• Entertainment law is a rapidly evolving area of specialization within the legal industry. The changes in technology and social media are revolutionizing the areas of intellectual property and information management. Globalization means that these issues cross boundaries, requiring attorneys to be able to take a world-wide view. In order to participate in this field, you need to earn a bachelor's degree, then a law degree, and gain experience in the field of entertainment law.

• Admission to law school can be highly competitive, so its important to work hard and get excellent grades in college. As there is no required pre-law major, you should use this time to take classes that will help you understand areas that you'll be dealing with as an entertainment lawyer. Music, drama, film studies, accounting, marketing, or technology would all be helpful majors. While in college, look for work experiences in the entertainment industry to broaden your knowledge of the field.

• Before specializing in entertainment law, you should focusing on becoming a good lawyer. Do well in law school to maximize the number of job opportunities you'll have after graduation. Select electives that relate to issues you'll need to know about while practicing entertainment law, such as:

• • Copyright Law and Theory
  • Intellectual Property Law and Litigation
  • Regulation and Antitrust Law
  • Negotiation and Drafting Entertainment Industry Transactions
  • Cyberspace and Regulation of the Internet
  • Patents, Trademarks and Know-How

• When selecting a law school look for a school that has alumni who have developed successful entertainment law practices. These will be a good source of contacts for you, perhaps even providing avenues for internships while in school. Attending school in a geographic area that has a high concentration of entertainment business would also be useful.

• During law school, look for internships which will give you experience in issues relevant to entertainment law such as copyright infringement of intellectual property litigation.

When looking for your first job in the industry, you have two choices:

1. You can sign on with a law firm that has a large entertainment practice. Most of your experience will involve representing artists, but entertainment firms also represent industry, so you'll get exposed to both sides of the practice with a firm.
2. Publishers, studios, and recording companies have in-house legal counsel as well, so you can also look for jobs on the industry side. Although you won't be gaining experience representing individual artists, the opportunity to gain first hand knowledge of the issues facing industry will be helpful even if you later decide to represent individuals.