Chelsea Emuakhagbon is currently enrolled at the University of Illinois Chicago School of Law. Q: How did you first learn about LCA, and what motivated you to apply for an internship with us? A: I first learned about LCA through my school’s Art Law & Museum Law Society. Since then, I was always very interested in the work LCA does for artists and organizations. I also really enjoyed watching the videos LCA offers to people interested in learning more about certain aspects of the legal profession as it relates to the art world. What were your initial expectations when joining LCA, and did anything about the experience surprise you? Coming in, I didn’t really have too many specific expectations. I was just really interested in learning from individuals who knew much more than I did. I’ve learned so much being here and was able to apply a lot of what I’ve learned in my academic courses into the work I’ve done at LCA. Many of our interns come to us with unique backgrounds in the arts. Do you have any personal background or experiences in the arts that you feel have contributed to your time at LCA? I’d say that my background in art helped me understand certain frustrations that clients would express about their own individual issues. I understand that working as an artist can be challenging at times, so I was really glad that LCA allowed me to help offer a helping hand to artists and organizations seeking legal services. In what ways has your experience at LCA connected with and enhanced what you’ve been learning in law school? Did you enter LCA with gaining experience in a specific area of law in mind? If so, has your experience influenced or changed your interests? I’ve been able to apply a lot of what I’ve learned and am currently learning at school while working at LCA. Being able to ask questions about things I’ve learned in my Copyright or Estates and Trust courses has really helped deepen my understanding of the subject matter. Before entering LCA, I was interested in gaining more knowledge about Art and Intellectual Property Law and the work I’ve been able to do has definitely strengthened those interests. Discuss the significance of learning about arts law from a practical perspective and how this exposure has added value to your education. Additionally, reflect on your overall experience in a law office setting at LCA – in what ways has this contributed to your professional growth and understanding of legal practice? Learning more about Art Law has been a great experience, because it was not a field of law that was often discussed before I started working at LCA. This experience has been valuable because I’ve been able to learn so much about my areas of interest which has allowed me to create a clearer path for what I’d like my future in the legal industry to look like. What are your plans following the completion of your degree, and do you feel your time at LCA has helped shape these plans? Do you have any intentions of volunteering with LCA after obtaining your degree, and if so, why? I hope to be able to work in the field of Art Law after graduation. I’d really like to be able to work with museums, galleries, artists, and entertainers to help ensure that works are protected, and parties are properly compensated for the work that is done. I also hope to be able to volunteer with LCA to help ensure that this happens. Reflect on the broader impact of the work that LCA does in the arts community and share your insights on the organization’s role in shaping the legal landscape for the arts. Additionally, in your opinion, what unique value does an organization like LCA bring to the arts community? Consider your experiences working with clients at LCA and any insights or lessons gained from these interactions. Organizations like the LCA are very important to the arts community because they offer a helping hand even where there is a lack of financial resources on the part of artists and organizations. My experience working with clients at LCA helped me understand that a lot of art related issues remain unresolved simply because an artist or organization lacks reasonable means to resolve those issues. The work the LCA does is valuable because it gives artists, and organizations hope that certain circumstances can actually get better. Reflect on your interactions with the staff at LCA. How has this aspect of your internship impacted your overall experience? The staff at LCA are very kind and entertaining. Being a law student can be very stressful, so it’s been nice to work with patient individuals who are so willing to help me learn while consecutively processing everything happening around me. Which TV show, movie, song, or book have you recently finished, and would you recommend it to your peers? I’ve recently read Patti Smith’s just kids and James Balwin’s’ The Fire Next time. I recommend them to everyone. Thank you Chelsea for all of your hard work as an intern this quarter! Check the website or follow us on social media for future intern profiles and other exciting content. Tags: Intern Profiles, News
