Atlanta is home to five professional sports teams and a multi-billion-dollar entertainment industry. A few miles from the College of Law, you’ll find CNN, State Farm Arena, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, EUE Screen Gems Studios and Tyler Perry Studios. As this exciting area grows, more artists, athletes and entrepreneurs need legal representation.
The Entertainment, Sports & Media Certificate allows students to specialize in entertainment law. The certificate is a part of the College of Law’s Entertainment, Sports and Media Law Initiative. The goal of the program is to help law students grow into competent entertainment attorneys.
Students can specialize in several facets of entertainment law, while the J.D. program establishes a strong legal foundation, with practical learning experiences through the Entertainment, Sports & Media Certificate. Students studying for the certificate can develop and grow into competent practitioners in entertainment, sports and media industries.
Benefits
- Students analyze legal principles, legal and business deals in entertainment. The program prepares students for employment at entertainment, sports and media law firms, media companies and movie studios.
- This specialization will give students an understanding about contracts for athletes and television stars. Learn how lawyers create those documents for their clients.
- Events held in the fall and spring for students, professionals and stakeholders to highlight entertainment, sports and media industries, and legal issues facing these industries.
- The certificate is a part of the College of Law’s Entertainment, Sports and Media Law Initiative, created to connect students, law studies and the entertainment community.
Certificate Requirements
Students must be in good academic standing, based on the successful completion of the first full year of law study (31 hours), to participate in the certificate program. Students must remain in good standing to continue participation.
Required Courses (12 credit hours)
- LAW 7079: Arts and Entertainment Law (3 credits)
- LAW 7473: Sports Law (3 credits, Writing Requirement)
- LAW 7390: Mass Communication and Media Law (3 credits)
- LAW 7158: Copyrights (3 credits)
Elective Courses (minimum of 6 credit hours)
- LAW 7478: Trademarks and Unfair Competition
- LAW 7417: Patent Law
- LAW 7065: Antitrust Law
- LAW 7631: Contract Drafting and Risk Analysis
- LAW 7269: Licensing of Intellectual Property
- LAW 7116: Constitutional Torts Litigation
- Cross Registration Course at GSU College of Arts and Science (limited to 1 of the following):
- COMM 6040: History of News Media
- COMM 6070/8060: Seminar in Communication Law
- COMM 6090: Communications Ethics
- COMM 6430/8430: Media Industries
Skills Development Training/Experiential
- Entertainment Law Perspective Workshop: Career of Ludacris (2-3 credits)
- Sports Law Simulation Course (2-3 credits)
- Journey of Amateur Athlete to Professional Sports
- How to Represent a Sports Franchise/League
- NCAA Practices and Procedures
- Negotiate & Draft Mock Sponsorship Agreement
- Mock Player Salary Negotiation/Arbitration
- Stadium Development
- Externship with Sports Organization, Law Firm with Entertainment, Sports or Media Practice, Music Organization, Media Organization, Movie Studios, GSU Creative Media Industries Institute (CMII), or Georgia Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts
- Independent Study in Entertainment, Sports, or Media area of interest (1-2 credits)
The courses listed above for the 2019/2020 are courses that are already available. The Cross-Registration Course at the College of Arts & Sciences is to be added to the schedule, as well as The Entertainment Law Perspective Workshop: Career of Ludacris and Sports Law Simulation Course. Eligible electives for students will be updated to facilitate student participation and scheduling.
Writing Requirement
Extracurricular Activity
- local or national Entertainment, Sports, and/or Media Bar Associations;
- Georgia Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts;
- Creative Media Industries Institute;
- GSU-sponsored events involving Entertainment, Sports and Media;
- and other affiliated groups and events.
Students are also encouraged to participate with affiliated faculty as a GRA and to pursue summer internship placements within the field as they become available.
Grades and Honors
Application
The admissions process will be the same as for the other embedded certificate programs within the JD degree. Enrolled students may apply to participate in the program by submitting an Entertainment, Sports, and Media Certificate Declaration of Interest form to Professor Moraima Ivory, Director of the Entertainment, Sports, and Media Law Initiative.
Students may apply for the program as early as the summer semester following their first year of the full-time program, summer semester following the second year of the part-time program, or anytime thereafter as long as enough time remains to complete the program requirements. Formal participation in the program (for purposes of counting toward the requirements for the certificate) will not begin until the second full year of law study. Students must be in good academic standing, based on the successful completion of the first full year of law study (31 hours), to participate in the certificate program. Students must remain in good standing to continue participation in the certificate program.
The declaration of interest form is not binding. Students may withdraw from the Certificate program at any time without adverse consequences.
Students must verify that certificate requirements have been fulfilled prior to graduation by completing an Entertainment, Sports, and Media Verification Form. This document must be approved by the student’s advisor and submitted to the COL Registrar no later than the drop/add date of the last semester before graduation.
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