Sebastian's Corner

Friday evening April 5, join us at The Corner for a reception to kick off the 2013 Entertainment & Sports Law Symposium. 

6:30-8:30 PM

1035 N. Miami Ave. 

To RSVP, click HERE. 

The reception is for registered symposium attendees. If you haven’t registered yet, please visit law.miami.edu/esls

ESLS E-Board Elections are TOMORROW in F108 at 12:30 pm. 

If you are an active member, you are welcome to attend to help select the next round of ESLS leaders. Here is some important information about who’s running and what they stand for. We hope to see you Thursday in F108 for elections! 

-Shelby

PRESIDENT

Ryan Appel

I am running for President because I believe that I have the experience and knowhow to lead and elevate the Entertainment and Sports Law Society. Prior to law school, I was a Senior Associate at Deloitte, where I managed both national and international engagements for the firm’s noteworthy clients. As a current Executive Board member, I coordinated two panels for this year’s symposium and have and worked closely with our current President on other organization matters.  Additionally, I have worked in sports as a legal intern for the Miami Dolphins and have strong national and local connections in both the entertainment and sports industries.

If elected President, I will place a greater focus on networking and job placement. More specifically, I work diligently to work in conjunction with the Entertainment, Arts, & Sports Law section of the Florida Bar, the International Association of Entertainment Lawyers, the Sports Lawyer Association, and other pertinent professional associations to coordinate meaningful networking events and to create an official mentorship program. Moreover, I am adamant about creating a database of both national entertainment and sports internships that cannot be found on Symplicity. Further, I will meet with Dean White to begin laying the groundwork for a Entertainment and Sports Law certificate program and curriculum.   Finally, I will work with the Dean of Students to coordinate and field teams for future entertainment and sports negotiation competitions, including but not limited to, the Southwestern Entertainment Law Negotiation Competition and the Fordham National Basketball Negotiation Competition.

Andrew Orcutt

            I’m running for ESLS President because my life revolves around sports & entertainment.  I served as the Vice-President for the Sports Management Association at the University of Minnesota for 2 years, and I’ve been working in sports since my sophomore year in college which has included running the football division of a sports agency and successfully helping start the football division of a new sports & entertainment agency based out of Miami.  I have experience recruiting football & baseball players, as well as music artists.  I’ve been managing/representing athletes for over 2 years and recently signed my first entertainment client last semester and I am currently working on getting her signed to a foreign record label.  I have personally negotiated and drafted sponsorship/endorsement deals for Brock Lesnar and have extensive experience working with company/team executives including CEOs, GMs, Player Personnel Directors, Scouts, etc.

           I was appointed 1L Representative for ESLS by our current President, Shelby Nathans, and have been heavily involved with our upcoming annual symposium.  To help spread the word about the symposium, I’ve contacted over 100 other law schools’ sports & entertainment law societies, as well as national organizations.  I’ve also been heavily involved in contacting companies to secure sponsorship for the symposium, which has proved successful.  All of these efforts have helped me build very valuable connections that will greatly benefit ESLS in the coming years.

 Goals

•   Increase the number of speaker luncheons (at least 1/month)
•  Increase membership and student involvement
•    Organize more social/networking events 

Nima Tahmassebi

I firmly believe my work in devising, developing, and implementing ideas that have brought some of the biggest names in South Florida to the University of Miami School of Law make me a strong candidate for President of the Entertainment and Sports Law Society. Last fall, I pursued NFL wide receiver Davone Bess and brought him to our law school as part of the “Juvenile Justice Seminar.” Most recently, I teamed up with critically acclaimed director Billy Corben to bring our student body this month’s “Drug Enforcement Discussion.” Whenever I set out to capture the attention of these high-profile individuals, I aim to present them with new and creative ideas that will attract them to the University of Miami’s iconic brand. 

My goal for next year is simple: build on the momentum of this year’s accomplishments and bring the biggest names in sports and entertainment to Miami Law. Achieving this goal requires a great deal of organization, creativity, communication, and, above all else, dedication. I know I embody these character traits because I have been involved in every aspect of bringing these aforementioned individuals to our law school. The Entertainment and Sports Law Society has a duty to continue connecting our members with the attorneys, artists, and athletes that make South Florida the epicenter of entertainment. Next year we will continue this relentless pursuit, and, in doing so, will raise the bar once again for our esteemed student organization.

