Mentors make the difference Students learn from the experts

by Holly Cline

hen Professor of Practice Moraima “Mo” Ivory proposed the Entertainment, Sports and Media Law (ESML) Initiative to Georgia State University College of Law, her goal was to take an innovative approach to learning. She factored in three core components: curriculum, continuing legal education events and mentorship.

As the director of the ESML initiative, Ivory believes that it’s important to bring popular culture into the classroom, so students can relate to what they’re learning.

“Education innovation helps students become better lawyers. Through the ESML initiative, students gain a better understanding of the practical business and legal applications of something they already love…whether it’s film distribution for studios or negotiating an athlete’s contract,” Ivory said.

Since 2019, participants have learned the ins and outs of entertainment law through courses, including the popular series “The Legal Life Of...” and events that bring together students, professionals and community stakeholders to highlight legal issues facing the entertainment, sports and media industries.

The mentorship component is a program offered through the Sports and Entertainment Law Society (SELS). Ivory serves as faculty advisor of the student organization that helps law students explore legal career options within entertainment and sports industries. She leaned on student members to help shape the mentorship program that pairs influential College of Law alumni and industry leaders with SELS members to help them better understand the day-to-day legal aspects of this field.

Brittany Guyre-Powell (J.D. ’25), Luke Padia (J.D. ’24) and Gabby Stroude (J.D. ’23) played an integral role developing the program, which launched in fall 2022. They tapped attendees from the Sports Law Association Conference and Spring 2022 American Bar Association Forum on Entertainment and Sports and helped recruit mentors from Overtime Sports, Turner Sports, Trilith Studio, UP Entertainment and other companies. For the fall program, they paired 16 mentors and SELS members based on shared interests.

“The mentors introduce students to their network and industry knowledge. In exchange, students may help in a variety of ways including contract review or legal research,” GuyrePowell said. “I encourage students to meet with their mentors, virtually or in person, at least monthly. There’s no limit to the length of the mentoring relationship. Students can meet for the full academic year and past graduation.”

Frances Acevedo (J.D. ’24) wants to combine her background in film/TV production with her legal experience to advocate for artists. Through the mentorship program, she hoped to connect with someone who has reached a level of success and could share their wisdom with her.

“I think it’s important to have mentors, especially in this industry. Entertainment is such a big community, with so many avenues to go down. It can be confusing and overwhelming at times,” she said.

Michael A. Weiss, Of Counsel, Legal & Business Affairs for Lucasfilm Entertainment Company Ltd. LLC, is mentoring Acevedo. Among his many duties, Weiss provides legal counsel to Lucasfilm’s visual effects, post-production sound design and immersive media companies, with respect to virtual production services and content/technology transactions/partnerships. Acevedo has met with him monthly since October 2022, covering a myriad of topics including film production, generative artificial intelligence, intellectual property licensing, business strategy and distribution.

“I feel very lucky to have connected with Michael because it feels like I’m talking to one of my friends. It’s easy to learn from and confide in someone who can speak to you on a professional and personal level,” Acevedo said.

Weiss chose to serve as a mentor because he considers it a professional responsibility to help aspiring attorneys pursue their goals…just as others helped him.

“Mentorships are extremely important for law students. Genuine exposure to the day-to-day and career experiences of practicing attorneys supplements the law school experience with necessary practicalities an aspiring attorney needs to consider in order to develop into a productive and, dare I say, happy professional,” he said.

Weiss also enjoys interacting with a “new generation of attorneys.”

“They offer a fresh perspective on what could be considered a rigid profession and that is always much appreciated,” he said. “My experience mentoring Frances has been great as she is smart, driven and a pleasure to work with all of which make every interaction extremely productive and rewarding.”

Arlaidra J. Salter (J.D. ’23) plans to focus on the transactional side of entertainment law. She joined SELS to get more exposure to the entertainment industry and improve her networking skills. She considers the mentorship program a law school highlight.

“My experience has been enlightening. Although entertainment law was one of my top interest areas, I wasn’t sure of the type of entertainment attorney I’d like to be or the steps that I should take to meet practicing attorneys in the field,” Salter said. “SELS, coupled with my entertainment courses, opened my eyes to the world of entertainment and all it entails.”

Salter connected with Gina Henschen, assistant general counsel for TV, UP Entertainment, LLC, through the membership program. Salter considers the two “a perfect match.”

“We instantly hit it off and found several aspects of her role as an entertainment attorney that matched my background and interest areas. She and I talk about anything from exciting work productions and IP-related issues, to more personal conversations about family and school/career planning. Gina has even invited me to join work calls she thinks are beneficial for me,” Salter said.

Ivory’s innovative approach to education is paying off, and she says the program will continue to grow with three class offerings for fall 2023, including a new “The Legal Life Of…” course that coincides with the 50-year anniversary of Hip Hop and the popular Sneaker Law course.

“When it comes to the entertainment industry, it’s easy to get swept up in the celebrity of it all, but aspiring attorneys need to understand what everyday life is like. Yes, you may represent famous artists or athletes, but you also are protecting them and their craft,” Ivory said. “The mentoring program is all about getting students exposure to what the actual work day of a lawyer looks like and how what they are learning about the law applies to that.”

Guyre-Powell and other SELS members will recruit more mentors throughout the summer for the fall 2023 program, which SELS student members can apply online to join. For College of Law students interested in furthering their entertainment law experience, they can apply for the Entertainment, Sports & Media Law Certificate. This specialization prepares students to create and negotiate contracts for artists, athletes and media personalities.