LAWYER REFERRAL & INFORMATION SERVICE [LRIS] INTERN/EXTERN/LAW FELLOW

LAWYER REFERRAL & INFORMATION SERVICE [LRIS] INTERN/EXTERN/LAW FELLOW (Ongoing)

Time Commitment: Applicants volunteer for a minimum of 3-5 months, for at least 10 hours per week to full-time.

Compensation: Externship credit available, stipends available upon successful completion of three month internships with a minimum of 21 hours per week.

Preferred Applicants: Currently enrolled student at, or graduate from, an accredited law school. Will also consider pre-law students.

Program Description: LRIS is a service that refers clients to members of our attorney panel for consultation on a wide variety of arts and non-arts related matters such as copyright and trademark protection, contract review and negotiation, business partnerships and nonprofit incorporation, etc.

Responsibilities: Interns interview clients (mostly over the phone) and perform case intakes. Interns draft a fact statement for attorneys that presents the legal issues and relevant facts of each case. Interns locate and select appropriate attorneys for each case.

Supervision: Interns, Externs, or Law Fellows will be supervised by the Program Coordinator as well as the attorney leading the Lawyer Referral & Information Service (LRIS). As interns become more comfortable with the service, they will be able to work independently.

Benefits to Interns: Interns spend most of their time on the phone talking with real clients and attorneys. Interns will learn to spot issues, interview clients and communicate legal issues clearly and succinctly to attorneys.

The LRIS program will help law school graduates, law students, and pre-law prospective students learn about the practical day-to-day legal issues facing a wide range of creative artists, the "jargon" of the arts and entertainment law practice, and also learn about who are the professionals performing services for creative artists throughout California. Interns gain practical knowledge about how legal disputes and issues are handled in a "real world" setting. The internship is also an invaluable networking opportunity in a profession that is extremely relationship-driven.

California Lawyers for the Arts is a relaxed, fun, and collaborative place to work and it gives law students a chance to use their talents to help an under-served, under-funded and often legally unsophisticated population. Recent years have been tough on the creative arts and entertainment communities. More than ever, artists and arts organizations need the help of bright, motivated advocates.

To Apply:  Please fill out the Online Application Form. It is important that you clearly specify details of the time commitment and desired starting date and end date on the Application Form.

For additional information regarding the Lawyer Referral Service, contact CLA's Berkeley office at 888-775-8995, or by email.