The Glamour of Entertainment Law

I’ve been interested in IP from an early age. Growing up, my mother’s best friend worked in Entertainment Law in Hollywood. I didn’t understand her job until years later, but she was working in IP.

At the time, her job simply seemed glamorous. She represented ‘the stars.’ I was intrigued by the idea of making money as a lawyer working with celebrities. I have loved music since I began playing the violin at four years old and I vividly remember my first concert at the age of six. Music has been a part of my entire life. Once I learned about IP and its relation to music, I couldn’t help but think of a better way to enjoy a career in law.

How an Internship in Tech Policy Led Me to IP

In 2018, the summer after my junior year of college, I was working as an intern in public policy. Specifically, I worked in the tech sector focusing on start-ups in Silicon Valley. This internship ignited my interest in IP.

At the time, I was majoring in Political Science and my academic advisor encouraged me to try working in public policy. In the back of my mind, I always knew law school was my end goal, but I wasn’t sure if I was ready for it just yet. So, I began my internship eager to gain a better understanding of emerging tech companies – something I knew little about.

I had a wonderful experience with the company, but the best part was realizing how to tie my experience back to the law and my goal of being a lawyer.

IP is Essential to Startups

Because of this internship, I was given the opportunity to work with local start-ups. I was attending college in Silicon Valley, so there were start-ups popping up everywhere. My team’s focus was primarily on autonomous vehicles, also known as self-driving cars.

I was fascinated by all of the new technology that these start-ups were creating, specifically an eye scanner that one company was hoping to sell to Tesla. The scanner would be implemented in vehicles to detect everything from fatigue to intoxication. I was also able to observe more about Tesla and their innovative teams. Some of the companies we worked with were still in the development stages, but they were hoping Tesla would implement their technologies in its future models.

I don’t have a science background, so much of what I was learning about was very new to me. However, I became more interested when I noticed that these tech companies all had in-house legal teams – that lawyers were working directly with the engineers to protect their ideas.

The specifics of what the lawyers did for these tech start-ups was still confusing to me at the time, but I was excited about what I thought was an entirely new area of law. I became aware later that the attorneys who help patent and protect products work in the same area of law as entertainment lawyers: IP law.

Why IP Matters to Me

I want to pursue IP Law because I am interested in technology and music, and IP would allow me to potentially work in both areas. IP lawyers help protect various businesses across industries, and I am eager to have an opportunity one day to work alongside IP lawyers and maybe even more start-ups.

Though I may not work with celebrities as my mother’s friend did, I will hopefully be able to mix my love for music with my legal career. I am excited to discover more about IP this fall in Professor Ho’s class and to continue to attend networking events and gain insight from those already working in IP!

Bella Field
Assistant Blogger
Loyola University Chicago School of Law, J.D. 2024