Yes, the best schools for entertainment law are in Los Angeles and New York, the world’s biggest entertainment meccas. It seems that location matters as much in entertainment law as it does in real estate, and that’s good news for some schools.
Southwestern Law School in Los Angeles ranks sixth on The Hollywood Reporter’s 2023 list of top law schools. It has been on the list for more than a decade for its offerings, which include a specialized law degree in entertainment, nearly 50 courses covering various aspects of the industry, and more than 100 law firm and in-house externship positions.
“[Southwestern] was among the first to offer a specialized law degree in entertainment, and participation in its pro bono Entertainment and the Arts Legal Clinic continues to grow,” the entertainment industry magazine reported.
The clinic offers pro bono legal services to independent filmmakers, series creators, writers, actors, artists and musicians. In the clinic, students can apply their classroom knowledge to real-world creative projects and entertainment transactions, preparing them for successful careers in entertainment law.
To determine its ranking, The Hollywood Reporter factors in curricula, externship opportunities and alumni from its Power Lawyers list.
And who is No. 1? UCLA School of Law.
The school’s Ziffren Institute for Media, Entertainment, Technology and Sports Law includes two seminars taught by Ken Ziffren, an 83-year-old entertainment lawyer, as well as a TV law course taught by Lionsgate’s Sandra Stern. One program guarantees students internships at CAA, WME and entertainment law firm Ziffren Brittenham.
Other Los Angeles schools on the list are University of Southern California, Gould School of Law at No. 3 and LMU Loyola Law School at No. 7.
USC is offering a new course on digital media transactions and will soon offer a Web 3.0 course that will address legal issues at the intersection of content and tech.
The Hollywood Reporter said Loyola is well regarded for its Entertainment Law Fellowship program, which was designed with help from top firms and studios.
Somehow Harvard Law School snuck onto the list at No. 2, primarily based on the number of lawyers who made the magazine’s power list.
New York schools include Columbia Law School, which is known for having a “robust internship program and giving students down-to-earth advice and experience,” according to the magazine.
Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law at Yeshiva University in New York placed No. 7 because of its FAME Center for fashion, art, media and entertainment; its Tech Startup Clinic; Filmmakers Legal Clinic; and Data Law Initiative.
Brooklyn Law School, at No. 9, offers a certificate in Intellectual Property, Media and Information Law and a sports law externship in which students are placed with sports teams, league headquarters and agencies.
