Arts Law Centre of Australia About
Arts Law is Australia’s independent national community
legal centre for the arts, a not-for-profit company limited
by guarantee. They provide free or low cost specialised Student Opportunities legal advice, education and resources to Australian artists Students can volunteer at Arts Law as either an and arts organisations across all art forms, on a wide range administration assistant or research assistant. of arts related legal and business matters. Arts Law’s
Artists in the Black program delivers targeted services to Student volunteers play a valuable role supporting the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists nationally. solicitors in the provision of legal advice. They are the first In accordance with its mission,
point of contact for clients and are tasked with providing
Arts Law applies an information and taking accurate legal instructions. “artist first” policy. As a result, they decline to advise arts Volunteers may also conduct legal research for the solicitors,
organisations even in situations where there is no conflict get involved with advocacy projects, sit in on legal advice of interest with an individual artist if giving legal advice to sessions as note-takers, as well as assist with the general the arts organisation would subsequently prevent them administration of a legal centre. from advising an individual artist in relation to the same matter.
What kind of work?
The Centre specialises in Arts Law, including: - Business structures, governance and tax - Classification
- Confidentiality - Contracts
- Copyright and moral rights - Debt
- Defamation
- Designs and patents - Employment
- Indigenous cultural and intellectual property - Insurance and liability
- Privacy and image rights
- Trade marks, business names and reputation - Wills and estates
Type of work done by employees: - Legal telephone advice
- Review of documentation - Referrals
- Alternative Dispute Resolution - Education workshops
- Law reform and policy work
Location
66 Sydney
Note that volunteers must have completed intellectual
property or media law subjects and have a strong interest in the arts.
Arts Law are currently not engaging volunteers due to the global COVID crisis. You can find more information here: https://www.artslaw.com.au/support/volunteer/
Fun Fact / Recent Project Rio Tinto Senate Inquiry
On 23-24 May 2020, Rio Tinto destroyed two 46,000-year-
old Aboriginal cultural sites in caves at the Juukan Gorge in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. In response, the
Australian Senate announced an inquiry into the caves’ destruction. Arts Law has made a submission to this inquiry calling for greater protection of Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property (ICIP).
ICIP refers to the inherent rights of Indigenous people to
maintain, control, protect and develop their traditional
cultural heritage, including their arts. Arts Law recognises ICIP as a crucial component of intangible Aboriginal Cultural Heritage, yet it is afforded almost no protection under the current framework of state and federal laws in Australia.
