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What is Georgia Lawyers for the Arts?
Georgia Lawyers for the Arts (GLA) is a nonprofit organization that provides legal assistance and educational programming to artists and arts organizations. Georgia Lawyers for the Arts (GLA) exists to serve the legal needs of artists and arts organizations, to promote closer contact and understanding among members of the legal profession and the arts community, and to educate artists about their legal rights and responsibilities.
Please explore our site to learn more about GLA, the services we provide, and how to become a member.
Providing Legal Counsel and Assistance to Georgia’s Artists
Who does GLA serve?
GLA serves the entire Georgia arts community. An artist can be a painter, sculptor, author, playwright, musician, film-maker, and much more!
How do I become an Artist Member?
Head to our For Artists page to see the benefits of membership and fill out our sign-up form.
Can GLA give me legal advice?
While GLA does employ attorneys and law students, GLA cannot give legal advice to its clients. We work diligently to pair you with a qualified attorney.
Can GLA help me with my invention?
Georgia PATENTS is a separate program designed to assist inventors. For more information about the program and to see if you qualify, visit the Georgia PATENTS website to review our requirements and fill out an application.
Interested in Becoming a Member?
Gain some awesome benefits by becoming a GLA Member! Members enjoy updates on our Free Seminar Series and events and access to our resource library. Follow the links below for more information and Membership benefits. Inventors, follow the link below to the Georgia PATENTS page.
Upcoming Events
Seminars
- Advanced Estate Planning for Artists & Collectors (Virtual)
- Tuesday, December 03, 2024
- See All Events
Clinics
- No Clinics Currently Scheduled
- See All Events
Special Events
- No Special Events Currently Scheduled
- See All Events
Client Testimonials and Thank-Yous to Attorneys
I want to extend my deepest thanks for your time and assistance in the script clearance you did for me a while ago. Due to the assistance you gave me, I feel more confident in my dealings with the potential clients. . . It is so kind of you to donate your time and volunteer your services for artists in the community and I really appreciate your generosity. Thanks so much for all your help.
I want to thank you again for the invaluable information you shared at Spalding Nix Gallery on art, selling, [and] protecting yourself. I feel so much more informed [and] assured.
Thanks so very much for all your help. Getting this case closed was the best Christmas gift I’ve ever gotten!
Thank you for taking the time to meet with me and my two fellow board members . . . Your feedback and suggestions will give us the confidence to make important decisions in the future. I am grateful to have Georgia Lawyers for the Arts as a resource and guide along the way.”
Please accept my heartfelt gratitude on behalf of the entire [] board. You and your colleagues made what could have been a debilitatingly difficult and deeply unpleasant interaction into something relatively painless. Do keep doing what you do, and know that you’re always welcome as our guest at any [] event. Here’s hoping that your path and [our’s] cross again amid happier circumstances. Thank you again for your thoughtful and caring mediation.
Georgia Lawyers for the Arts has been monumental in the development of the contracts necessary for the success & protection of the artists and the company, donjenna.com. Thank you for your guidance and follow-through in assigning a lawyer whose expertise with contracts was pivotal. I look forward to being of service to GLA when I can “pay it forward.” Thank you again for supporting the arts.
I am a film maker and needed help with the releases and contracts for my film. The attorney GLA assigned me to helped me with all of my releases. I feel so much better knowing I have the proper contracts in place. My attorney was great. GLA is an amazing an useful resource for artists. I strongly recommend them.
I truly appreciate the cordial welcome and focused attention you gave me and for your evaluation of this issue . . . being able to get an expert evaluation of the situation was informative and a relief. I now know what my options are and realize that registering my copyright for my work is important. Thank you for offering your services to artists through Georgia Lawyers for the Arts. When I learned about GLA, I was cheered to know there were resources available to me . . .
The place for artists to go when you have an issue. Don’t overlook GLA.
I have been amazed at how much this non-profit does to help artists across the state of Georgia. Great group, great resource.
