Arts Law Centre of Australia

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, 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. Note that volunteers must have completed intellectual What kind of work? in the arts. The Centre specialises in Arts Law, including: - Business structures, governance and tax Arts Law are currently not engaging volunteers due to the - Classification global COVID crisis. You can find more information here: - Confidentiality https://www.artslaw.com.au/support/volunteer/ - Contracts - Copyright and moral rights Fun Fact / Recent Project - Debt Rio Tinto Senate Inquiry - Defamation On 23-24 May 2020, Rio Tinto destroyed two 46,000-year- Designs and patents old Aboriginal cultural sites in caves at the Juukan Gorge - Employment in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. In response, the - Indigenous cultural and intellectual property Australian Senate announced an inquiry into the caves’ - Insurance and liability destruction. Arts Law has made a submission to this inquiry - Privacy and image rights calling for greater protection of Indigenous Cultural and - Trade marks, business names and reputation Intellectual Property (ICIP). - Wills and estates ICIP refers to the inherent rights of Indigenous people to Type of work done by employees: cultural heritage, including their arts. Arts Law recognises - Legal telephone advice ICIP as a crucial component of intangible Aboriginal - Review of documentation Cultural Heritage, yet it is afforded almost no protection - Referrals under the current framework of state and federal laws in - Alternative Dispute Resolution Australia. - Education workshops - Law reform and policy work point of contact for clients and are tasked with providing property or media law subjects and have a strong interest maintain, control, protect and develop their traditional