Yes, entertainment lawyers go to court if their practice area is focused on entertainment litigation, or if they will support their entertainment clients in their court legal matters. Entertainment lawyers focus primarily on entertainment contracts and intellectual property. When disputes arise, these entertainment lawyers will need to get the court to enforce these agreements. New technological innovations are occurring that entertainment attorneys must focus on that may require a court to get involved.
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What is an Entertainment Lawyer?
An entertainment lawyer is a licensed attorney who focuses on entertainment law matters. To become a US entertainment lawyer, one must attend law school and then work for an entertainment law firm or acquire clients that have entertainment legal matters.
What Does An Entertainment Lawyer Do?
Entertainment lawyers write and negotiate contracts pertaining to entertainment matters which include music, movies, sports, theater, and more. Entertainment attorneys will also go to court for contract disputes on these matters because disagreements naturally occur in business and the court system is needed to find a resolution.
How Much Do Entertainment Lawyers Make?
Entertainment lawyers make approximately $116,000 per year, according to Law Crossing, a legal focused job site. The annual salary is dependent on the lawyer’s location, the company, and the profile of the lawyer’s clients. Lawyers in Los Angeles representing celebrities will likely make more money than lawyers who are in smaller cities without a portfolio of celebrity clients.
Why do Entertainment Lawyers Go to Court?
Entertainment lawyers go to court to settle entertainment legal disputes. These legal disputes may include the following:
- Artists not being paid the amount of money the contract states,
- Using a musician’s music without permission,
- An artist is arrested and the entertainment lawyer organizes a criminal defense team for the artist, and more.
In addition, with the creation of new technology such as artificial intelligence (AI), the entertainment industry is constantly changing and legal disputes will occur. Just as the internet impacted music in the 1990s, AI will impact both the audio and video entertainment industries and “a complex set of laws, government agencies, and private organizations” will be needed to meet these challenges, according to “Promises to keep: Technology, law, and the future of entertainment” by William Fisher III. The entertainment industry is increasingly global and international laws will be needed to keep up with the changing dynamics.
