What do Entertainment Lawyers Do | 4 Things You Don’t Know

The extent of contracts and the sophistication of business dealings will expand as your career progresses. Massive legalese infiltrating discussions about boosting, performing, or showing your art is a good predictor that you should hire an entertainment lawyer. Thus, we have made this post on what entertainment lawyers do to aid you.

Early in your career, you can handle contract talks and patent protection. Nevertheless, managing your art’s safeguards and agreements becomes more difficult as your obligation grows. After all, you didn’t be an artist to work in the entertainment industry.

Helping companies protect their brands, draft agreements, renegotiate, and protect their cases in court is an entertainment lawyer’s motivation. Entertainment lawyers have spent countless hours fine-tuning their legal skills, just as you have expended tens of thousands sharpening your artistic skills.

In this post, we’ll look at what an entertainment lawyer can do and then you can determine whether it’s worthy of your time to seek advice.

What do Entertainment Lawyers Do?

The responsibilities of an entertainment lawyer are far broader than most people believe. They manage renegotiations, function as legal advice, and help their customers with other vital duties. Let’s look at the most typical services provided by entertainment attorneys.

1. Contract Negotiation

An entertainment lawyer, as previously said, Is well-versed in enforcing international precedent in entertainment law. Negotiating the legal seas that keep your creative brand afloat as the chances arise and your career progress will get harder.

That’s not to say you cannot learn about entertainment law, intellectual property rights, and renegotiation. However, doing so would be time-intensive. It would, in the end, limit your capacity to create.

Entertainment lawyers are skilled at cutting deals that benefit their clients. They are well-versed in the techniques used by film studios, producers, music labels, art museums, and agents to draw up contracts that disadvantage artists.

You can assume entertainment lawyers as minesweepers who go over the deal and look for hidden pits that will cost you money in the long run.

2. Intellectual Property Protection and Monitoring

Your intellectual property is the basis of your survival as an artist. You must not only deal with those who want to possess, distribute, or use it legally, but you must also safeguard it from those who may try to use it unlawfully.

An entertainment lawyer ensures that an artist’s innovation is adequately handled at the bargaining table and keeps an eye out for authorship or infringing.

When dealing with international markets, this becomes critical. Monitoring piracy becomes exponentially more complicated in countries where copyrights are lax or non-existent. When defending your copyrights, you can rely on an entertainment lawyer.

3. Legal Advice and Counsel

Entertainment attorneys offer a distinct view of the business. Their natural grasp of the legal structure that underpins the entertainment sector aids them in recognizing economic links. This is in addition to seeing possibilities and possible hazards that management or agency could miss.

This is not to minimize the importance of the agent’s or manager’s roles; both are necessary. On the other hand, an entertainment lawyer works on your side under a new set of circumstances than an agency or manager. If you have the funds, you should hire a supervisor and an entertainment lawyer. Each provides distinct advantages in areas where the other does not.

4. Documentation

An entertainment lawyer’s responsibilities may include drafting. From time to time, a customer (the entertainment sector) may need the creation of legal papers to conduct its everyday operations.

As a result, an entertainment lawyer must be able to prepare documents like a trademark license, an employment contract, or an infringing notice, among other things.

Non-compete contracts are frequent in the sphere of entertainment law. A production company might strive to develop and promote talent. They could ask for guarantees from the personnel that they would not work for the rival when their job with the film ends. A non-compete agreement prevents a rival’s talent from joining them.

How to Become a Lawyer in the Entertainment Industry

Consider the following steps if you want to become an entertainment lawyer after reading the above suggestions on what entertainment attorneys do:

Get a bachelor’s degree 

It is the initial step toward becoming an entertainment lawyer. Law schools do not require a specific major. However, aspiring lawyers may want to pursue a field where they can gain practical legal skills. Interaction, bargaining, and writing are all examples of this. Consider the following majors:

• English
• Economics
• Science of politics
• History
• Business
• Sociology
• Psychology

Some budding entertainment lawyers pursue a degree in a related field such as melodies or theatre. This will provide them with valuable industry experience and skills in the entertainment industry.

