how do you become an entertainment lawyer

by Mr. Holden Harris DVM 10 min read

Become an Entertainment Lawyer: Education and Career Roadmap

  1. Earn a Bachelor's Degree. Before applying to law school, aspiring lawyers need to complete a bachelor's degree program. ...
  2. Take the Law School Admission Test. Many law schools, including most approved by the American Bar Association, require applicants to submit scores from the Law School Admission Test ...
  3. Obtain a Law Degree. ...
  4. Join the Bar. ...

More items...

Full Answer

When should you hire an entertainment lawyer?

Your career as an entertainment lawyer will start the same way as the career of any lawyer - with a law degree. You can begin this process by enrolling in a bachelor's degree program. Law schools don't require you to major in a specific subject, but you may choose to enter a pre-law program, which incorporates specific courses designed to prepare you for law school. You must earn …

What is the job description for an entertainment lawyer?

Mar 26, 2019 · Continuing your education isn’t mandatory in the legal field, but if you’re planning to pursue a career path how to become an entertainment lawyer in a specific field, such as an entertainment lawyer, professional development and earning a degree in …

What is the curriculum of an entertainment law degree?

Jul 03, 2020 · #1 thing is network. Meet people in the industry whenever you can. The sooner you start networking the better off you’ll... Start to think about what you want to do and if being an Entertainment Attorney is really for you. Law school is very... Try to learn. There are lots of books and blogs out ...

Do you need an entertainment lawyer?

Jul 05, 2019 · The salary range for Entertainment Attorneys runs from $77,000 to $186,000. According to Herman, for most Entertainment Attorneys you are looking at a firm position, versus working freelance: “A law firm position is salaried with quite a lot of growth potential.

See more

May 22, 2012 · HOW TO BECOME AN ENTERTAINMENT ATTORNEY MOVE TO LOS ANGELES OR NEW YORK. If you haven’t done so already. ... ASK PEOPLE YOU KNOW. More than just about any other field of law, the entertainment field is built on relationships. BE INTERESTED IN THE SUBJECT MATTER. If you’re going to be an ...

image

Is it hard to be an entertainment lawyer?

Turns out, it's really difficult to break into. It now seems to me that people break into the entertainment law field in one of three ways: Good connections, great experience on the business side, or incredible credentials.

What should I study for entertainment law?

The common degree for entertainment lawyers is the Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree. This degree program typically takes three years to complete, although many schools now offer part-time programs....4. Earn a law degreeCopyright law.First amendment practices.Intellectual property law.Negotiations.Income taxes.Apr 8, 2021

Is entertainment law competitive?

2. Entertainment Law Is Competitive It's no secret that entertainment law is a competitive area of law in which to practice. Who wouldn't want to work with major musicians, actors, directors, and producers? For those reasons, entertainment law can be a hard niche to break into.Jun 15, 2020

Where do entertainment lawyers make the most money?

Average salaries for entertainment lawyers vary by city. For example, Law Crossing reports that average salaries were highest in Los Angeles where they earned ​$165,000​ per year. Those working in Glendale and San Franciso averaged ​$164,500​ per year. New York City entertainment lawyers averaged ​$161,000​.Jan 20, 2022

How much do top entertainment lawyers make?

Salary Ranges for Entertainment Lawyers The salaries of Entertainment Lawyers in the US range from $10,018 to $187,200 , with a median salary of $18,674 . The middle 57% of Entertainment Lawyers makes between $18,674 and $74,346, with the top 86% making $187,200.

What is the top law school in the world?

QS World University Rankings by Subject 2021: LawHarvard University, US.University of Oxford, UK.University of Cambridge, UK.Yale University, US.Stanford University, US.The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), UK.Columbia University, US.New York University (NYU), US.More items...•Jan 12, 2022

What type of lawyer makes the most money?

Types Of Lawyers That Make The Most MoneyMedical Lawyers – Average $138,431. Medical lawyers make one of the highest median wages in the legal field. ... Intellectual Property Attorneys – Average $128,913. ... Trial Attorneys – Average $97,158. ... Tax Attorneys – Average $101,204. ... Corporate Lawyers – $116,361.Dec 18, 2020

What is the role of an entertainment lawyer?

Entertainment Attorneys help their clients to understand legal agreements, ensuring that the terms are in their clients' best interests. They work with Recording Groups, Record Producers, Songwriters, Music Publishers, Record Label Executives, Music Producers, and Composers.Jul 3, 2020

What type of law is entertainment?

