Welcome
Georgia Artists
& Arts Organizations
Legal assistance, representation and knowledge are crucial to protect your creative rights, manage your career, and navigate the complex legal landscape of the art world.
By becoming a GLA Artist or Arts Organization Member, you gain access to an extensive network of attorneys with expertise in a multitude of legal matters. A few examples of artists’ legal needs include:
Artists may need to protect their creative works through copyright laws.
Artists often enter into contracts for commissions, collaborations, exhibitions, sales or licensing agreements. GLA volunteer attorneys will work to ensure that contracts are fair, protect the artist's interests, and clarify the rights and responsibilities of all parties.
Artists may create or want to create a trademark and need assistance to determine if the mark is available for use, to register their trademark with the United States Patent and Trademark Office or to stop infringement.
Artists may license their work to reproduce on merchandise, in films or for use in advertising. Legal advice can ensure that licensing agreements protect the artist's rights and fairly compensate the artist.
Artists who work with galleries may need legal assistance to negotiate representation agreements, clarify terms of sale, and resolve disputes over sales, payments or representation.
Artists often have unique tax considerations, especially if they earn income from sales, exhibitions or royalties. Legal help can ensure compliance with tax laws, assist with structuring financial arrangements, and minimize tax liabilities.
Unfortunately, disputes may arise in the art world, such as over ownership, authenticity, attribution, copyright infringement or breach of contract. Legal assistance may be necessary to resolve these disputes through negotiation, mediation, or litigation, if necessary.
Artists may need legal assistance to plan for the future of their artistic legacy, including wills, trusts, and other estate planning tools to ensure that their work is properly managed and preserved after their death and that their wishes are respected.
Benefits of Membership
One free pro-bono referral for qualifying members per year for an arts-related legal issue
Invitations to upcoming seminars & workshops
Unlimited placements in our monthly Legal Clinics
Frequently Asked Questions
Joining is easy. First fill out this form.
If you have a current legal issue, please indicate the issue on the form and we will reach out to you for more details. All communication will come from cases@glarts.org. If you do not see an email from us within 1 week, check your spam folder. If there is no email in spam, please follow-up via email.
Yes, membership fees are:
- Individual Artist ($50)
- Non-Profit Arts Organizations [Low Budget] ($75)
- Non-Profit Arts Organizations [All Others] ($100)
You are able to pay for membership through PayPal.
GLA supports artists from all walks of life with their legal concerns in the art world.. When we refer to an "artist," we include anyone involved in the entire spectrum of creative pursuits including visual arts, design, dance, theater, film, and music, just to name a few. We assist arts organizations, meaning nonprofits incorporated in the State of Georgia, with 501(c)(3) status that are 100% dedicated to the arts, such as a theater or dance company. We provide service for “arts-related legal issues,” meaning legal issues arising from artistic works or impacting the ability to produce art. Issues may include intellectual property matters, contracts, applying for an artist visa, or setting up an arts-related business or non-profit.
While GLA strives to support artists with a wide range of legal needs, it's essential to recognize that certain legal areas may require assistance from other legal professionals or organizations specializing in those specific fields. GLA cannot assist artists in criminal matters, traffic, domestic relations matters, landlord-tenant matters unrelated to their art, and business advice unrelated to their art.
Pro-bono legal services refer to legal assistance provided by lawyers or legal professionals to under-resourced individuals or organizations, typically without charging a fee. The term "pro-bono" comes from the Latin phrase "pro bono publico," which means "for the public good." Pro bono clients are still responsible for any expenses related to their matter.
Through its extensive network of volunteer attorneys, GLA provides free legal assistance to artists who would not otherwise be able to afford legal representation on a wide variety of arts-related issues.
Clients are required to become a GLA member before scheduling intake meetings. If you need arts related legal representation, fill out our Artist Membership form. Artist Membership form.
Georgia Lawyers for the Arts relies on information provided by the Department of Health and Human Services, published yearly and available at aspe.hhs.gov. The data provided below is for informational purposes only and may not be updated as quickly as the statistics available on the official website.
Prior to GLA's intake meeting, we will request financial information for all members of your household for the past and current year. For pro-bono eligibility GLA needs to review your most recent tax returns. If you did not file taxes, we will need income verification via bank statements, etc..
The good news is that you can still become a member of GLA and have access to placement in our legal clinics and other non-legal benefits of membership.
Our legal clinics are available to our pro-bono and paid clients, without charge. Volunteer attorneys provide 30 minutes of free legal assistance to our Members. GLA’s legal clinics typically focus on copyright, trademark and simple contract questions, although some clinics may offer advice on other areas of law relevant to our members, such as non-profit governance or tax issues.
GLA provides a list of potential legal matters requiring pro bono assistance to its volunteer attorney network. GLA regularly updates the case list and sends it to its volunteer attorney network.
As part of our intake process after joining GLA, we will determine if you qualify for pro bono services and if your legal issue is appropriate for GLA services.
GLA is affiliated with "Georgia PATENTS". Please visit https://gapatents.org/ to learn more.
Please reach out to us at gla@glarts.org.