VICE PRESIDENT—ENTERTAINMENT

Miki Carter

Before law school I attended Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri where I majored in Film and Media Studies. I was an executive member in two music production committees on campus: the Gargoyle and Team 31. In the Gargoyle I helped with hospitality and worked with managers to provide rider materials for bands like Yeasayer, Peter Bjorn and John, and RJD2 almost every month. Team 31 was a larger production that only occurred twice a year with over 4000 attendees. Through Team 31 I worked with artists such as The Black Keys, Major Lazer, and Wale.

I also have practical entertainment experience outside of school. I was Warner Music Group’s college marketing representative for the St. Louis area during 2011-2012. I talked to radio stations and concert venues in the St. Louis area to promote Warner Music Artists. I was also able to talk to Warner Music Group executives in Los Angeles, as well as their artists, during biweekly phone conferences.  Other experience includes volunteering at Sundance Film Festival, North Coast Music Festival, and Lou Fest.

With my entertainment industry experience, I believe that as Vice President of Entertainment for the ESLS I have the skills to bring relevant and interesting professionals, practicing entertainment or intellectual property law in film, television, arts, and music industries across the nation and locally, to the University of Miami School of Law. 

Leo Lichtman

I would make a great VP of Entertainment because I am motivated, passionate about working in entertainment, and have professional and academic experience that would lend well to the position.

I am a highly motivated student, specifically with regards to IP and entertainment matters. I am in the top 7% of my class, and I just wrote an article for the UM Business Law Review dealing with music sampling and ways in which we could reform fair use. I am deeply aware of the current issues facing the music industry, and I am very motivated to work in ways in which I can promote music and entertainment.

I have experience working for an IP firm for the past three years, along with other coursework that lends itself to the entertainment industry. Growing up in Miami, I’ve made a lot of contacts and have had the pleasure of meeting people who work in a wide range of areas. In addition, I have been a musician most of my life, and studied music as an undergraduate. I went to school in Nashville, a music industry capital, and was the teaching assistant for a music business class, so I understand much of the interests of the performer as well as the rest of the music industry.

If I were elected, my goals for the position would include continuing to bring great speakers through being proactive and attending events, mixers, panels, and whatever else is necessary, and also holding more events, if possible. I want to continue to elevate the reputation of ESLS, making it more recognizable to the professional community. I would also like to bridge the gap between our school and other local schools if possible. One of my best friends from high school is actually VP of Entertainment right now at FIU Law School’s ESLS, and I have talked with him in the past about holding some type of UM-FIU mixer.

Bryn Owen

I would like to serve as Vice President, Entertainment for ESLS. As an attorney, I plan to work in the Entertainment & Intellectual Property law fields. I have been an active member of ESLS this year and attended many of the events including last year’s successful symposium. I have been very impressed with ESLS events, which always have experienced attorneys who are able to offer meaningful advice to students. I would like to see Miami Law’s reputation as a great Entertainment & Sports school continue to flourish.

Before coming to law school, I worked for an international licensing agency whose clients include both corporations and celebrities. At Miami Law I have served on the executive board of OUTLaw, working to promote LGBT events and opportunities and have also been an active member in the Intellectual Property Law Society. If elected, I plan to build on ESLS’s momentum and continue to bring phenomenal speakers to the school and have events that engage and inform students interested in entertainment law.  

Zach Rickers

My name is Zach Rickers and I am running for the Vice President of Entertainment position for the Entertainment and Sports Law Society.  I am currently a 1L who plans on becoming an entertainment attorney, more specifically in the music business, upon graduation.  I have been involved in the music business for 7 years now including having a double major from Shenandoah Conservatory in Music Performance and Music Production and Recording Technology.  I have worked as a professional musician, producer, songwriter, teacher, and recording engineer.  As do many of you, I have a passion for the music industry and the issues that come along with it. 

I believe that the Entertainment and Sports Law Society has two main and essential benefits, networking and education.            Not only should we focus on networking with attorneys in our industry but we should also focus more on networking among ourselves.  I think that both of these networking opportunities are directly related to our education.  It is not only beneficial for us to learn from practicing attorneys but we can also learn a lot from each other.  If elected, I will work to reinforce these principles that the current E-board has done a great job of establishing.  