Entertainment law, also referred to as media law, is legal services provided to the entertainment industry. These services in entertainment law overlap with intellectual property law. Intellectual property has many moving parts that include trademarks, copyright, and the "Right of Publicity".

How much do Nintendo lawyers make?

532 Nintendo of America employees have shared their salaries on Glassdoor. Select your job title and find out how much you could make at Nintendo of America....Nintendo of America Salaries.Job TitleSalaryLawyer salaries - 1 salaries reported$186,163/yrCorporate Counsel salaries - 1 salaries reported$212,652/yr2 more rows

How much do sports lawyers make?

Sports legal positions may differ based on particular positions. According to PayScale, sports agents make an average of $51,699 every year. On the other hand, sports attorneys have considerably higher salaries, amounting to a colossal $95,000 per year.

What is a film lawyer?

Expert Sources: Samantha Herman. Date: July 5, 2019. Entertainment Lawyers manage all legal matters for Writers, Directors, Producers, Actors, and sometimes below the line crew. This includes contractual agreements, negotiations, advice, and counseling.Jul 5, 2019

Unions, Groups, Social Media, and Associations

Entertainment Attorneys and students of entertainment law can join the International Association of Entertainment Lawyers. Moo also suggests networ...

What Is The Single Biggest Suggestion You Would Give to Someone Wanting to Get Into This Career?

“Try and have more of a broad set of classes you take. For example, learning tax law was really helpful for me but I also wish I would’ve learned l...

What’S The #1 Mistake People Make When Trying to Get Into This Career?

“It’s great to have drive and focus and I respect that. It’s great to be passionate but the reality is that the entertainment industry is only so b...

What Is The Question People Should Ask About This Career but Rarely do?

“The thing they should ask themselves beforehand is ‘Is this something I really want to do?’ They should really investigate and learn what it means...

If You Could Describe in One Word What Makes You Successful, What Would It be?

“Perseverance. Honestly, there’s going to be a lot of stuff that goes wrong along the way and that’s just life in general. There have definitely be...

What are the practices in entertainment law?

The Following are the Practices in Entertainment Law: Labor and employment – to make sure that staff and talents are following labor and employment laws, which include worker’s compensation, safety regulations, fair hiring practices, and maximum working hours allowed .

Is continuing education mandatory in entertainment law?

The old ones are being revised, and a lot of cases are being created and trying to be resolved. Continuing your education isn’t mandatory in the legal field, but if you’re planning to pursue a career path how to become an entertainment lawyer in a specific field, such as an entertainment lawyer, professional development ...

Can a lawyer handle entertainment law?

Lawyers can include entertainment law cases as a part of a wider practice or just focus on entertainment law exclusively. Entertainment laws have something to offer, whether you prefer drafting documents, pouring over regulations, or being in the courtroom.

Do entertainment lawyers work outside of the city?

Other entertainers, local bands, radio talents, and television talents residing in their city also need entertainment lawyers on their side. Although entertainment lawyers won’t get to practice full-time outside major cities, they can still handle entertainment cases for their litigation and transactional law practice.

What do entertainment lawyers major in?

Many Entertainment Lawyers majored in Legal Studies or Music Industry Studies as undergraduates. A degree in Music Industry Studies or something similar can give the future Lawyer an understanding of the many areas of the music business before they hunker down and dive deep into the law at law school.

How much do entertainment attorneys make?

Entertainment Attorney salaries can range from $77,000 to $186,000. Moo says “there are a couple different ways” Entertainment Attorneys are paid. “The flat fee for reviewing contracts is the most common because it’s the most affordable, especially for newer musicians.

What is entertainment attorney?

Entertainment Attorneys help their clients to understand legal agreements, ensuring that the terms are in their clients’ best interests. They work with Recording Groups, Record Producers, Songwriters, Music Publishers, Record Label Executives, Music Producers, and Composers. They negotiate recording, merchandising, touring and publishing contracts, as well as Producer agreements.

What does Moo say about being successful?

Of the experience and skills necessary to become successful, Moo says, “it goes back to just being good with people. A lot of clients have said to me, ‘You’re so easy to talk to; the last Entertainment Attorney I talked to was a real jerk and made me feel stupid.’ It’s not brain surgery. Anything in law can be made simple. My goal is to explain a lot of things so people understand.

