Entertainment Law & Internships Forum

[NYC Law]

Just going to post this here since I'm a 0L.

Disclaimer: I know the TLS wisdom on 'entertainment law'. Which schools to go to for it (highest ranked), that its more about connections, and that its just contracts/IP/lit but with entertainment clients.

Now on to business - would it be worth it to try for an internship maybe 1L summer with a media company (ie MTV Networks, NBC Universal, etc)? On the one hand it seems pointless since there's no chance of landing a job with them after graduation and its unpaid, but would it look good to perhaps law firms that do entertainment law for 2L summer and post grad?

Or would it be better to try for whatever firm/judge/professor (RA) I can get and just hope for a spot with an entertainment oriented firm later on? The only reason I'm worrying about this now is because it seems like you get pigeonholed early in the game as one type of lawyer.

[sanetruth]

Either route could be as good as the other, it's hard to say which would work out. A lot of it will depend on right-place-right-time kind of stuff.

As you mentioned, connections are important, so internships can help. Entertainment in general is not a 'prestige' industry in the same way law is. People will care less about where you went to school and more about where you worked, who you know, and how well you 'fit'. So in this regard I could see an internship helping. At the very least it will help you learn what the common route for entertainment-minded JDs is.

The uniqueness of the industry means that the route to success will not be the same as more common legal trajectories. A lot of recent law grads in LA will start out as contract administrators as opposed to attorneys. These positions technically don't require a JD, but in entertainment (and LA in particular), it's a tacit prerequisite. This route would thus involve working your way up as a contract administrator, passing the bar, and hopefully eventually being promoted to a larger legal role (if you actually still want to be an attorney) or lateraling to another JD-optional entertainment position.

I know less about what the prospects are like for the more traditional route (meaning law school --> big law/boutique entertainment --> $$$), but I'm sure there is a weathered path.

[Magnolia]

Do you mean an internship in the legal department? Are there even legal-related internships available at places like MTV for 1Ls? (I have no idea, so I'm legitimately asking.) If you can get a job doing something legal-related, then it's probably a good thing to do.

If you just mean a general internship in the entertainment industry that has nothing to do with law, that's a pretty terrible idea.

[NYC Law]

Do you mean an internship in the legal department? Are there even legal-related internships available at places like MTV for 1Ls? (I have no idea, so I'm legitimately asking.) If you can get a job doing something legal-related, then it's probably a good thing to do.

If you just mean a general internship in the entertainment industry that has nothing to do with law, that's a pretty terrible idea.

Yeah they have a bunch of internships in various legal departments, here's the listing:
http://tbe.taleo.net/NA5/ats/careers/re ... 6&rid=1183

[Magnolia]

Do you mean an internship in the legal department? Are there even legal-related internships available at places like MTV for 1Ls? (I have no idea, so I'm legitimately asking.) If you can get a job doing something legal-related, then it's probably a good thing to do.

If you just mean a general internship in the entertainment industry that has nothing to do with law, that's a pretty terrible idea.

Yeah they have a bunch of internships in various legal departments, here's the listing:
http://tbe.taleo.net/NA5/ats/careers/re ... 6&rid=1183

Interesting. Seems like an awesome opportunity if you're one of lucky souls who can snag a position.