Virtual Forum: The National Network of Legal Clinics for the Arts’ National Forum
The National Forum will bring together artist organizations, legal types, funders, and more from across the country to explore how to increase access to justice for artists. A gathering of this kind has never been done before. Due to the onset of COVID-19, the legal needs of artists have been exacerbated.
The National Network of Legal Clinics for the Arts Projects seeks to connect resources across the country so that collective advocacy for artist rights can become a reality.
May 11: Meet & Greet Day
To begin the National Network’s Virtual Forum, we have arranged a series of meet & greets for key stakeholders and supporters of the project. We also will be presenting a special keynote for the writing and literary community titled “Pivoting to Digital for Writers”. Join us as we take a journey to expose some of the many legal issues the National Network aims to remedy for literary artists and arts organizations.
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- 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM ET
- Legal Types Meet & Greet
- Calling all legal types! This is your opportunity to virtually meet and mingle with all participating lawyers in the National Network. Curious how others are approaching building a legal hub in their region ? Come with your questions, strategies, and more so we can collaborate on the common goal to increase access to justice for artists and arts organizations.
- 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM ET
- Law Students Meet & Greet
- Are you a law student with a passion to uplift the arts sector? The National Network is your chance to get involved in helping this community be resilient with the support of your legal knowledge. Volunteer law students from all existing pro-bono legal clinics for the arts will be gathering to discuss their role in empowering artists. Get connected, network, and dream up some ideas on how you can be involved in this groundbreaking project.
- 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM ET
- Regional Committees Meet & Greet
- For our incredible regional committee members, this event is your chance to meet all the other participating arts organizations who have joined the cause to increase access to justice through the development of legal hubs coast to coast. With your important role in this project, advising on the formation of these hubs, and advocating for their purpose, join us on May 11 for a guided discussion on the change that’s needed to support your artistic community. Knowledge is power. We’ll be exchanging experiences, ideas, and more.
- 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM ET
- Keynote Event: Pivoting to Digital – The Writers and Literary Organizations Edition
- What are the copyrights and copywrongs of written content online? What new opportunities does the digital transition present for writers, publishers, and events curators? Due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, writers have to advocate for themselves in new ways, requiring new legal literacy when it comes to contracts, and more in order to be empowered when sharing their craft with the world. For this special event co-presented by The Writers’ Trust, as part of the National Network’s Virtual Forum, we’ll be discussing the Writers rights when pivoting to digital.
May 12: Legal Resources Day
For the second day of the Virtual Forum, meet the existing pro-bono legal clinics in Canada, and examine new opportunities to champion the need for legal resources for artists.
- 10:30 AM – 11:30 AM EST
- Meet the Artists’ Legal Information Society (ALIS, Nova Scotia)
- ALIS values cooperation and partnership between artistic and legal communities. Leading with this foundation, ALIS offers legal information, referrals, workshops, guides, and more to remove barriers for artists. In addition, this advocacy aims to foster the development and sustainability of the arts and culture sector in the Atlantic provinces. Hear from ALIS President Martin Glogier on the future of this clinic as part of the National Network.
- 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM ET
- Meet Artists’ Legal Advice Services (ALAS, Toronto)
- ALAS is operated by volunteer entertainment and intellectual property lawyers, fellow creators, and law students from the University of Toronto who generously donate their time to help provide advice to those who may not be able to access more expensive alternatives. They have been offering summary legal advice to artists in all disciplines since 1987.
- 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM ET
- Meet the Clinique Juridique des Artistes de Montreal (CJAM)
- CJAM is a charity dedicated to offering free legal information services to Montreal’s diverse artistic community. CJAM regularly hosts workshops and legal information nights that provide artists with a basic understanding of legal issues pertaining to artistic practices. Hear from CJAM President and Director John Lenz on CJAM’s operations and future goals to ensure that artists in Montreal are protected and informed.
- 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM ET
- Meet Artists’ Legal Services Ottawa (ALSO, Ottawa)
- What legal resources exist in Canada’s capital? Founded in 2012, ALSO hopes to broaden the awareness within the community on arts-related legal issues while empowering artists to protect their interests. Learn more about their resources related to copyright, crowdfunding, and more.
- 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM ET
- Meet the L. Kerry Vickar Business Law Clinic (Manitoba)
- The National Network is thrilled to welcome Lisa Fainstein, lead of Special Projects at the University of Manitoba’s Faculty of Law, and co-supervisor Nick Slonosky, spearheading the L. Kerry Vickar Business Law Clinic. This legal clinic is driven by the passion of law students eager to support small businesses and arts organizations as they develop their career. Pivoting to a virtual format in 2021, hear more about how this evolving resource will join forces with the National Network.
