how to become a music attorney

Most areas require anyone who wishes to become a music attorney to complete law school. This requires finishing a degree at a four-year school, followed by three to four years at an accredited law school. Before entering law school, you will likely have to pass a specialized test.

Full Answer

Do I need a lawyer in the music industry?

Jun 12, 2009 · How to Find a Lawyer. Once you know what you need from a lawyer, start asking those in your music industry circles. You are almost certain to know someone who has had to visit a lawyer for a music industry issue before. There is no substitute for a recommendation from someone who has had a good experience with a music lawyer, or a warning from someone …

What degree do I need to be an entertainment lawyer?

Jan 29, 2022 · To become a music attorney, you must complete all necessary courses needed to become a licensed lawyer in your area. This usually involves graduation from a four-year college or university, followed by several more years in law school.

What degree do I need to be a lawyer?

Dec 04, 2012 · I get this question quite a lot. The bottom line is that it's generally tough to become a full-time music lawyer, especially if you live outside of a major music industry city (Los Angeles, Nashville, New York). A few tips: 1) Be willing to work in related fields or jobs. Many music lawyers start out practicing in other fields while they cultivate a music law practice.

Where should I go to Law School for music law?

Dec 19, 2017 · A Music Lawyers’ Guide to Building a Career in Entertainment Law. Author: Alison Stolpa. Date: December 19, 2017. Reads: 3,675. Alison Stolpa is a Blogger, Publicist, and Music Writer. She is a graduate of the University of Minnesota, where she worked at the award-winning student station, Radio K, and a graduate of the University of ...

What qualifications do you need to be a music lawyer?

Strong academic credentials including a law degree from an accredited law school and membership in one national/state bar is required.

Can you become a lawyer with a music degree?

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.Jul 3, 2020

Is there a such thing as music law?

Music law governs the activities of musicians, record producers, and those working on behalf of recording companies. A number of legal issues often occur during the execution of entertainment deals and other business transactions.

What is the role of a music lawyer?

Essentially, a music lawyer is part of the team, advising on legal issues and helping to guide the business aspects of a career in collaboration with other members of the team such as the manager and accountant. Nonetheless, knowing when to appoint a lawyer can be a difficult decision.Jan 23, 2020

How can I study entertainment law?

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

Can a lawyer be a musician?

Lawyer-turned musician, Folarin Falana, better known by his stage name Falz the Bahd Guy or Falz, has said that some of the skills he learnt as a lawyer are now helping in his musical career. The University of Reading, England-trained lawyer stated this during an Instagram Live session with his fans.Jan 2, 2021

How can I copyright my music?

You can register directly with the United States Copyright Office at Copyright.gov. Their system works fine, but it is not entirely user friendly. For that reason, services have popped up that offer to copyright your music for you. They charge their service fees and the required federal filing fee.Sep 2, 2021

What rights do music artists have?

As an independent musician, you own your songs and recordings. It's YOUR intellectual property. That might seem obvious, but it's worth repeating: YOU control the copyright to the songs you write and the recordings you create.Feb 1, 2022

How do musicians copyright their work?

Applying for registration with the U.S. Copyright Office requires an application, a filing fee, and a copy of the work. Depending on the type of work, there are several different online application options, including: Standard Application for registering an individual sound recording or musical work.

Do musicians need a lawyer?

Musicians need lawyers because navigating these areas can be difficult and sometimes even impossible without the right know-how. When a musician hires an entertainment lawyer , they can trust that person to act with their best interest in mind.Aug 14, 2021

Who do music lawyers work with?

We often work with artists, writers, producers and managers at the start of their careers to help support their craft, develop their reputation and to protect their rights. We work on all types of music industry deals, and are one of the few firms capable of advising on music issues across the full media spectrum.Mar 26, 2021

What is a musician lawyer?

A music lawyer is a specialized attorney who deals with legal issues surrounding the music industry. They are trained to handle a wide range of legal issues, like contract management, copyright claims, trademark disputes, artist representation, and many more.

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 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 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.

Who is Kamal Moo?

Los Angeles-based Entertainment Attorney and Manager Kamal Moo focuses on indie artists and labels, having worked with a wide range of clients from Grammy-nominated hip-hop violinist Josh Vietti to Warped Tour and ex-Epitaph Records band I Set My Friends on Fire.

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 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.

Is law school expensive?

Law school is very expensive and you have to consider this before getting into that much debt. Try to learn. There are lots of books and blogs out there, lots of ways to learn about the industry. There’s a great book called All You Need to Know About the Music Business by Donald Passman.

What to Know Before You Seek an Attorney to Represent You

Heather McDonald wrote about music careers for The Balance Careers. She has worked in the music industry for over two decades.

Determine Your Needs

Music lawyers are under the umbrella of entertainment law, and many specialize in a certain part of the music industry. Understanding what you need legal help with will make it easier for you to find a lawyer who is up to the task. Knowing whether you are looking to build a long-term relationship with a lawyer is also something to consider.

How to Find a Lawyer

Once you know what you need from a lawyer, start asking those in your music industry circles. You are almost certain to know someone who has had to visit a lawyer for a music industry issue before.

Meet With Your Short List

Whether you do it by phone or in person, have a brief question and answer session with your short list of lawyers. Find out what they specialize in, how soon they can work on your case, how much they charge and what their payment terms are. If you get a bad feeling or just don't hit it off with a candidate, don't feel any obligation to hire them.

What do you look for in a lawyer?

We always look for strong academic performance, great writing and communication skills, and ideally some transactional experience as a Lawyer. While in law school, “Contracts” is essential (and required at most schools), and copyright and trademark courses are very important.

Who is Alison Stolpa?

Alison Stolpa is a Blogger, Publicist, and Music Writer. She is a graduate of the University of Minnesota, where she worked at the award-winning student station, Radio K, and a graduate of the University of Westminster's Music Business MA program. She has worked at Amoeba Records and Electric Fetus Records and interned at Atlantic Jaxx/Accidental ...

Who is Paul Rothenberg?

To learn more about what it takes to get a foot-in-the-door with a potential employer and build a fulfilling career in entertainment law, we spoke with Paul Rothenberg, founder of New York and LA-based firm Rothenberg P.C.

About Us

Neil has practiced law for 41 years and has focused his legal practice in the areas of estate planning, advanced elder law planning, and probate and trust administration. Neil graduated cum laude from The John Marshall Law School in Chicago, Illinois in 1976.

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