how to become a lawyer for celebrities

by Prof. Patience Jacobs DVM 10 min read

How much do celebrity lawyers make?

The average annual salary of entertainment lawyers, including music lawyer salary, is ​$116,800​, as reported in 2022 by Law Crossing, a legal job site.Jan 20, 2022

What does a celebrity lawyer do?

Unlike divorce or corporate lawyers, an entertainment lawyer represents and protects the interests of creatives, companies and others in the many areas of the entertainment industry, such as film, television, new media, theater, publishing and music.

What is a lawyer for celebrities called?

Law: A Who's Who of Celebrity Attorneys. You've seen them on Larry King, you've heard them on the microphones at the courthouse steps, and you read their names every time some celebrity goes haywire. They're the lawyers to the stars – and there are many.Jun 6, 2010

Can celebrities be lawyers?

Yet, there is a new kind of celebrity lawyer; one who becomes famous simply for being a lawyer. Many of these lawyers, of course, are tied to highly publicized cases or celebrity clients. People remember the faces and names of the attorneys who have represented celebrity clients or clients in high-profile cases.May 15, 2015

Do Entertainment Lawyers make a lot of money?

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 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

Who is the best celebrity lawyer?

Top 10 Best Celebrity Lawyers#1: Johnnie Cochran. You know the words: “if it doesn't fit, you must acquit.” In the mid-90s, Johnnie Cochran famously and successful defended O.J.#2: Alan Dershowitz. ... #3: Clarence Darrow. ... #4: F. Lee Bailey. ... #5: Gloria Allred. ... #6: Marcia Clark. ... #7: Vincent Bugliosi. ... #8: Jim Garrison. ... More items...

Who is the most famous lawyer?

Famous Lawyers You Should KnowRobert Shapiro. Robert Shapiro is one of the best-known lawyers in American history. ... Thurgood Marshall. Thurgood Marshall was one of the most famous lawyers in American history. ... Woodrow Wilson. ... Johnnie Cochran. ... William Howard Taft. ... Andrew Jackson. ... Abraham Lincoln. ... Robert Kardashian.More items...

Which actor is a lawyer?

Rebel Wilson, Gerard Butler and more stars tried their hand at studying and practicing law before they made it big in Hollywood. Before solidifying his place among some of the hottest names in the movie industry, Butler held a high position in the law society at his Scottish university.Jul 13, 2021

Is Kim Kardashian in law school?

Kim Kardashian is her own biggest cheerleader. The 41-year-old mother of four revealed that she has officially started law school and has the perfect accessory to help her study.Feb 9, 2022

Is Gemma Chan a lawyer?

After finishing her studies at Oxford University, the Crazy Rich Asians actress received a training contract at a prestigious law firm, but she decided to walk away to pursue an acting career after taking night classes at London's Central School of Speech and Drama.Aug 14, 2021

Is Kim a lawyer?

Kim first announced her decision to become a lawyer in April 2019 and is currently set to take the bar exam in 2022.Dec 14, 2021

How to Get to Celebrity Status

Celebrities in the legal field achieve celebrity status the same way as celebrities in other fields become famous. No, we don’t mean by doing the kind of celebrity shenanigans that land you in the tabloids. Instead, we mean working hard to become a household name.

What Will You Do as a Celebrity?

Let’s face it. Hollywood is unlikely to be calling you. However, the benefits of being a local celebrity attorney can be lucrative and rewarding. You may be the first attorney that prospective clients think of when they need a lawyer. You may be the lawyer that people talk about to their friends.

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.

What college did Disney Princess go to?

RELATED: Every Disney Princess & What Their College Major Would Be. He attended the University of Glasgow where he studied hard to become a lawyer and solicitor where he graduated with honors. After graduating, he took a year off before training for two years at a top law firm in Edinburgh.

What did Jeff Cohen do as a kid?

