ENTERTAINMENT, SPORTS & MEDIA LAW INITIATIVE
Students in the "Legal Life of..." courses learn contract negotiation by examining pivotal moments in a different celebrity's career every fall semester.
Only a few miles from the College of Law building, you’ll find CNN, State Farm Arena, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, EUE Screen Gems Studios and Tyler Perry Studios. The College of Law started the Entertainment, Sports and Media Law Initiative to teach students the ins and outs of entertainment law. This initiative houses a certificate program and hosts two annual events for students, attorneys and creative stakeholders to network with decision makers in all areas of entertainment, sports and media.
Within the initiative, students have access to a variety of courses, externships and special events covering entertainment, corporate and intellectual property law. The initiative's signature course is "The Legal Life of..." series, which started with the Legal Life of Ludacris in 2019 and continued with the Legal Life of Kandi Burruss in 2020.
200+
ESML courses since 2018
500+
ESML events since 2018
16
Research & Student Opportunities
When athletes get a sneaker deal, what percentage of sales do they receive? How are reality stars' contracts negotiated? Why do some artists own their publishing and others don't?
The Certificate in Entertainment, Sports & Media Law allows students who wish to specialize in these areas to get hands-on experience in contract negotiation and advocacy. The program prepares law students for employment at entertainment, sports and media law firms, movie studios, media companies, and sports organizations.
Students can also participate in skills development training at the
- Entertainment Law Workshop
- or Sports Law Simulation Course
Past Entertainment, Sports & Media Law students have taken internships and externships with sports organizations, entertainment law firms, sports or media practices, record labels, media organizations, movie studios, Georgia State Creative Media Industries Institute and Georgia Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts.
- Antitrust Law
- Arts and Entertainment Law
- Communications Ethics
- Constitutional Torts Litigation
- Contract Drafting and Risk Analysis
- Copyright
- Copyright and Music Publishing
- History of News Media
- Licensing of Intellectual Property
- Mass Communication and Media Law
- Media Industries
- Patent Law
- Seminars in Communications Law
- Sports Law
- Trademarks and Unfair Competition
Past Events
The initiative kicked off in 2018 with an event featuring rapper Ludacris; Rick McCay, president of the Atlanta Falcons; Tom Luse, executive producer of “The Walking Dead”; Todd Harris, founder of Hi-Rez Studios; and radio host Frank Ski. A second event highlighted stadium development and acquisition featuring attorneys and business professionals from the Atlanta Hawks, Arthur M. Blank Entertainment & Sports, King & Spalding Law Firm and Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms.
Legal Basics for Entertainers, Athletes and Other Creatives
Marjorie and Ralph Knowles Conference Center
October 13, 2018
- Am I a Corporation, LLC or Partnership? How to Set Up Your Entertainment Business
Lee Morin, Esq. - Don’t Sign That Contract! Important Contract Provisions You Need to Know and Understand
Amy Oraefo, Of Counsel, Taylor English Duma, LLP - The Importance of Understanding the Business and Legal Basics of Your Brand
Todd Harris Founder, Hi-Rez Studios
Ludacris, Artist
Tom Luse, Executive Producer, Walking Dead
Rich McKay, President, Atlanta, Falcons
Frank Ski, Host, V-103FM - They Stole My Idea! My Song! My Film! Protecting Your Intellectual Property
Steve Weizenecker, Esq. - How Do I Keep Up? Legal Implications of Emerging Technologies in Entertainment, Sports and Media
Robert Finan, Esq.
Atlanta Sports Explosion: The Business & Legal Impact
Marjorie and Ralph Knowles Conference Center
April 12, 2019
- Sports and Real Estate: Stadium Acquisition, Renovation and the Legal Implications of Public-Private Partnerships
Bharath Parthasarathy, Esq., Deputy General Counsel, Georgia State University
Douglass P. Selby, Esq.
Partner, Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP
Thad Sheely, Chief Operating Officer, Atlanta Hawks - The Growth of eSports in Atlanta: Negotiating Team, Player Rights & Competition
Robin Dunson, Esq., Asst. General Counsel, Cox Enterprises Overwatch League
Nathaniel Blair, Esq., General Counsel, Hi-Rez Studios
Eric Schroeder, Esq., Partner, Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner
David Schulman, Esq., Partner, Greenberg Traurig - Super Bowl LIII: An Overview of the Complex Legal and Business Issues Facing the City of Atlanta
Justin King, Esq., Partner, King & Spalding
Jon Keen, Deputy Chief Operating Officer, City of Atlanta
Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, City of Atlanta
Nick Brown, Esq.. Legal Counsel, AMB Sports and Entertainment
Intellectual Property Essentials for Creatives: It's All About Content
Marjorie and Ralph Knowles Conference Center
November 16, 2019
- Intellectual Property Basic for Creatives: Protecting Your Ideas and Content
Moderator: Mo Ivory, Esq.
Presenter: Yaniv Heled, Esq., GSUCOL Center for Intellectual Property Law - Counseling Clients: Live Legal Q&A for Creatives
Presenter: Georgia Volunteer Lawyer for the Arts - Is Atlanta a Content Hub or Just a Production Venue?
Moderator: Mo Ivory, Esq.
Panelists:
Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, Entertainer, Philanthropist, Entrepreneur
Andrew Velcolf, Esq. Greenberg, Traurig, LLP
Sandy Lal, Esq., Entertainment and Intellectual Property Attorney, Entrepreneur
Frank Patterson, President, Pinewood Studios
Phillana Williams, Director, City of Atlanta Office of Film & Entertainment - Key Legal Issues in the Development and Protection of Intellectual Property in Film and TV
Moderator: Lee Morin, Esq., Morin Entertainment Law, LLC
Panelists:
Larry Sheffield, Esq., Agency for Performing Arts & Lecturer, USC
Peter Duitsman, Esq., Production Counsel, Turner Broadcasting
Frank Patterson, President of Pinewood Studios
Tom Luse, Film/TV Producer - Writing, Creating and Licensing Music in Today’s Digital World
Moderator: Leron Rogers, Esq., Lewis Brisbois, Bisgaard & Smith, LLP
Panelists:
Bernie Lawrence-Watkins, Esq., B. Lawrence Watkins Associates, PC
Kendall Minter, Partner, Taylor, English & Duma
Jason Reddick Associate Director, ASCAP
Bryan Calhoun Director, Pandora - Content and Emerging Technology
Moderator: Candice Alger, CMII Professor of Practice, AR/VR Virtual Production
Panelists:
David Schulman, Esq. Greenberg Traurig, LLP
Sandy Lai, Esq.
John Rich, Moxie, Futurist
Elizabeth Strickler, CMII, Director of Media Entrepreneurship and Innovation
Support the Initiative
The Entertainment, Sports and Media Law Initiative provides students with experiences that wouldn’t be possible without the help of our supporters and sponsors. Your contributions make a difference and support our academic programs and research initiatives. Thank you for your generosity.
Entertainment, Sports & Media Law News
CONTACT
Mo Ivory
Director of the Entertainment, Sports & Media Law Initiative
Mailing Address
P.O. Box 4037
Atlanta, GA 30302-4037
Physical Address
85 Park Place NE
Atlanta, GA 30303