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CAREER CORNER
Elena M. Paul Supporting the arts with legal expertise [by Teresa Talerico] Growing up in a family that valued the arts, Elena M. Paul envisioned herself working in some capacity within the world of arts and entertainment. Today she is executive director of Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts (VLA), an organization in New York City that provides free legal services to low-income artists and nonprofit arts groups.
“I’m not artistic at all, but it’s kind of my way
like a business in order to flourish and thrive.
doing general commercial litigation are not going to get a call from an auction house or a
of participating,” says Ms. Paul. Q: Who are the artists you represent?
museum saying, “Oh, work for me.”
Paul oversees a staff of eight and works with
A: VLA represents a broad range of every
Q: What’s one big misconception among law
1,100 attorneys who volunteer their time
discipline imaginable. The big constituency
students and new lawyers?
to VLA. They represent a wide range of cli-
is the nonprofit arts community. In addition,
A 1988 Harvard Law School graduate, Ms.
ents—from yet-to-be-discovered musicians
we help individual artists, a lot of musicians.
A: That somehow being smart is a guarantee
to movie costumers to aspiring Picassos—in
Basically any artist who wants to live or work
of success.
a city that serves as the cultural capital of
in the world or put their work into a commer-
theater, dance, music, and other art forms.
cial context comes to us. Musicians typically
Q: What’s something thing law school doesn’t
come because very early in their careers
teach, but should?
“The main thing for me is to teach the artists
they’ll get slapped with a 30-page contract. A: Helping students figure out where you
that a lot of this stuff is not brain surgery,” she says. “It’s not stuff they can’t learn
Q: What advice do you have for those inter-
go if you’re not going to a law firm, looking
on their own. You see a lot of people get
ested in arts and entertainment law?
at different options, looking at the broad spectrum of the world and figuring out all the
into trouble because they rush in to do the
different jobs.
creative part and they haven’t dealt with
A: People ask us all the time, “How do I
the business issues. So (problems with)
become an entertainment lawyer?” and
ownership and authorship and copyright and
“How did you get where you are?” When we
If someone’s doing general commercial
different things can happen unintentionally
sit down and do career counseling, we say,
litigation, they think, “Oh no, I’ll never be
if you don’t think through the business end
“What’s your dream job?” and get people
an arts and entertainment lawyer.” Well no,
up front.”
really focused on what it is about being an
it’s really about the skills of being a lawyer
entertainment lawyer or art lawyer that’s
and learning how to advise people. You need
interesting to (them).
general training. The law degree is valuable,
To break into the field, Ms. Paul strongly
but there are also practical skills. If you can’t
recommends developing solid practical skills as a lawyer with a firm or other organization
If they really want to do this work, they can
go to a law firm, the answer is not, “You have
and volunteering in the arts world.
do it that same day if they volunteer. For
no choices at all.” There are lots of different
my whole staff, that’s how we got into it. We
options.
Q: Why is VLA an important organization,
worked in law firms, and we volunteered on
particularly in New York City?
top of that workload.
The non-Ivy League schools should do a bet-
A: VLA in New York is a 35-year-old orga-
It’s very, very competitive. There are a lot of
set up their own businesses, solo practitio-
ter job of helping people understand how to nization that was founded to provide free
people who want to be in the arts and en-
ner stuff. It shouldn’t be, “I work at a giant
representation to low-income individual
tertainment area. But there are also a lot of
law firm or I’m unemployed,” which is what
artists and to nonprofit arts communities. It’s
people who aren’t willing to spend their extra
we see a lot. It’s really about translating your
basically a service, just like there are many
time reading about things or volunteering. If
legal skills into different contexts.
service organizations for arts in different ar-
you’re not willing to do that, it’s not going to
eas. The arts is a business, and it has to run
happen. Most associates sitting in a law firm
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