- 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM ET
- Meet Pacific Legal Education & Outreach (PLEO, BC and Yukon)
- The Pacific Legal Education & Outreach Society has been operating the Artists’ Legal Outreach clinic since 2003. Their volunteer lawyers and law students provide summary legal advice to artists and arts organizations. Join in on this session with Martha Rans, Legal Director and Founder to learn more about PLEO’s work to shift the paradigm in how non-profits and artists experience the law, providing them with accessible tools, education, and legal advice.
- 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM ET
- Meet the CreatiUM – Intellectual Property Legal Clinic (Quebec)
- Presented by Ysolde Gendreau, Pierre Larouche, and Caroline Jonnaert, CreatiUM is a legal clinic offering information services in intellectual property law to entrepreneurs, businesses, inventors and creators in the Montreal community. CreatiUM’s goals are to enable law students from the Université de Montréal to deepen their knowledge and develop practical skills, while raising public awareness on the importance of protecting and promoting the creations of people. Hear what this model looks like, and how it empowers artists in their craft.
- 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM ET
- Keynote Event: Introducing the Legal Self Assessment and Learning Tool (LSALT)
- Created by the Pacific Legal Education & Outreach Society (PLEO), the LSALT is a simple and low-barrier tool that helps your non-profit organization understand legal obligations and compliance through an interactive experience. Anju Singh, Technology Director at PLEO, will introduce you to this incredible digital tool. It is currently being built for use non-profit and arts organizations in the BC and Yukon, offering modules in privacy and records, the Societies Act, Human Rights, and more in compliance with the BC Societies Act.
May 13: Advocacy Day
A day to collectively discuss how to increase access to justice for the arts with key players.
- 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM ET
- Arts Funders Roundtable
- Public funding of the arts is one of the many reasons that culture flourishes across all the provinces and territories of Canada. The process for gaining access to funding can be tricky. Knowing how to describe your organizational needs and to align them with a funders’ programs, expectations, and deadlines is almost an art form itself.
- 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM ET
- Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts: USA edition
- For this event, we’ve invited Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts, and their service organizations from across the USA to share how their legal clinics function, in hopes to foster understanding on the need, and what continued advocacy for the legal rights of artists can produce.
- 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM ET
- Board Table Disruption: Lawyers at the Board Table
- We are all keen to innovate and to create systematic changes to our organizations and in our board models but where do lawyers fit in?
- Everybody always says that ‘you have to have a lawyer on your Board of Directors’.
- While it’s true that lawyers bring a breadth of skills to a board table, and love to give back to their areas of interest, what does this really mean and is it really a good piece of advice? On the other hand, lawyers may often offer general counsel, or be expected to provide legal advice on behalf of the society while acting as a board member simultaneously.
- What challenges and opportunities does this dual position offer?
- For this event as part of the National Network’s Virtual Forum, we’ll be joined by Jeanne LeSage head of LeSage Arts Management & Research Lead with Mass Culture on “Future of Arts Work” Project as moderator to discuss the role of the lawyers on boards, examining what works, and what doesn’t. Additional panelists TBA.
For more information and to register for these FREE events, please visit https://www.legalclinicsforthearts.ca/the-forum/
Hourly Schedule
May 11: Meet & Greet Day
- 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM ET
- Legal Types Meet & Greet
- Calling all legal types! This is your opportunity to virtually meet and mingle with all participating lawyers in the National Network. Curious how others are approaching building a legal hub in their region ? Come with your questions, strategies, and more so we can collaborate on the common goal to increase access to justice for artists and arts organizations.
- 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM ET
- Law Students Meet & Greet
- Are you a law student with a passion to uplift the arts sector? The National Network is your chance to get involved in helping this community be resilient with the support of your legal knowledge. Volunteer law students from all existing pro-bono legal clinics for the arts will be gathering to discuss their role in empowering artists. Get connected, network, and dream up some ideas on how you can be involved in this groundbreaking project.
- 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM ET
- Regional Committees Meet & Greet
- For our incredible regional committee members, this event is your chance to meet all the other participating arts organizations who have joined the cause to increase access to justice through the development of legal hubs coast to coast. With your important role in this project, advising on the formation of these hubs, and advocating for their purpose, join us on May 11 for a guided discussion on the change that’s needed to support your artistic community. Knowledge is power. We’ll be exchanging experiences, ideas, and more.
- 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM ET
- Keynote Event: Pivoting to Digital – The Writers and Literary Organizations Edition
- What are the copyrights and copywrongs of written content online? What new opportunities does the digital transition present for writers, publishers, and events curators? Due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, writers have to advocate for themselves in new ways, requiring new legal literacy when it comes to contracts, and more in order to be empowered when sharing their craft with the world. For this special event co-presented by The Writers’ Trust, as part of the National Network’s Virtual Forum, we’ll be discussing the Writers rights when pivoting to digital.
