Legal Clinic - Arts & Entertainment Advocacy Clinic

The Arts & Entertainment Advocacy Clinic teaches students the legal and policy skills required for engaging with Congress, agencies, and courts on behalf of copyright owners. Under the supervision of Professor Sandra Aistars, students will develop substantive legal knowledge in copyright and related areas of law as well as practical skills in research, writing, and advocacy by counseling clients and preparing legal and policy documents. Students’ work product will be submitted on behalf of non-profit organizations, individual artists and creators, small businesses, and the Center for Intellectual Property x Innovation Policy (C-IP2) in multiple institutional settings in which copyright law and policy are developed. Students may also have the opportunity to participate in specialized artist counseling sessions organized by entities such as the Authors Guild and Slamdance Independent Film Festival and to complete special projects at the invitation of the U.S. Copyright Office.  Because this is an advocacy clinic, projects will vary depending on developments in Congress, the courts, and relevant agencies. In addition to direct instruction from Professor Aistars, students will also meet with and learn from relevant government officials and experienced practitioners. Some classes may be scheduled as visits to agencies, Congress and/or the White House.

This clinic is a graded course offered in the fall and spring, and students may receive 3 credits total each semester (2 in class credits and 1 out of class credit). Space is limited, and interested students should submit a short (500 words or less) statement of interest. Registration is open only to students who have taken Copyright Law, Intellectual Property Law, or Entertainment Law.  

For more information about the program’s requirements, please see the Information Packet for the Arts & Entertainment Advocacy Clinic.