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field. Get the best solid law education you can.
If you have a choice between one of
the best law schools, versus one devoted to
entertainment matters, I would choose the
former, because your education is with you
forever and is the structure for your
entire career. It's not what you learn in law
school that will make you a great enter-
tainment attorney; it is what you learn in the
field. In the summer get an internship
at a record label, a music publisher, a
management company, with a promoter, a radio
station, or an Internet company. If you have
hands-on experience, it is the very thing
that will advertise and advise people about
you. The second year of law school I
would advise they do an internship as a
paralegal or a legal secretary in a law firm
that specializes in the area you want.
Work
on a pro bono basis for an artist.
Volunteer
to work for an organization. Gain
some
experience beyond just having a law
degree."
"I believe the best entertainment lawyers are
those who have experience
in the arts," says Debra Wagnon. "You cannot
treat the business the same
as a civil litigator or criminal attorney
would. As an attorney for an
artist, you may need to say some negative
things in order to get your
client on the straight and narrow road to
success. It may set them back
emotionally and hurt their work product, unless
you can word the
message in such a way that it doesn't deliver
an arrow to their heart."
"You've got to make a decision on what you are
willing to accept and be
prepared to walk if you don't get it. If you're
not, you're not that good a
negotiator."
Gain international experience. "You will not
have a career if your whole
focus is the United States market. You can't
survive."
"You have to be content to work alone. You'll
see people before you start,
after you finish, and to have discussions in
the process, but you're alone
with your work."
CAREER
TIPS
THE BEST THING ABOUT
THIS JOB:
"What I love most is making
friends and forming relation-
ships. I love closure."
VOICES
OF
EXPERIENCE
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