Law students tell student artists how to protect their work
(pictured above: Student artists learn from law students.)
On March 21, the Wake Forest University Law School Pro Bono Group and Winston-Salem State University’s Diggs Gallery co-hosted an Arts and Entertainment Law Clinic at the gallery for WSSU students.
The clinic provided invaluable assistance to students seeking federal and state protection of their intellectual property. Visual artists, graphic designers, performing artists and a poet took advantage of the session. WFU law students Stacy Jones, Chris DiGirolamo, Disha Gandhi, Leslie Evans and Michael Glotzbach covered topics such as copyrights, trademarks and patents, proper aspects of a contract for artists and how to handle disputes.
The law students were supervised by Steve Virgil, founding director of the Community Law Clinic and associate clinical professor, and Professor Beth Hopkins, who serves as director of outreach at WFU School of Law.
“This partnership with Beth Hopkins and Steve Virgil was important to Diggs Gallery because of our commitment to providing learning experiences for WSSU students that complement the curriculum in ways that are practical, engaging and fun,” said Belinda Tate, Diggs Gallery director.
Students gave the event high marks.
“I really enjoyed each presentation. I feel that each student from Wake Forest Law School vividly painted a clear picture that opened my eyes to a lot of aspects of art law,” said Frederick Graham Jr., a WSSU student who took part.
Bree Baldwin, a WSSU fine arts major said, “The workshop on Art and Law was useful and informative. I received information about how to protect myself when given an opportunity to design a work of art for a client and the proper procedures to have a contract put in place to protect myself.”
