what does a entertainment lawyer do

by Prof. Rhiannon Bradtke 9 min read

  • Important Facts About Entertainment Lawyers
  • Duties and Responsibilities. Entertainment lawyers, as well as other types of lawyers, act as advocates and representatives of their clients in a courtroom setting, as advisors to their clients in ...
  • Education. ...
  • Salary and Employment Statistics. ...

What is an entertainment lawyer? 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.

Full Answer

What is the job description for an entertainment lawyer?

Apr 08, 2021 · An entertainment lawyer is a law professional who specializes in legal matters related to the entertainment industry. Entertainment lawyers may focus on advising clients on entertainment contract laws, intellectual property or entertainment labor laws.

How much does an entertainment lawyer cost?

Jan 30, 2022 · An entertainment lawyer practices a specialized type of law specific to the entertainment industry. When you think about what is an entertainment lawyer, an image of a slick Hollywood type looking to take advantage of a naïve performer may come to mind. But it is important to understand what an entertainment attorney does, as they can provide essential …

How to become an entertainment attorney?

Connecting clients with other service providers: An entertainment lawyer can serve as a liaison between the talent and other professionals, from agents and tax preparers to …

What do entertainment lawyers charge?

Oct 06, 2020 · Entertainment attorneys can also facilitate distribution deals for entertainment projects. They draft development and production contracts with writing, directing, acting and recording talent. They work on financing agreements for sponsorships, bank loans, co-production investments, grants and other types of investments.

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What is an entertainment lawyer job description?

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 do entertainment lawyers do on a daily basis?

1. What do entertainment attorneys do in a typical day? Lawyers within the practice field of entertainment law break their typical day down to events much like those below: They draft and negotiate development and production contracts with writing, directing, acting and recording talent.

Do entertainment lawyers work with celebrities?

3. Entertainment Lawyers Have a Diverse Clientele For many attorneys, this is a reality, but many more do not work directly with celebrities. In fact, entertainment lawyers have a wide variety of clients. To start, not all entertainment lawyers are independent entities.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 do you become an entertainment lawyer?

How do you become an entertainment lawyer?Earn a bachelor's degree. The first step to becoming an entertainment lawyer is earning a bachelor's degree. ... Pass the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) ... Apply for law school. ... Earn a law degree. ... Consider a certificate. ... Pass the bar examination. ... Gain professional experience.Apr 8, 2021

What type of lawyer makes the most money?

Some of the highest-paid lawyers are:Medical 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

How long do you have to be in school to be a lawyer?

Becoming a lawyer usually takes 7 years of full-time study after high school—4 years of undergraduate study, followed by 3 years of law school. Most states and jurisdictions require lawyers to complete a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA).Sep 8, 2021

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".

Why do you want to do entertainment law?

'” According to Schroder, entertainment lawyers may protect their clients' intellectual property rights, represent them in court over disputes, negotiate contracts, show them ways to maximize earnings, and help them manage their taxes, among other tasks.

Can Entertainment Lawyers make millions?

The top entertainment lawyers in Hollywood are raking in millions each year. And they're probably letting their broke clients crash in their guest house on occasion. Assuming you do all the right things in law school, you should be able to find an entry-level job within nine months.

What is the highest paying job?

AnesthesiologistsHighest-Paying CareersRankOccupation2020 Median wagesAnnual1Anesthesiologists$100.00+2General Internal Medicine Physicians$100.00+3Obstetricians and Gynecologists$100.00+7 more rows

How much do Nintendo lawyers make?

The salary starts at $115,882 per year and goes up to $115,882 per year for the highest level of seniority.Mar 24, 2020

What do entertainment lawyers do?

Some entertainment lawyers represent individual persons, such as actors or musicians, while others work to protect the trademark rights of major production companies from infringement on characters, plot lines, and brand names . Entertainment lawyers are additionally found in the political arena of the entertainment industry, working to represent bodies of workers such as actors, directors, or writers by working for the unions affiliated with such groups. Regardless of the specific role an entertainment lawyer plays in the field, they will have many of the same duties and responsibilities shared by other types of attorneys.

How to become an entertainment lawyer?

A prospective entertainment lawyer must attain a high school diploma or the equivalent, followed by a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution. He or she then must take the Law School Admission Test and apply to law school. If possible, an aspiring entertainment lawyer should choose a school that specializes in entertainment law. Upon graduation, he or she will receive a Juris Doctor (J.D.). After passing his or her state bar exam, an entertainment lawyer should seek employment at a firm specializing in this discipline.

What is the job of a lawyer?

Unless they are self-employed with a few small-scale clients, lawyers typically act as supervisors to support staff, such as legal assistants, paralegals, and/or secretaries. Day-to-day tasks include conducting research regarding specific matters or cases at hand to prepare for court or negotiation.

