2008 Woodie Awards
Law Students Open Hotline to Assist Local Artist Community
Sarah Haller
Issue date: 10/4/06 Section: News
- Page 1 of 1
|
The concept for the helpline developed over a series of discussions between Charles Shafer, UB law professor and board member of the recently revived Maryland Lawyers for the Arts (MLA), and Jennifer Lewandowski, a third-year law student and student director of the helpline. Both realized the need for a free service in the Baltimore arts community and a need for a more hands-on experience in entertainment law for UB students.
With the availability of UB’s Renaissance Scholars Seed Fund, a $7,000 grant available for faculty and students to fund educational projects that provide a service to the community, Shafer and Lewandowski saw their chance.
“MLA needed to have a more aggressive presence in the community, and with the availability of this money, it seemed like a perfect match,” Shafer said. “The university can provide professors and students to help people quickly and provide an opportunity to allow law students to work in areas that interest them.”
MLA, now located at the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA), is a volunteer organization of lawyers providing free legal services and educational seminars for low-income artists. Established in 1985, the organization entered a period of dormancy after losing their office space. Recently revitalized through efforts of its board members, MICA, the Greater Baltimore Cultural Alliance and the local arts community, its lawyers were more than willing to work with the students on the helpline.
Students field questions ranging from copyright laws to contract negotiations to landlord-tenant issues. Since the students are unable to give legal advice, MLA provides the legal brainpower. If an issue requires more than basic information and research, the student refers the caller to a lawyer at MLA. The student then works with the lawyer to get a more hands-on experience.
The students have already received several calls and are currently researching and working with the MLA lawyers to resolve them.
The group will also hold a series of Lawyers’ Open Office hours this fall in the Law Center. MLA lawyers and UB law students will be available to answer entertainment law questions and no appointments are necessary.
Many students show interest in the helpline because it fills a void in the UB law program. While UB provides hands-on clinics in other areas, such as criminal, civil and family law, there are no clinics for entertainment or intellectual property law.
“The law school has a prominent clinic program that provides students with a live classroom where they get to practice law with supervision,” Lewandowski said. “At this time, there is no clinic experience available for those interested in entertainment law or intellectual property, but the helpline, although only providing information to callers, not legal advice, is one step closer to that experience.”
The program may cease in six months without additional funds. The Seed Fund grant only provides operating costs for six months, but those involved hope someone steps up to the plate.
“Hopefully, the University of Baltimore will perceive the program as an asset to the community and the student body and consider continuing its funding past the duration of the grant,” Lewandowski said.
The majority of the funds are spent on the $10 per hour student compensation.
Allison Mulford, chief financial officer and second-year law student, thinks the helpline could survive with the support of volunteers.
“We are actively working to join with EASL [Entertainment and Sports Law Club] for this project, and hope that EASL will become involved enough to help this endure beyond the grant,” Mulford said. “Thus far, students working on the grant have not been quick to worry about being paid for their efforts. Many volunteers have come forth with many hours of work; this proves very promising.”
The call center is temporarily located in Shafer’s office, Room 406 in the Law Center. Because of the involved students’ varying class schedules, there are no set hours for the hot line, but they check the voice mail daily and return calls quickly.
shaller05@yahoo.com
Law for Arts Helpline
phone – (410) 545-0463