VOLUNTEER LAWYERS FOR THE ARTS INC
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Mission Statement
Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts (VLA) is the legal aid and education organization dedicated solely to New York artists and arts and cultural organizations (ACOs). VLA strives to protect the artistic community’s livelihoods, businesses, and creative works through access to dedicated legal representation and focused education programs, promoting arts and culture statewide. To achieve this mission, VLA facilitates pro bono (free) legal representation for low-income artists and ACOs; offers legal counseling, education programs, advocacy, and alternative dispute resolution services to the entire arts community; and trains lawyers to better serve the arts community.
About This Cause
VLA provides legal and business services to the arts community in every discipline, including: acting, animation, architectural design, bookmaking, choreography, composition, computer design, costume design, craft and folk arts, dance, directing, fashion, film, graphic design, installation art, literary arts, modeling, multimedia, music, photography, playwriting, poetry, printmaking, screenwriting, songwriting, theater, three-dimensional design, video arts, video game design, visual arts, and web design. VLA provides Legal Services to NYS artists and ACOs in need through (1) ongoing pro bono placements with volunteer attorneys for artists and ACOs in need; (2) in-house consultations with volunteer and staff attorneys; and (3) VLA Legal Clinics, regular forums for VLA members to meet privately with volunteer attorneys at partner law firms. In the past year, more than 1,500 volunteer attorneys, thirteen staff attorneys and legal fellows, and forty law student interns provided vital information and legal counseling to thousands of artists and arts and cultural organizations on issues ranging from copyright and contract negotiations to trust and estate planning, in the process providing more than 10,000 hours of pro bono legal work to the New York arts community. VLA also advocates for the arts community and protects its interests by participating in the state legislative process. VLA works with the NYC Bar on NYS legislation, providing opinions and lending its art law expertise to protect the interests of VLA constituents. Furthermore, VLA offers classes, workshops, and lectures to educate artists, ACOs, attorneys, students, and the general public about legal and business issues that affect artistic and creative endeavors. VLA also offers continuing legal education classes accredited by New York State, supporting and enhancing the ability of attorneys to serve pro bono arts clients. VLA’s educational programming includes internships for law school students, participation in preparing materials for legal publications, volunteer attorney training programs, and a public art law resource library. In addition to courses taught by VLA’s own staff attorneys, VLA’s Education Committee recruits arts and entertainment lawyers to host and teach specialized workshops on cutting-edge issues. To make the topics accessible and practical for artists and arts organizations, VLA’s teaching attorneys assist in creating the technical materials that accompany our classes.