How much will the number of lawyers grow in 2029?

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics ( www.bls.gov) predicts that the employment of all lawyers should grow by about 4% between 2019 and 2029, which is as fast as average compared to other job sectors.

Do attorneys have to communicate with clients?

All attorneys must communicate well with not only members of their legal team, but most especially with clients and prospective clients. Although some administrative duties will be fulfilled by others, attorneys must be organized and adept at preparing and filing legal documents.

What do entertainment lawyers do?

According to Schroder, entertainment lawyers may protect their clients’ intellectual property rights, represent them in court over disputes, negotiate contracts, show them ways to maximize earnings, and help them manage their taxes, among other tasks. Image via Flickr by elsa.org.

How long does it take to get an entertainment license?

A program with Entertainment and Industry certification requires approximately two years to complete and covers several aspects of law that apply to the entertainment industry, from guilds and professional organizations to entertainment entities and intellectual property rights organizations like BMI.

What do entertainment attorneys do?

Entertainment attorneys also work with actors’ agents for contracts regarding upcoming projects. They negotiate with the agent and producer for the actor’s compensation. Some entertainment attorneys are also agents, managers or publicists.

How long does it take to become an entertainment attorney?

Education. Like other attorneys, an entertainment attorney spends three years earning a law degree after receiving a bachelor’s degree. But an entertainment attorney chooses to focus on entertainment, most often graduating from a law school that offers a specialization in entertainment law.

What does a music lawyer do?

They act as general counsel for established artists, helping with marketing and merchandising deals, as well as real estate transactions and tax issues. Also, they help artists secure the rights to use music that other artists have written, complying with copyright laws.

What does a finance manager do?

They work on financing agreements for sponsorships, bank loans, co-production investments, grants and other types of investments. They prepare agreements for appearance releases, location releases, and licenses. They may also help clients join unions, guilds, and other professional associations if needed.

What Does An Entertainment Lawyer Do?

In short, entertainment lawyers work with filmmakers to provide legal advice and counsel on a range of specialty topics. Entertainment lawyers mainly work with producers and executive producers. However, talent such as actors, directors, and writers may also need to hire one during their career.

Do You Need An Entertainment Lawyer?

The answer to whether or not you need an entertainment lawyer is: it depends. While beginning filmmakers and screenwriters typically don’t need a lawyer to start out, as your career advances, you may find yourself needing professional legal advice.

How To Find An Entertainment Lawyer?

Like all jobs in the film industry, most work comes through recommendations. If you know anyone who has previously hired an entertainment lawyer, ask them about their experience. Alternatively, a production company you know might be able to endorse a firm.

What Is The Cost Of An Entertainment Lawyer?

Whether you hire through a law firm or work with a freelancer, every individual will have a unique cost. Most lawyers have an hourly wage, but you can negotiate a flat fee for their services throughout the whole project. Many lawyers will also give a free consultation and use this time to ask straightforward about their services and costs.

In Conclusion

Entertainment lawyers advise and provide essential legal advice for filmmakers. Finding a good lawyer can be difficult, and you will need to negotiate terms in detail before hiring. They are also expensive, and you should consider their cost during your early budget breakdown.

What is entertainment lawyer?

What is an entertainment lawyer? 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.

Which states offer competitive financial advantages for productions?

Many states outside of California and New York offer competitive financial advantages for productions, making it attractive to creatives on a budget to film in these other locations with local crew and other resources at their disposal.

How much does a retainer cost?

It may start at $1000 for contractual and/or advisement issues and go up to $100,000 should they be retained for litigation. Before agreeing to any terms with an entertainment lawyer, inquire about their retainer fee.

Can an emerging creative lawyer be an entertainment lawyer?

And while true that these professionals can foster your career and provide some of the same benefits as an entertainment lawyer, namely industry connections and career advice, neither have the legal expertise of an entertainment lawyer.

What is intellectual property?

Intellectual property, or IP, is big business. From a screenwriter’s spec script to a musician’s original song, anything created within this industry necessitates protection from those who may want to buy it, option it, license it—or infringe upon it with unauthorized use. An entertainment lawyer can see to it that a client’s intellectual property is handled properly and protected when copyright or trademark issues arise.

Can an entertainment lawyer be hired as an employee?

Unless you are potentially forming a company that would require the ongoing services of an entertainment lawyer, they would not be hired as an employee. Rather, they are a contractor who is part of a law firm or the proprietor of their own business.

Is entertainment lawyer specialized?

The nature of work for an entertainment lawyer is highly specialized. That in part explains the costly fees for them. However, it also indicates the extensive education they must attain to be skilled at their job.

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