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CHANGE AGENT
The Entertainment Law Society hosted a panel on film financing and distribution featuring (from left) Defne Gunay, vice president, business and legal affairs, Black Bear Pictures; Adam Raichilson (JD 2015), head of business affairs, Black Bear Pictures and Patrick Trey Brady (JD 2018), counsel, WME Independent. “After working in the compliance office, I see myself finding my way back to college athletic administration because I really enjoyed my internship there.”
Barcus introduced other students to the USC Office of Athletic Compliance this year with a discussion on how the new name-image-likeness landscape has affected college athletics. Another event focused on the two sports betting propositions on the California ballot.
Faculty advisors provide guidance on new initiatives and speaker suggestions, but students take the lead in designing programming. Professor Jonathan Barnett, faculty advisor for the Entertainment Law Society and Music Law Society, sees the groups as a critical networking avenue.
“Given our location and the emphasis USC Gould places on entertainment media and law, there are
abundant opportunities for students to develop relationships with alumni and other practitioners through Society events,” he says.
Many members of the Entertainment Law Society go on to write for Spotlight, an entertainment-centric, student-run law review that began publishing in 2017. Published once each academic year in the spring, Spotlight went completely digital with its last edition.
The upcoming issue will include articles on how the Britney Spears case will impact conservatorship law and what issues are likely to come up in the upcoming Writers Guild of America collective bargaining. Spotlight also features explainers or informational pieces from working attorneys. Editor-in-chief Daniel Donohue, a thirdyear student, says writing for the review is an important networking opportunity.
“Staff members have the opportunity to make a lifelong connection writing or editing these articles,” Donohue says. “Every job I’ve ever gotten in the entertainment industry was because I connected with somebody. It’s a very connections-based industry. The focus of all these organizations is meeting living, breathing attorneys who are doing what we want to do.”
Faculty Advisor Preston K. Ascherin is impressed with students’ enthusiasm for the topics they cover.
“The students’ passion on these topics is apparent,” says Ascherin. “Their timely articles, written in Spotlight’s accessible style, are informative to lawyers and interesting even to the layperson. It’s a pleasure to assist on and be associated with the publication.”
