Serving the Creative Arts Community Since 1974

California Lawyers for the Arts empowers the creative community

by providing:

EDUCATION

CLA's Educational Program offers workshops, seminars and special events throughout the state on a variety of legal and business topics that affect the creative community.

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LAWYER REFERRAL & INFORMATION SERVICES

If you are a creative artist, an arts organization, an inventor — or anyone with an arts or innovation-related legal question — California Lawyers for the Arts would like to help you find qualified legal counsel to assist with your legal matter.

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ARTS ARBITRATION & MEDIATION SERVICES

Need help resolving a dispute?
AAMS, a program of California Lawyers for the Arts (CLA), has provided alternative dispute resolution to artists and entertainers since 1980.

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Our hearts are with everyone impacted by the recent wildfires. In these challenging times, we remain steadfast in our commitment to supporting the community.

We've compiled a list of trusted resources for wildfire relief, including ways to access assistance, support recovery efforts, and contribute to those in need.

Wildfire Resource List

CLA's 50 Year

Anniversary Celebration

Thank you for joining us in celebrating 50 years of service.

Check out the photographs

Upcoming Workshops & Events

AAMS Volunteer Panel Orientation

Friday, July 18, 2025, 8:30 AM – 5:30 PM

Via Zoom

*This training is open to those who have completed a minimum of 25 hours of DRPA training in advance.

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Protecting Creative Work: A Trademark Law Deep Dive

Wednesday, July 30, 2025, 12:00 PM – 1:15 PM

Via Zoom

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California Employment Law for Creatives: Contractors, Compensation and Legal Protections

Wednesday, August 27, 2025, 12:00 PM – 1:15 PM

Via Zoom

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Basic Mediation Skills Training (Online)

Begins: Monday, September 8, 2025, 8:30 AM

Ends: Thursday, September 18, 2025, 7:30 PM

Via Zoom

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Creative Workforce Development Programs

Designing Creative Futures

An arts-focused internship program for formerly incarcerated individuals

We are accepting applications on a rolling basis.

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Spotlight on the Arts

(Spotlight) is a program of California Lawyers for the Arts (CLA) that provides multidisciplinary arts workforce development training for youth.

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Subscribe to our YouTube Channel

The CLA YouTube Channel features educational workshops, seminars and events!

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Subscribe to our Video on Demand

CLA's Video on Demand

Featuring 4-part Legal Fundamentals Video Series - FREE for Members

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CLA NEWS

Check out our 50th Anniversary Photos. Thank you to everyone who joined and has supported us throughout the years!

Alma Robinson, CLA Executive Director, wrote an article, "Resolving Cross-Cultural Differences Through Arts Mediation" that was published in the January 2025 edition of the American Bar Association's Dispute Resolution Magazine. You can read the full article here

CLA Board Member, M.J. Bogatin, an expert on artistic moral rights, commented on the destruction of a once publicly accessible outdoor sculpture named "Walk In Space Painting" by the Bauhaus master Herbert Bayer in an article published January 8, 2025 in The Hollywood Reporter. Bogatin is the co-author with Tad Crawford of the sixth edition of Legal Guide for the Visual Artist.
As part of CLA's 50th anniversary celebration, Executive Director Alma Robinson and Program Manager Karter Louis were interviewed about CLA's Designing Creative Futures (DCF) program by Jeff Hayden on KALW on November 27, 2024. Rodney E. Jackson,Jr., the artistic director and co-founder of BATCO (Bay Area Theatre Company), and Isaiah Love, a successful DCF alumnus who was placed at BATCO for his internship, described their experience as participants in the DCF program.

Check out our ALA 2024 video HERE

Voice of America distributed a video on Designing Creative Futures that profiles our intern, Carlos Vasquez, discussing his work at the Robey Theatre in Los Angeles.

CLA Executive Director Alma Robinson was recently interviewed on the topic of "Lawyers for System Impacted Artists" by Rashida Ricketts for her Graves to Gardens Podcast.

He wants to Kick Jim Crow Out of the California Constitution - Los Angeles Times

Young Counsel 'love' for pro-bono helps firms train and retain, Managing IP article featuring CLA's California Inventors Assistance Program that benefits not only the client but the lawyers who take on the cases too!

Resources

The National Endowment for the Arts has developed a toolkit for people with disabilities seeking careers in the arts. Designed for performers, visual artists, teaching artists, cultural workers, administrators and more, the toolkit will help disabled artists access career opportunities.

Learn More HERE

Arts In Corrections Tool Kits

These Tool Kits have been assembled to provide the arts in corrections field with useful documents for program development, delivery and evaluation.

DOWNLOAD HERE

The Copyright Alternative in Small-Claims Enforcement Act of 2019 (“CASE Act”) establishes a new forum for copyright small claims. Passed in 2020, the CASE Act marks a potentially significant shift in how copyright claims are disputed and resolved. This toolkit was created to compile information regarding the CASE Act. Specifically, the aim of this toolkit is to provide readers information aboutthe Act, its mechanisms, and list resources for further exploration.

DOWNLOAD HERE

CLA's Life After AB5 Toolkit describes the legal background of the AB5 law and various options that employers and the artists they work with can consider going forward. The newest edition incorporates the latest state legislative amendments.

DOWNLOAD HERE

How AB5 has instilled fear and confusion in the California Arts Community, Los Angeles Times article featuring comments from CLA Board Member M.J. Bogatin

CLA by The Numbers

July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2024

In our 49th Fiscal Year

CLA Members

654

Received Legal Assistance from the LRIS Service

341

Attended Educational Programs

760

Participated in Alternative Dispute Resolution Services

2,238

Received Mediation Training

Youth Trained as Peer Mediators

158

Teens Placed in Arts Internships

Incarcerated Persons Engaged in Arts Classes in Other States

138

Attended CLA Speakers' Bureau Events

Formerly Incarcerated Persons Placed In Arts Internships

Cases Resolved through ADR Services

961

Views of CLA Educational Programs on YouTube and Vimeo

3,109

California Lawyers for the Arts is a tax exempt 501(c)(3) nonprofit and your donation is tax deductible as a charitable contribution to the fullest extent of the law. State Bar LRS Certificate #0021.

MCLE Provider # 1248.

The information provided on this website is not legal advice. You should consult with an attorney for individual advice regarding your legal matters.

CALIFORNIA LAWYERS

FOR THE ARTS

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