May 12: Legal Resources Day
- 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM EST
- Meet the Artists’ Legal Information Society (ALIS, Nova Scotia)
- ALIS values cooperation and partnership between artistic and legal communities. Leading with this foundation, ALIS offers legal information, referrals, workshops, guides, and more to remove barriers for artists. In addition, this advocacy aims to foster the development and sustainability of the arts and culture sector in the Atlantic provinces. Hear from ALIS President Martin Glogier on the future of this clinic as part of the National Network.
- 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM ET
- Meet Artists’ Legal Advice Services (ALAS, Toronto)
- ALAS is operated by volunteer entertainment and intellectual property lawyers, fellow creators, and law students from the University of Toronto who generously donate their time to help provide advice to those who may not be able to access more expensive alternatives. They have been offering summary legal advice to artists in all disciplines since 1987.
- 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM ET
- Meet the Clinique Juridique des Artistes de Montreal (CJAM)
- CJAM is a charity dedicated to offering free legal information services to Montreal’s diverse artistic community. CJAM regularly hosts workshops and legal information nights that provide artists with a basic understanding of legal issues pertaining to artistic practices. Hear from CJAM President and Director John Lenz on CJAM’s operations and future goals to ensure that artists in Montreal are protected and informed.
- 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM ET
- Meet Artists’ Legal Services Ottawa (ALSO, Ottawa)
- What legal resources exist in Canada’s capital? Founded in 2012, ALSO hopes to broaden the awareness within the community on arts-related legal issues while empowering artists to protect their interests. Learn more about their resources related to copyright, crowdfunding, and more.
- 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM ET
- Meet the L. Kerry Vickar Business Law Clinic (Manitoba)
- The National Network is thrilled to welcome Lisa Fainstein, lead of Special Projects at the University of Manitoba’s Faculty of Law, and co-supervisor Nick Slonosky, spearheading the L. Kerry Vickar Business Law Clinic. This legal clinic is driven by the passion of law students eager to support small businesses and arts organizations as they develop their career. Pivoting to a virtual format in 2021, hear more about how this evolving resource will join forces with the National Network.
- 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM ET
- Meet Pacific Legal Education & Outreach (PLEO, BC and Yukon)
- The Pacific Legal Education & Outreach Society has been operating the Artists’ Legal Outreach clinic since 2003. Their volunteer lawyers and law students provide summary legal advice to artists and arts organizations. Join in on this session with Martha Rans, Legal Director and Founder to learn more about PLEO’s work to shift the paradigm in how non-profits and artists experience the law, providing them with accessible tools, education, and legal advice.
- 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM ET
- Meet the CreatiUM – Intellectual Property Legal Clinic (Quebec)
- Presented by Ysolde Gendreau, Pierre Larouche, and Caroline Jonnaert, CreatiUM is a legal clinic offering information services in intellectual property law to entrepreneurs, businesses, inventors and creators in the Montreal community. CreatiUM’s goals are to enable law students from the Université de Montréal to deepen their knowledge and develop practical skills, while raising public awareness on the importance of protecting and promoting the creations of people. Hear what this model looks like, and how it empowers artists in their craft.
- 3:00 PM - 5:00 PM ET
- Keynote Event: Introducing the Legal Self Assessment and Learning Tool (LSALT)
- Created by the Pacific Legal Education & Outreach Society (PLEO), the LSALT is a simple and low-barrier tool that helps your non-profit organization understand legal obligations and compliance through an interactive experience. Anju Singh, Technology Director at PLEO, will introduce you to this incredible digital tool. It is currently being built for use non-profit and arts organizations in the BC and Yukon, offering modules in privacy and records, the Societies Act, Human Rights, and more in compliance with the BC Societies Act.
May 13: Advocacy Day
- 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM ET
- Arts Funders Roundtable
- Public funding of the arts is one of the many reasons that culture flourishes across all the provinces and territories of Canada. The process for gaining access to funding can be tricky. Knowing how to describe your organizational needs and to align them with a funders’ programs, expectations, and deadlines is almost an art form itself.
- 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM ET
- Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts: USA edition
- For this event, we’ve invited Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts, and their service organizations from across the USA to share how their legal clinics function, in hopes to foster understanding on the need, and what continued advocacy for the legal rights of artists can produce.
- 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM ET
- Board Table Disruption: Lawyers at the Board Table
- We are all keen to innovate and to create systematic changes to our organizations and in our board models but where do lawyers fit in? .