Growing up, Jeff decided that he didn't want to pursue an acting career after all. Instead, he decided that he wanted to go to law school. In 2000, Jeff graduated from the University of California Los Angeles. When he first went into the working world, he wasn't a huge fan of being a lawyer — it wasn't what he expected it to be. It turned out that he wasn't focusing on the type of law that he took interest in which is entertainment law. As a result, he opened his own entertainment law firm and he's been happy with the decision ever since.

How did Andrea Bocelli become blind?

Since the age of 12, Andrea Bocelli has been blind after he suffered a brain hemorrhage due to a soccer accident. That didn't stop him from going on to achieve some amazing things during his lifetime. He would eventually go on to study law at the University of Pisa. To help himself get through college, he would sing at nightclubs and bars just to make some extra money. Once he graduated he practiced law as a state-appointed attorney for a while before ultimately deciding to pursue a music career instead.

What is Jerry Springer known for?

Jerry Springer is most known for his outrageous daytime talk show The Jerry Springer Show. However, many people might not realize that Jerry had different aspirations at the beginning of his career. In 1965 he graduated with a political science degree from Tulane University and then went on to earn his law degree from Northwestern University School of Law three years later.

Where did Gemma Chan study law?

Before Gemma really decided to pursue acting as a career, she decided to study law at Oxford University. Even though she's not currently practicing law, she does find her law degree to be pretty useful.

Where did Julio Iglesias go to college?

Julio Iglesias is famous on so many levels. When he was younger, he started off as the goaltender for the Real Madrid junior squad, however, he decided to take things in a different direction and study law instead. In 1963 he first attended Complutense University in Madrid.

Who is Danielle Gittleman?

Danielle Gittleman is a writer and editor from Freehold, New Jersey. Passionate about music, entertainment, and writing, Danielle has put her love for them together, and specializes in music and entertainment journalism.

Why are lawyers respected?

Suffice it to say that lawyers are respected not because they are lawyers, but because of their hard work and integrity.

What is the law school course called in Nigeria?

For instance, in Nigeria, there is a course called “Legal reasoning” in Nigeria Law School. It is a “must” for every law student there. This confirms the fact that a lawyer must not lack the ability to anticipate the argument of his fellow lawyer or the judgment of the judge.

What makes a good lawyer?

One of the qualities of a good lawyer is diligence. Diligence is the combination of hard work and consistency. To become a successful lawyer, you must not lack this quality because it takes time for a young lawyer to be noticed.

Why do lawyers have to go out to network?

You have to go out and network with other lawyers because that is how others will get to know what you are capable of doing.

Why do lawyers lose cases?

One of the reasons why most lawyers lose their cases in the court is not because their position is absolutely wrong but because, even the judge is unable to understand their line of argument. As a lawyer, your ability of think laterally and quickly will go a long way to determine your success in the profession.

Is it possible to be a good lawyer?

It will be difficult or even impossible to be a good lawyer without the ability to anticipate what the judge in any case/circumstance will decide. The ability of a lawyer to anticipate what his opposing counsel will argue in court will help him to counter those arguments before they are even presented to the counsel.

Is communication a skill?

There is no gainsaying the communication skill is a must-have skill for every lawyer. Frankly speaking, the way you communicate as a lawyer will go a long way to tell what you are capable of doing. Today, clients are more concerned about the kind of grammar their lawyers use when talking to them.

What did Rashida Jones do?

Rashida Jones had lofty ambitions of becoming a lawyer while she was a student at Harvard University, but admitted to The Independent several years later that she lost faith in the law during the infamous O.J. Simpson murder trial in the 1990s.

What did Andrea Bocelli do?

Andrea Bocelli. While he was studying at the University of Pisa, Bocelli’s parents wanted him to pursue the field of law. Bocelli performed in local piano bars to earn a little extra cash before graduating and becoming a court-appointed lawyer.

Who is the actor who studied law?