I regret not contact[ing] you sooner, but so very grateful for contacting at all. Words can’t express the assistance I am getting so far with my documentary. Please accept this note as a token of true appreciation for the service your organization offer to artists.
I want to thank you for your help in connecting me with [my attorney] to review my contract! It was a pleasure to work with him and I appreciate everything you guys do!
From the moment I spoke to [my attorney], I felt blessed. I’m so thankful for your legal support. They say, “All people are created equal,” however I disagree. [My attorney] [is] the exception, you are truly exceptional! Thank you for your skills, talents, and legal knowledge used to help my nonprofit. Because of you, [my nonprofit] is a legal, functioning entity. At first, I knew I had a dream, but didn’t know how it would come to fruition or where the help would come from. . . . I really appreciate your legal support and you helping my dreams to become a reality. I share my success with you and I’m forever thankful for you! With all my heart, thank you for investing and believing in me. You made a difference!
Your pro bono work granted to us through Georgia Lawyers [for the Arts] and as a lawyer with [law firm] was truly appreciated!
If you’re serious about investing in your creativity and art-inspired business, then do yourself a huge favor by becoming a member of GA Lawyers for the Arts. This amazing and one-of- a-kind organization has me hooked. They really care about the artists! Nothing is greater than doing what you love and having a team of supporters dedicated to see you thrive! . . . GLA and their Team of volunteer lawyers are dedicated; the guidance, the unlimited access to training workshops and seminars, and GLA’s continued support of the artistic community is breathtaking. . . Georgia Lawyers for the Arts truly understands the lifestyle and progressive thoughts of the artist. I recommend this organization whole-heartedly. I feel ready to take my creativity to the next level! Thank you so much Georgia Lawyers for the Arts.
Thank you so much for getting me in touch with the immigration attorney . . . She was very helpful in explaining the changing rules and practices of the USCIS for obtaining a visa for a person of extraordinary ability.
Thank you very much for your support with my copyright case. You made the whole process easy [and] we achieved a successful resolution!
Thanks so very much for all your help. Getting this case closed was the best Christmas gift I’ve ever gotten!
We are very pleased! You certainly do a great service for us who try to promote the arts! Thanks so much for coming through for us twice in 2015!
Thank you for speaking with me initially and assigning my case. . . The lawyers that are in connection with [GLA] are wonderful for taking on pro bono cases for artist[s]. [My attorney] was fantastic. He[] was very professional and knowledgeable. . . Finding this establishment was a godsend . . . I was referred by an artist and I will tell other artist[s] about [GLA] as well.
When I needed legal advice concerning an issue with one of the Pop/R&B songs I’d written, GA Lawyers For the Arts, set me up with a very knowledgeable attorney. He took the time to assist me, answered my questions, and advised me! I was able to determine which way I needed to go in order to move forward with completing the song. Thanks, guys! You rock!
Thank you for all your help and for your connecting with lawyer [] about my trademark and copyright issues. [My attorney] was wonderful! He was helpful and eminently knowledgeable on all my problems and very generous with his time. I was able to understand all my trademark problems confronting me with greater clarity and depth than ever before and illuminated a number of important points I had no idea of.
I sincerely appreciate your guidance and patience with my copyright concerns. . . Your professional assistance brought a swift and efficient end to my concerns. I am grateful for your diligent effort and will be forever grateful for your generosity.
I want to thank you both for help in sorting through options surrounding my relationship with [] and the publication of my book. Our telephone conference and your detailed report have relieved my mind greatly.
Georgia Lawyers for the Arts is an invaluable resource. The free workshops help us expand our knowledge base and the availability of pro bono legal services when needed allows us to successfully address contract and copyright concerns that exceed our in-house expertise.
More than words can say. Thank you so very much.
. . . I want to thank you for helping us apply for reinstatement of our tax-exempt status. We so appreciate your generosity in volunteering your time and effort on our behalf. . . And thank you for being willing to offer your time and expertise to help and support artists through Georgia Lawyers for the Arts. It is a service of immeasurable value.
