An entertainment lawyer is a legal professional who offers assistance to individuals and businesses involved in the entertainment industry. They help draft contracts, review agreements, resolve legal disputes and offer advice when disputes arise. Entertainment lawyers tend to reside in major metropolitan areas with high concentrations of entertainment-industry businesses.
Aspiring entertainment lawyers need a law degree, knowledge of entertainment law and an ability to negotiate contracts. To enter this career path, first earn your bachelor’s degree and pass the Law School Admission Test (LSAT). Once admitted into law school, take classes on entertainment law or intern with firms specializing in this field before finding entry-level legal assistant or associate positions.
Once you’ve gained experience in the legal field, the next step should be taking and passing your state’s bar exam. According to the American Bar Association website, the bar examination is an “arduous” process that tests your understanding of local laws before permitting you to begin practicing law in that jurisdiction.
After passing the bar exam, most attorneys begin their careers at either a large law firm or production company. No matter where they practice law, however, it’s crucial that they remain up-to-date on industry developments by reading trade journals and attending relevant conferences/seminars as well as networking within their industry to build successful practices.
Sometimes people ask: Can’t a real estate or business lawyer take care of my entertainment matters?” Unfortunately not. Entertainment law attorneys specialize in entertainment law are best equipped to understand its commercial complexities, protecting their clients’ interests while keeping their knowledge fresh.
No matter if you’re an upstart producer, writer or artist. Entertainment attorneys offer invaluable assistance on a wide variety of issues related to copyright infringement, trademark registration and contract negotiations.
Entertainment lawyers can also be invaluable resources when it comes to legal questions that fall outside your area of expertise. For instance, filmmakers working on projects spanning multiple states could benefit from consulting an entertainment lawyer who can explain differences in filming laws in each location while protecting their clients’ rights.
Entertainment lawyers typically reside in large metropolitan areas like New York and Los Angeles where there is an increased concentration of entertainment industry businesses. Entertainment attorneys may also be found in smaller cities that provide film projects with financial incentives – for instance New Mexico and Florida provide tax credits that reduce how much a film project must pay out in salaries and taxes, making these states attractive to producers looking for ways to cut labor costs without compromising quality – this may sway many producers to hire entertainment lawyers who are licensed in their own local jurisdictions.