Fall 2023
5397 Entertainment Law Clinic - ALONSO/BARKS- 25870
Professor(s):
Yocel Alonso (ADJUNCT)
Justen Barks (ADJUNCT)
Credits: 3
Course Areas: Intellectual Property and Information Law
Practice Skills - Clinics and Externships
Time: ARRANGED Location: 200
Course Outline: The Entertainment Law Clinic is an advanced entertainment law course for students who have completed the prerequisite substantive Entertainment Law course and seek practical experience in transactional and administrative entertainment practice. Students will represent clients in various entertainment fields, including music, film and television, dance, and art, as well as small businesses and non-profits operating in these fields. Students will principally focus on trademark and copyright prosecution and counseling, contract drafting and negotiation, royalty stream creation and retention.
Course Syllabus: Syllabus
Course Notes: Quota=4.
The clinic has a classroom component that meets once each week for two (2) hours during the semester. Students are expected to present case updates and discuss their matters during these meetings. The classroom component will also provide students with a detailed overview of specific contract and intellectual property issues within this specialized industry.
Students must apply to the clinic by submitting an online application located at http://law.uh.edu/clinic. Students should not attempt to enroll themselves in the clinic via PeopleSoft. If your application is accepted, the Clinic Program Manager will enroll you via the Office of Student Services.
Students are expected to attend the clinic orientation held the Wednesday prior to the start of the semester’s classes.
Course Materials: the instructors will provide you will all required course materials; recommended reading includes Donald S. Passman, All You Need To Know About the Music Business (10th ed. 2019) (ISBN 1501122185, 978-1501122187); Jeff Brabec & Todd Brabec, Music Money and Success (8th ed. 2018) (ISBN 1787601382, 978-1787601383); Gregory Bernstein Understanding the Business of Media Entertainment (2d ed. 2019) (ISBN 0367074532, 978-0367074531).
Prerequisites: Yes Satisfactory completion of Entertainment Law (6377) and IP Survey (6376); and at least 45 hours of credits completed.
First Day Assignments:
Final Exam Schedule:
This course will have:
Exam:
Paper:
Satisfies Senior Upper Level Writing Requirement: No
Experiential Course Type: clinic
Bar Course: No
DistanceEd ABA:
Pass-Fail Student Election: Conditional Availability (not for required credits)
Course Materials
Book(s) Required
Reading materials will be provided to students at least one week prior to the start of classes
and supplemental materials throughout the semester through Microsoft Teams and/or email.
Students are not required to purchase a casebook for the class, but are recommended to review the
Trademark Manual of Examination Procedure, available at
https://tmep.uspto.gov/RDMS/TMEP/current; and the Copyright Office Circulars, available at
https://www.copyright.gov/circs/.
Additional recommended reading:
Donald S. Passman, All You Need To Know About the Music Business (10th ed. 2019) (ISBN
1501122185, 978-1501122187);
Jeff Brabec & Todd Brabec, Music Money and Success (8th ed. 2018) (ISBN 1787601382, 978-
1787601383); and
Gregory Bernstein Understanding the Business of Media Entertainment (2d ed. 2019) (ISBN
0367074532, 978-0367074531).