Rebel Wilson, Gerard Butler and more stars tried their hand at studying and practicing law before they made it big in Hollywood. Before solidifying his place among some of the hottest names in the movie industry, Butler held a high position in the law society at his Scottish university. After graduating from the University ...

Who was the president of the law society at the University of Glasgow?

Gerard Butler. Before earning the role of King Leonidas of Sparta, Butler was the president of the law society at the University of Glasgow. After graduating with honors in 1992, the Scotsman secured a spot at a top law firm in Edinburgh until he finally decided to chase his Hollywood dreams. Credit: Shutterstock.

Why did Matisse go to Paris?

Henri Matisse. Mostly to make his lawyer father happy, the French artist went to Paris to study law in 1887. When he came back to Saint-Quentin, he got a job as a clerk in a law office - and promptly came down with appendicitis. His mother brought him oil paints to pass the time during recovery, and that was that.

Will Shortz be a lawyer?

30. Will Shortz. The puzzlemaster could have been a lawyer - he got his JD from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1977, but passed up the bar to get the world’s only degree in enigmatology instead. Despite eschewing the bar, Shortz believes his schooling was helpful. “Law is great training for the mind for almost any career. It was good for me because the thinking skills you get from law school are important in puzzle-solving and puzzle-making.”#N#* * *#N#Lots of U.S. Presidents were lawyers, too. How about you guys? Anyone with a law degree thriving in another field?

Did Cleese have a law degree?

One of the funniest men in the history of comedy has a law degree from no less than Cambridge. But he didn’t leave the jury rolling in the aisles: Cleese never actually practiced. After meeting writing partner Graham Chapman at school, Cleese went on to co-found a little comedy troupe called Monty Python. 5.

Who was Howard Cosell?

22. Howard Cosell. Believing that having a lawyer for a son would make his parents proud, Cosell enrolled in the NYU School of Law and started practicing in Manhattan after WWII. His clients included Willie Mays and the New York Little League. He organized a radio show to help promote the latter and ended up being a natural at interviewing. He quit his law practice in 1956 to do sports reporting for ABC.

Who is the author of Sleepy Hollow?

1. Washington Irving. The author of Rip Van Winkle and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow once admitted that he just barely squeaked by the bar exam. Still, he was able to combine his lawyerly knowledge with his famous writing flair in 1807, when Aaron Burr was tried for Alexander Hamilton’s murder and Irving served as a trial spectator. He wrote juicy descriptions of the events, such as when Burr "turned his head, looked him full in the face with one of his piercing regards, swept his eye over the whole person from head to foot, as if to scan his dimensions, and then coolly resumed his former position."

Who was the singer who was paralyzed in a car accident?

Julio Iglesias. Had the famous crooner not been in a car accident, he might never have pursued a singing career. Iglesias was a law student in Spain in 1963 when a collision left him paralyzed. He taught himself guitar during the three-year recovery process and ended up discovering a natural talent for music.

Who was the figure skater who graduated from Harvard Law School?

24. Dick Button . After winning gold medals at the ‘48 and ‘52 Winter Olympics, the American figure skater decided to see how he would fare at Harvard Law School. Turns out he was pretty good at that, too: he graduated in 1955 and even skated with the Ice Capades when he was on break from school.

How long was Michelle Obama the First Lady?

Michelle Obama. Serving as the First Lady of the United States of America from 2009 to 2017, Michelle Obama gained somewhat of a cult following as a result of her charismatic personality, her relentless advocation of women’s rights worldwide and sharp wit.

What did Henri Matisse do?

He originally planned to become a lawyer, travelling to Paris and becoming a law clerk after gaining his qualification. Henri Matisse was inspired by the Impressionist style of paintings and incorporated bright colours into his work, creating timeless pieces of art like the ‘The Joy of Life’ and ‘La Danse’.

What law school did Henri Matisse go to?

