Yo wassup!!!!!

Rey and douche_bag were recently debating which school would be best for a career in entertainment law. Their focus was specifically the Rap industry. I had the same dilemma last year when I was applying to my LL.M. ⦠where to go if you want to work with artists or rappers, and where to go if you were interested in getting contacts/connections to work in the entertainment biz, either as lawyer or performer?

N.B. I am an aspiring artist from Mexico.

Here is a quick summary of my research which I conducted last fall. I have divided it into 2 categories, East Coast and West Coast, for obvious reasons. There is a great amount of animosity between the two coasts in the Rap industry. You have to choose your allegiance, and stick to it. Otherwise, you could end up the victim of a drive by shooting like Tupac Shakur or The Notorious BIG. who were both victims of the East Coast/West Coast feud. You sure dont want to end up like these boys!


West Coast schools:

UCLA law school offers up to 16 classes focusing upon entertainment law. UCLA law school is probably the best school for entertainment law in the world, bar none.

Stanford law school â a powerhouse in intellectual property, their excellence also translates to entertainment law. Universally regarded as one of the nationâs best law schools, Stanford offers about 8 Intellectual property law classes focusing upon entertainment law. Stanford does have its own Entertainment and Sports Law Association.

Loyola Law School â with its location in Los Angeles, it has several classes dedicated to entertainment law and its own Entertainment and Sports Society.

Pepperdine University â this religious law school is perched in the Malibu hills and generally offers around 8 classes with entertainment focus. Definitely visit this campus before committing ⦠its conservative religious views may turn you off if you are a hardcore gangster rapper.

California Western â one of the San Diego law schools which is ranked higher amongst entertainment law schools then in overall national law school rankings, which fail to put this school as a even in the top 100 law schools. California Western generally offers over 12 classes focusing upon entertainment law.

Thomas Jefferson â other of the San Diego law schools which is somewhat respectable amongst entertainment law schools but does very poor in overall law school ratings. About 10 classes in Entertainment law.


East Coast schools:

On the other coast, several law schools in New York City have excellent entertainment law schools. Of all the law schools in New York City, NYU is regarded as having the best program in entertainment law. NYU is always ranked a one of the top ten law schools in all law school ratings. NYU generally has over fifteen classes focusing upon entertainment law.

Columbia University also amongst the best Entertainment law schools and has an excellent program in Intellectual Property.

Yeshiva (Cardozo School of Law) has at least 12 classes that focus upon entertainment law.


Conclusions:

Notice that the usual suspects (Harvard and Yale) are absent from the rankings. These schools have no street credibility in the rap industry. Have you ever hear of a rapper going to Harvard? No way. Such a rapper would definately be labeld a sissy or wannabe.

Good luck in your choice of schools, and remember, keep it real my brothas!!

Great analysis of the entertainment law programs, but please save us the east coast/west coast rap rivalry dramatics as it relates where to do an LLM .

Mixmaster, funny thing, you and douche bag seem to be brothers in spirit, you definately both make the same spelling mistakes...

Hey, do you think that Tupac is really dead, or did he fake his death?

Tupac was known for making many allusions to his own impending death in his music and even depicted himself in the music video of "I Ain't Mad at Cha" as an angel in Heaven with other dead celebrities after being shot in a public place, a music video which was released only two days after Shakur's death.

I definately think he staged a fake death, just like Elvis Prestley.

Definately!

Oddly, Shakur has released more songs posthumously than while he was alive. Conspiracies notwithstanding, his music is still being actively released and remixed.

I still have Troublesome 96` on heavy rotation on my IPod.

Very thorough post, Mixmaster! Although your claim that UCLA is the best entertainment law school in the world is definitely controversial, I agree that it has been one of the most high-profile schools in this field in recent years. UCLA is also a world leader in critical theories, as well as in lawâs relation to the social sciences.

Whatâs more, the name UCLA travels very well abroad so itâs an excellent choice for an international lawyer. Following your post, I read up on the program and it seems very exclusive, with about a dozen students admitted each year so make sure you apply to some back-up schools!

As to the whole rap debate⦠It begs the question, has anyone ever made the transition from East coast LL.M. to West coast rapper, and vice versa?

Hey guys, when it comes to Entertainment Law,maybe we shouldn't forget USC in this regard```

Mixmaster, funny thing, you and douche bag seem to be brothers in spirit, you definately both make the same spelling mistakes...

Does anybody know how Southwestern is viewed?

Southwestern Law School is the perfect option for someone seeking specialization in Entertainment Law. I am currently a 3L at Southwestern with a focus in Entertainment and I could not imagine getting a better education and better exposure to Entertainment at any other school. Though Southwestern does not have the worldwide name recognition of schools like USC, UCLA and Columbia, Southwestern prides itself on its Entertainment courses, faculty and its relationship with the Los Angeles community.

More than that, I truly enjoy attending Southwestern and I look forward to my classes each week. A quick look at the courses offered at Southwestern shows why Southwestern is a great option for anyone interested in entertainment. Unlike some of the other schools mentioned on this message Board, Southwestern does more than provide a mere overview of the field. Beyond the basics like Copyright and Trademark Law, students can take electives specifically geared to their desired niche area; from Financing and Distributing Independent Film, to Music Publishing and Music Industry Contracts, to Video Game Law. Further, partly because Southwestern is a smaller school, I have not only had the opportunity to take great courses but to form close bonds with my professors and fellow students.

I highly recommend checking out Southwesterns program if you are curious about Entertainment Law!

USC Law School has great entertainment law classes. It has the basic Entertainment Law, Copyright, Trademark and IP, plus they have Entertainment Law Practicum (where you can do an internship for credit) Legal Issues in Television & Film, Legal Issues in the Music Industry, Sports Law, Internet Law, Patent Law, Telecommunications Regulation, International IP, Advanced IP plus other seminars. They bring in professors from their Cinema-TV School (#1 in country), their Music School (#1 in country) and adjunct professors from the entertainment industry (movie studios, entertainment law firms). It is outstanding!! Don't forget USC!!!