VICE PRESIDENT—SPORTS

 Alex Litt

My name is Alex Litt I am a 3L running for Vice President of Sports.  This past year I served as alumni chair for ESLS.  I helped put together the upcoming symposium as well as the recent event with Richard Rappaport.  As Vice President of Sports I will utilize my connections to alumni and people in the Sports industry to bring people to the school to speak and interact with the group.  I majored in Sports Management here at Miami in undergrad and will utilize my contacts with the Undergraduate School to help join our groups together to bring more opportunities to ESLS.  I believe I will make a great Vice President of Sports because of my ability to organize people and events along with the numerous connections I have made in the industry through my past experiences.  

Erin Sales

My goal in running for Vice President of Sports is to promote the sports law culture on-campus by increasing the number of sports law speakers brought to campus, while also generating a greater awareness of our ESLS throughout the local and national community.

Prior to law school, I was the Assistant Director of Athletics for Compliance at the University of Connecticut.  I have 4 years of full-time experience in Division I College Athletics, along with 2 years as a Graduate Assistant during which I obtained a master’s degree in Sport Management.  Further, I am currently volunteering in UM’s Athletic Compliance Office.  From this experience I have developed relationships with many professionals throughout the sports industry.  I have extensive experience with the NCAA at both the membership level and National Office.  I have also worked closely with outside counsel for NCAA institutions, sports agents, administration, and coaches. 

Consequently, I have developed a strong network throughout the sports law industry, especially in the area of intercollegiate athletics.   I would like to utilize this network to increase ESLS’s speakers and events so our members can gain further knowledge of the various areas of sports law while also increasing their networking opportunities.  My professional experience has also provided the real-world leadership experience that I believe would be an asset to the ESLS Executive Board.  I am very excited for the opportunity to represent our ESLS and believe UM has great potential to become a national leader in sports law.  

SECRETARY

Elizabeth Castilla-Miranda

To my fellow ESLS members,

My name is Elizabeth Castilla-Miranda. I am running for the Secretary position on the Executive Board because I believe I have the experience and credentials necessary to successfully manage the position. Over time, I have developed a passion for the sports industry from having the opportunity to work within the industry. As a former public affairs intern for NASCAR and sports administration intern for the Florida State Men’s Basketball Program, I have experience in managing and supervising everything from budgets to banquets. I believe that there is always for improvement in any organization and my goals for the position are to increase the amount of communication between the members and the board and to help foster a stronger community among ESLS members. I look forward to working with you all in the future. 

Interested in a career in the entertainment industry?
Join us today for a lunch & learn with prominent South Florida attorney and UM Law alum, Richard Rappaport.

Room: F108
12:30-1:50 pm
Lunch will be provided

With popular Robert Downey Jr. movies and an influenced television show airing after the Super Bowl (Elementary), one could argue that Sherlock Holmes hasn’t been this popular in years. Everyone seems to want a piece of action including the heirs of author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

 This might seem preposterous to anyone versed in copyright law. US Copyright Law states that a work of art is copyrighted for the life of the author plus 70 years or 95 years after publication, whatever comes first. Sherlock Holmes first appeared in 1887 so it would seem that the window has closed on the copyright and Holmes now belongs to the public domain. The estate of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is arguing that the characters remain under copyright because the last works involving Sherlock Holmes penned by Doyle came in 1927.

 Leslie Klinger, an author of Holmes related works, has brought this lawsuit to determine once and for all whether the estate of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is due any sort monetary reward for the Sherlock Holmes related works that have been produced in recent years.

 From the perspective of a law student who has taken copyright, it seems unlikely that the estate has a convincing argument. Since the main character (Sherlock Holmes) first appeared in 1887, it would seem that the window has closed on the estate of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle owning the copyright. The argument for the estate that will be put forward will be that the author published works including Holmes in 1927 and therefore should still be protected. This seems unlikely to be accepted because Holmes made his first appearance well outside the copyright window.

 It is also interesting to note that this isn’t the first legal issue involving Sherlock Holmes to be newsworthy in recent years. The BBC (which airs the popular Sherlock) threatened action against CBS when the aforementioned Elementary was announced. Let’s hope the legal issues are all straightened out before Robert Downey Jr. reprises his role in the announced Sherlock Holmes 3.

 SOURCE: (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/book-editor-doyle-estate-is-421918)

By Jordan Carey, 3L, Treasurer, Entertainment & Sports Law Society