Ex. Practicing the Law of Music

Founded in 2009, Genius is the world's most popular destination for song lyrics and music knowledge—reaching more than 100 million fans every month. Genius is a leading brand in music online, producing popular video series like Verified, Deconstructed, Genius News, and Open Mic. Genius’s mission is to celebrate “more than the music”—the lyrics, the stories behind the songs, and the connections that drive culture forward.

As part of Genius’s ongoing commitment to Black communities, the externship and Genius
BEAT will both specifically seek to serve young Black artists, especially those living and working in New York City. The externship is an extension of Genius’s BEAT program. Launched in August 2020, Genius BEAT—Business Education for Aspiring Talent—offers aspiring artists free educational seminars covering core topics in the music business. Through the externship, these artists will have access to personalized legal advice and representation in connection with their music careers. The goal of the externship is to give CLS students an opportunity to gain real experience in the music industry while serving a population that is historically underserved and exploited.

The Seminar
The weekly seminar will cover core topics in the music business, including music publishing, label agreements, negotiation, management arrangements, appearances, sponsorship, and more. Students will: learn how music rights interface with the actual music industry, take a deep dive into a real-life label agreement (Kanye’s!), participate in simulated negotiations, and more.

Fieldwork
Students will team up with a supervising attorney to represent and advise local artists. Students
will help their clients: protect their work, structure collaborations, evaluate manager/label/publisher agreements, and more. Students will also work with Genius’ artist relations & legal team to build out materials for future Genius BEAT seminars.