Pass the law school entrance exam

Ambitious entertainment lawyers can extend to law schools after earning a bachelor’s degree. Students must first take the LSAT before applying to law school. This exam consists of five segments covering reading skills, logical thinking, reflective practice, and assertion skills. A written section follows the multiple segments.

Many undergrads spend several months studying for the exam. They could enroll in an LSAT prep course, enlist a study group, or take exam prep. They can register for the LSAT at diverse testing locations once they feel prepared. If you want to work as an entertainment lawyer, consider your area’s preparation and testing options.

Apply to law school

You may begin applying to law school programs after passing the LSAT. Consider doing some research and looking into programs in your chosen field. Some universities have entertainment law programs. Attending a school specializing in this field could help you start your career.

These programs get frequently located in or near major cities. During their studies, students may participate in an internship program with a local entertainment law firm or company.

You may need to carry the following documents when preparing your law school applications:

• Transcripts from undergrad
• Evidence of a passing LSAT score
• Statement of purpose
• Recommendation letters

4. Get your legal degree

Getting a law degree is the next stage in becoming an entertainment lawyer. The Juris Doctor (J.D.) is the most prevalent degree for entertainment attorneys. Although many colleges now offer part-time programs, this degree program usually takes three years to complete. Part-time programs take longer to finish, often four years.

Consider taking entertainment law classes as part of your education. Law students typically study general law concepts in their first year but can specialize in their second and third years. You can use this time to research topics such as:

• Copyright legislation
• Constitutional practices
• Law of Intellectual Property
• Negotiations
• Taxes on earnings

You may also take electives linked to the area of entertainment that you wish to work in. Some schools, for example, provide courses in music or film law. This might be a terrific approach to getting detailed industry information and skills for your profession.

5. Passing the bar exam

After graduating from law school, aspiring lawyers must take and pass the bar exam. This test may be governed by state legislation. It is, however, generally a two-day examination.

Lawyers must satisfy the bar exams in the states where they want to operate. You must clear the California bar exam to practice law in the state.

Physical location is important in entertainment law because some places have more employment opportunities in the entertainment industry than others after completing the bar exam, think about where you want to work. Look for job opportunities in the entertainment business. Look for places with many music studios or retailers if you want to operate in the music industry.

6. Get some work experience

Lawyers may begin practising law after passing the bar test. Many entertainment attorneys start as legal assistants. Consider both law firms and entertainment enterprises while looking for entry-level legal careers. Certain significant corporations employ In-house entertainment attorneys. A vast movie company, for example, may retain its attorneys to prepare contracts.

Frequently Asked Questions

What do entertainment lawyers do?

Entertainment attorneys might specialize in certain businesses or legal areas of the entertainment industry. Their tasks vary based on their field of expertise, but some frequent ones include:

• Helping with the entertainment contract negotiating process
• Creating booking and prepayment agreements for events or reservations
• Providing legal advice to clients and addressing queries about the entertainment industry
• Providing clients with intellectual property rights
• Defending the intellectual property rights of a client
• Making new relationships and networking with clients
• Assisting customers in obtaining rights to distribute their creative works
• Defending clients in court and conducting intellectual property litigation

Where can you find an entertainment lawyer?

Entertainment attorneys might work directly for a legal firm or a vast entertainment organization. Because cities offer greater entertainment possibilities, many entertainment attorneys reside in or near them. Based on their specialty, an entertainment lawyer may opt to practice in a particular region. If they desire to practice film law, they could work in a city having many film studios.

What exactly are entertainment attorneys?

Entertainment attorneys utilize their legal experience and counsel to safeguard entertainment businesses such as the film industry, television shows, talk shows, and other forms of entertainment.

Is the cost of entertainment legislation justified?

Yes. Entertainment law is a fantastic alternative for many individuals because of its qualities.

Conclusion

Finally, the entertainment industry is expanding, as is the number of attorneys working there. You may contact skilled lawyers who will gladly assist you if you need assistance.