What do people think of entertainment attorneys?

When most people think of Entertainment Attorneys they envision a flashy, high-powered office and an intense workload. While this is certainly the case at many big-name firms, other Attorneys find this type of corporate environment doesn’t sit well with their creative clients.

What is the best book about music?

There’s a great book called All You Need to Know About the Music Business by Donald Passman. That’s a terrific book to read because it gives a real overview of how the industry is. Figure out what kind of music you like. If you can find great music and bring it to a company or develop it yourself that’s super valuable.

What does a music lawyer do?

For superstar level clients, the Music Lawyer may also assist in licensing their image for merchandising purposes or handling the paperwork on sponsorship/endorsement deals. They may even get involved in non-business legal matters , such as prenuptial agreements or divorce settlements.

What is networking in law?

For example, there may be music conferences or film festival workshops where you can meet executives and learn from non-lawyers. Your own school’s music and communication school bulletin board is one place to start for local events. Once there, it may be as simple as asking for help.

What is industry guide?

While we tend to avoid reading more books then assigned, an industry guide is a refreshing and inspiring break from casebooks. Wandering through the entertainment section of your law library may reveal little jewels that breathe an inspiring perspective on career paths in ways you may not have considered. Legal books that give law student advice is such as Entertainment Careers for Lawyers is useful, as is a quick browse at non-legal books that give an overview of what it’s like to enter the industry.

Who is Nicholas La Terza?

Los Angeles-based entertainment lawyer, Nicholas La Terza who teaches entertainment law at UCLA, UC Irvine and the University of Miami tells his students to be in the know about the industry. For example, if you want to work with film producers, he says you must be able to name your five favorite producers.

Who do entertainment attorneys work with?

Entertainment Attorneys may also work with Actors, Directors, Screenwriters, and studio execs.

Where is Samantha Herman?

Samantha Herman was born and raised in Toronto, Canada, to Lesli and Robin Herman. During her childhood, she was exposed to television and films, both current and classic, and a lifelong fascination was created. Herman is the founder of Frankly, My Dead, a film industry business affairs and consulting firm.

image

Be in The Know, But Don’T Be A Fan

Image
Los Angeles-based entertainment lawyer, Nicholas La Terza who teaches entertainment law at UCLA, UC Irvine and the University of Miami tells his students to be in the know about the industry. For example, if you want to work with film producers, he says you must be able to name your five favorite producers. If you h…
See more on lawschooltoolbox.com

Books

  • While we tend to avoid reading more books then assigned, an industry guide is a refreshing and inspiring break from casebooks. Wandering through the entertainment section of your law library may reveal little jewels that breathe an inspiring perspective on career paths in ways you may not have considered. Legal books that give law student advice is such as Entertainment Careers for …
See more on lawschooltoolbox.com

Networking

  • Networking can entail more than just going to legal events. For example, there may be music conferences or film festival workshops where you can meet executives and learn from non-lawyers. Your own school’s music and communication school bulletin board is one place to start for local events. Once there, it may be as simple as asking for help. Networking nowadays also t…
See more on lawschooltoolbox.com

Conference Materials

  • As law students, we may not always have the money or the time to go to conferences in person, but thankfully materials from conferences are often posted online after the conference or available with an email request to the organization. The ABA posts materials from conferences to their website which are available to view and download with a free student account. While some …
See more on lawschooltoolbox.com

Internships

  • Many ex-entertainment attorneys say they were originally drawn by the flash of the industry but the initial excitement quickly subsided upon realizing it entails reading contracts and drafting memos much like any other law job. Securing an internship early can help you realize whether you like the field to begin with, as well as provide further networking opportunities. Because location …
See more on lawschooltoolbox.com

Independent Research

  • Writing for the Law Review on a subject related to the field of interest is another way to show prospective lawyers your interest. A friend who wrote on a Netflix case for his Business Law Review then landed an internship with NBC. If Law Review sounds appealing, you may wish to read what you need to know about getting onto Law Review. But you could also volunteer to be …
See more on lawschooltoolbox.com

Broad Curriculum

  • As a back-up plan, in case the field is not what you expect, it always helps to have a broad array of courses taken. Also, practitioners recommend a strong foundation in related areas such as tax law, immigration, intellectual property, and contracts. Some schools offer courses specifically geared towards these areas for entertainers, but the general, introductory course may be just as…
See more on lawschooltoolbox.com