone is credited for a jeopardy answer after a commercial.

It was actually a big influence in pushing me over the top to want to go to law school. Seeing a position I would enjoy. Also lots of hard work, NY and CA bars, dealing with people on another coast etc.