Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts

Vla's department of legal services provides the Arts community with access to services through legal clinics and in-house consultations, where artists and Arts and cultural organizations (acos) can seek advice on arts-related legal issues from vla staff and Volunteer attorneys; as well as pro bono placements for low-income artists and acos with one of approximately 1,285 Volunteer attorneys.in fy23, vla provided more than 28,000 hours of pro bono legal work to the new york Arts community. Approximately 1,285 Volunteer attorneys, 3 staff attorneys, and 50 law student interns and legal fellows provided vital information and legal counseling to thousands of artists and acos on issues affecting their art.for example, vla attorneys review a wide range of contracts including gallery consignment agreements, talent release agreements, licensing agreements for musicians and fashion designers, and collaboration agreements for choreographers. Vla also assists Arts organizations such as dance and theater companies with incorporating as nonprofits and receiving 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status. Vla attorneys also represent artists and acos in copyright and contractual disputes before courts and mediators.

Education:vla educates individual artists, Arts professionals within acos, attorneys, students, and the general public about legal and business issues that affect artists and their creative endeavors. Classes are often an artist's first exposure to vla. They play a fundamental role in helping artists and acos identify important legal and business issues they face, and teach them how to protect themselves and their artistic endeavors.vla's education programs are also a vital resource for the Arts community and the Lawyers who serve it. In fy23, vla served 1,204 artists, Arts organizations, attorneys, and law students through classes, seminars, panel discussions, and workshops for the Arts and legal communities. Vla's education programming also includes internships for law school students, participation in preparing materials for legal publications, and Volunteer attorney training programs.vla's highly successful core classes include copyright for artists, contract essentials for artists, for profit incorporation, and nonprofit incorporation and tax-exempt status. Vla also offers classes that address specific legal issues related to different creative disciplines such as photography, contemporary art, choreography, dance, filmmaking, music, and theater. Vla's course catalog continues to evolve as new legal issues emerge, with new class offerings on ai, social media, and other in-demand topics being added in the last year.