California Lawyers for the Arts

California Lawyers for the Arts
AbbreviationCLA
Formation1974; 50 years ago (1974)
TypeNon-profit
Websitewww.calawyersforthearts.org Edit this at Wikidata

California Lawyers for the Arts (CLA) is a non-profit organization founded in 1974 to provide legal services to artists and members of the creative arts community.[1] The first Executive Director was Hamish Sandison, who was a recent graduate of Boalt Hall at University of California, Berkeley and is now a solicitor in London, England, specializing in law and technology. In 1987, Bay Area Lawyers for the Arts (BALA) joined forces with Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts-Los Angeles (VLA) to form California Lawyers for the Arts as a statewide organization. CLA is part of an informal network of “Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts” programs that serve artists through state-based organizations throughout the United States.[2]

CLA has offices in Berkeley, Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, and Sacramento, and the organization serves more than 11,000 artists annually.[3] CLA has nearly 1,800 paid members, including artists and arts organizations of all disciplines and cultural backgrounds, attorneys, accountants, and teachers.

  1. ^ "California Lawyers for the Arts Celebrates 36 Years with its 4th Annual Artistic License Awards". Reuters. April 14, 2011. Archived from the original on September 7, 2012. Retrieved June 30, 2017.
  2. ^ “A pro bono party for helpful lawyers” by Melody Hanatani for Santa Monica Daily Press (article dated March 1–2, 2008)
  3. ^ "Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts". Archived from the original on July 21, 2011. Retrieved August 17, 2011.