I have been doing my own radio show for 6 years and recently shot a pilot for my talk show. I knew that I needed legal guidance and assistance with contracts, forming my business entity, trademarks, copyrights, etc. but I didn’t think I could afford it. So I kept operating the business in hopes of generating enough money to hire an attorney. But my friend, who is also in the arts, told me about GLA. I made an appointment for an intake and was sitting in an attorney’s office in less than three weeks. I feel so much better about operating my business knowing I can get legal assistance at an affordable rate when needed.
This organization is such a gift to the art community. Many thanks to the GLA staff and attorneys that offer their time and services to the arts. My hope is that awareness and support for the organization only continues to grow.
[My attorney] was so helpful and thoughtful. I really enjoyed working with him. He gave me valuable advice and tips to insure my success and followed up with a phone call and emails to check on my progress and make sure I was taking all the correct steps. I feel very lucky to have worked with him and really appreciate his willing[ness] to share his expertise.
I learned my lesson with the help of the volunteer attorney. Without being a member and not attending the awesome seminars, I believe I would have been caught in even more faulty situations that would have cost me more than I could have ever imagined. Thank you GLA!! You are a blessing from the heaven for me and other artists like me.
GLA has been invaluable from the first time I contacted them. I had attempted to chase down a corporate client over late payments and was getting absolutely nowhere. One letter from my GLA-assigned lawyer (who was fantastic!), and the matter was resolved in a matter of weeks. It was incredible, and has proven the norm each time I work with GLA. They put you with people that will get the work done! On top of case assistance, the seminars are so fantastic! I imagine most creatives find themselves floundering when the business of creation veers more on the side of business than creation. GLA’s seminars do a great deal to alleviate that. Just in the last year I have attended several presentations that have not only made me a sharper negotiator on my own behalf, but also given me the confidence to acknowledge my worth in the marketplace and what’s more defend it!
I am [] very grateful to you, [law firm], and Georgia Lawyers for the Arts for making it possible for small non-profit arts groups to have the very best legal counsel, which normally would be beyond our reach financially. This is an important service provided to those of us in the arts, a service that indeed makes our work possible. It’s been such a pleasure working with you.
Thank you so much for providing your services to me during what I’m sure is the craziest time of the year for you!
It would be a pleasure to compliment GLA and [my attorney] for their willingness to assist me as I move forward with my professional, creative art practice. Knowing that I, and so many diverse artists like me, have such an tremendous resource is one of the reasons I see Atlanta as being such an incredibly vibrant and important city for artists. I am so grateful to the great stewardship and mission of Georgia Lawyers for the Arts!
I am extremely grateful to [my attorney] and Georgia Lawyers for the Arts. [When] several buildings on [a college] campus went into foreclosure [and were locked down] with four of my major paintings on display inside, nothing in that building could be retrieved. Officials from the college were not permitted to enter the building and remove anything either on the floor or the walls. All attempts to contact the college administration and get support to retrieve my work proved fruitless. It was also very difficult to determine the current owner since it had twice changed hands. In addition, I was told that neighborhood kids had repeatedly broken into the building and had caused excessive damage. My case was assigned to [an attorney], and he immediately proceeded to follow up on possible leads that I provided him. I am delighted to report that within two weeks he had contacted the current lease owner and arranged for me to remove my work. The property manager met with me, my attorney, and a friend with a pickup van, and within less than two hours we able to remove and roll up the large mural and load up three smaller ones. Again, I would like to thank your organization as well as [the attorney who assisted me] for the swift legal work and, of equal importance, the friendly atmosphere throughout this process.
A very useful, helpful and intelligent organization.
I would like to thank you for your time and attention to my project. It was greatly appreciated.
Donate to GLA!
Help support the arts and our organization by donating to GLA. Any amount helps! You can also support GLA by shopping on Amazon Smile and choosing Georgia Lawyers for the Arts as the benefiting organization.