Law School: Northwestern University. Went on to host of many shows like ‘The Jerry Springer Show’, America’s Got Talent (for two seasons) and ‘Springer on the Radio’. Henri Matisse. Known for his immense contribution to the visual arts, Henri Matisse was born in 1869 in France.

What was Gandhi known for?

Known for his philanthropy and activism, Gandhi fought reverently for the independence of his home country, India. Born in 1869 to a well-off family, he married at the tender age of 13 and rebelled against his parents for most of his youth.

What did Fidel Castro do?

He quickly adopted extreme left politics, advocating for the implementation of a one-party state and a socialist economy with the nationalisation of industry.

What law school did Gandhi go to?

Law School: Downing College, Cambridge. Went on to become: a famous actor in many films and sitcoms including ‘Monty Python’, winner of the BAFTA award for ‘Fawlty Towers’, declined a peerage and knighthood when offered one. Mahatma Gandhi.

When was Hillary Clinton born?

Hillary Clinton was born in 1947 and she married Bill Clinton in 1975. As the First Lady of the United States during 2009 to 2013, Hillary Clinton advocated for issues like gender equality (she often referred to her goal being to ‘smash the glass ceiling’ during the 2016 Presidential election run) and education reform.

Why is it important to decide where you want to live long term before entering an apprenticeship program?

It's critical to decide where you want to live long term before entering an apprenticeship program because you probably won’t be admitted to practice in any other state. And potential clients and employers might be reluctant to hire anyone who didn't go to law school simply because it's so unusual.

How many years of experience do you need to become a mentor?

Some hours must be spent under the direct supervision of an attorney, and a certain number of study hours are also required. The mentoring attorney must meet a minimum level of experience in all states, ranging from three years in Vermont to 10 years in Virginia and Washington.

Do lawyers go to law school?

Most lawyers do attend law school, but there are some advantages to avoiding it if you can manage it. You'll avoid the high cost of law school and perhaps gain more on-the-ground experience shadowing a working lawyer.

Who was Marc Dreier?

Last year he represented lawyer-turned-felon Marc Dreier, who was convicted of stealing millions from hedge funds and his clients. In 2005, Jay Z, Richard Simmons and Ashanti stopped by to see trial of his client, Irv Gotti, who Shargel was defending on money laundering charges.

Who is Alan Dershowitz?

Simpson, Mike Tyson, socialite Claus van Bulow and Patricia Hearst. Alan Dershowitz -- or "Dersh" as some of his students call him -- is a longtime Harvard professor and is best known to those under 35 for his participation in the O.J. Simpson trial.

Who is Gloria Allred?

Gloria Allred. Celebrity clients: The family of Nicole Brown Simpson, Paula Jones, Amber Frey (girlfriend of Scott Peterson) Gloria Allred has not met a media frenzy she doesn't like - even her website boasts that she is "the most famous woman attorney practicing law in the nation today.".

Who are the celebrities who have been a lawyer?

Celebrity clients: Michael Jackson , Winona Ryder, Chris Brown and Scott Peterson. Mark Geragos might be the most "famous" of the celebrity attorneys, at least if measured by how often we see him in the news.

Who is Lizzie Grubman's father?

Of course, Grubman may best be known outside of the industry for being the father of publicist Lizzie Grubman, who did a short stint in jail after running over several people outside a Hamptons nightclub in 2001.

Who is David Boies?

David Boies is a legendary litigator whose career took off when he defended IBM against antitrust allegations He also represented Al Gore in Bush v. Gore and has teamed up with Ted Olson, his opponent in that case, to fight California's Proposition 8.

Who did Garbus go after?

Garbus's decades-long career is full of celebrity and athlete highlights. He once went after a cigarette maker on behalf of Robert Redford ( pdf) and represented Barry Bonds' ex-girlfriend when the FBI allegedly tried to discourage her from speaking to Senator George Mitchell.

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Be in The Know, But Don’T Be A Fan

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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. Netwo...
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 …
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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 …
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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 …
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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…
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