Devin Weinberg is a 3L at the University of Chicago Law School. Originally from South Florida, Devin previously interned with Judges Paul C. Huck and Ursula Ungaro in the Southern District of Florida. Devin received an MA in International Relations from the University of Florida and a BA in Political Science from Florida Atlantic University, with minors in Theatre and History.
Q: Many of our interns come to us with unique backgrounds in the arts. Do you have any personal background in the arts?
A: I minored in theatre in college and enjoyed writing and directing several plays in graduate school. I love creative writing and have worked on everything from plays to epic poems to screenplays. Law school keeps me pretty busy, but working on writing the University of Chicago’s annual Law School Musical has been a nice creative outlet (especially in the time of remote education).
How did you hear about LCA?
I interviewed with an LCA volunteer attorney about a year ago, and because of my interest in theatre and the creative arts, his work with the organization came up. Then, this summer, I saw an LCA internship posting on my school’s jobs platform and immediately knew I wanted to apply. Especially in light of government orders closing performance venues and current conditions keeping numerous artists out of work, this seemed like a critical time to contribute to LCA’s mission.
What did you expect? Did anything here surprise you?
I had no sense of the sheer range of clients and matters that (virtually) pass through LCA’s doors on a daily basis. Every time I open an application or phone a client it feels like I’m learning about something I otherwise might never have encountered, escaping my own inadvertent cultural bubble in the process. It reminds me of the cliche that reading allows people to experience new worlds. Law students and lawyers read plenty. But at a time when the traditional ways that people enjoy arts and culture are distorted, and I’m working from the confined comfort of my living room, I’ve found that speaking with LCA clients and listening to their stories and pursuits can be a worthy substitute for a trip downtown.
Do you have any favorite moments or projects from your time with us?
I worked on an interesting memo about what happens to a musician’s royalty stream after the musician passes away. In the process, I learned about what to look for in a will, how state intestacy laws operate, how to search for unclaimed property, and what the major royalty paying organizations, like ASCAP and BMI, require from heirs after an artist they represent has passed away.
On top of LCA’s traditional referral function, it has been great to see LCA adapt to meet the changing needs of artists during the pandemic by offering remote workshops, opening the Coronavirus Brief Service Response Center, and pursuing other important initiatives.
How has your experience at LCA connected with what you have been learning in law school?
A smaller scope answer is that I’m currently taking a professional responsibility course in which we are discussing conflicts of interest. As an LCA intern, one of the key components of the intake interview is trying to determine which people or organizations in the client’s situation might lead to a conflict of interest for a volunteer attorney or firm that could otherwise help. But a larger scope answer is that, as my 1L Contracts professor liked to emphasize, the law is a service profession, and lawyers work for their clients. In law school, whether reading cases, surveying statutes, or considering contracts, we generally see the end product of that service. But here at LCA I’m honored to speak with clients at the very beginning of their involvement with the legal process, and to experience firsthand the objectives and interests that power the law and make it meaningful. It does not get more real or relevant than the issues LCA clients are facing. In that respect, this feels like the best introduction to arts law I could receive.
What has working with our clients been like?
LCA clients are involved in so many different creative endeavors that speaking with them provides a consistently fascinating window into the local arts scene. Learning not just about the law that LCA clients navigate, but about the art which leads them to LCA in the first place, has been one of the best parts of this internship.
Did you come into LCA hoping to get experience in a particular area of law? Have your interests changed at all?
I was hoping to learn more about copyright, trademark, and patent law, none of which I have studied in law school. Now, through a combination of LCA’s webinars, presentations, research projects, and regularly speaking with clients about their needs, I have received a tremendous practical education in the issues that artists (and others) face in asserting and defending their intellectual property rights.
What’s next for you? Has your time at LCA helped you to narrow your options?
Up next are my last two quarters of law school amid uncertain and unpredictable times. Interning at LCA has given me invaluable experience working with clients and helped fill-in some of the practical gaps that I was concerned finishing law school mostly remotely could be creating.
Do you hope to volunteer with LCA once you have your degree?
Definitely! I look forward to being able to browse the case list and hopefully make a real difference for LCA clients.
What value does an organization like LCA add to the arts community?
Whenever I interact with clients, I realize just how integral LCA’s services are to the arts community—particularly in this current moment of turmoil and transition. My sense is that it is incredibly useful for clients to gain legal assistance through LCA so that they can focus wholeheartedly on their work.
What's a fun fact about you?
With apologies to those unfamiliar with “Game of Thrones,” I bake sourdough bread with my 3-year old starter, Daenerys Targaryeast: Stormborn, Mother of Loaves, Breaker of Protein Chains, the Unleavened (no pun for Stormborn because she came to life in Florida during a literal hurricane).
Which tv-show/movie/song/book have you recently finished that you would recommend?
“Lovecraft Country” on HBO and “The Midnight Gospel” on Netflix are both series worth serious time. They carry dread, laughs, awe, and brutal, crucial insight in equal measure.
Thank you Devin for all of your hard work as an intern this semester! Check the website or follow us on social media for future intern profiles and other exciting content.