Sarah La Pearl is a 3L at Chicago-Kent College of Law. Before LCA, La Pearl interned for the Jerusalem Post Newspaper in Tel Aviv, Israel, authoring articles on public policy and current events.
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 have been interested in art, language, literature and culture for as long as I can remember. Some of my favorite pastimes are painting, drawing, sculpting and clothing design. I developed a more profound interest in art while studying at La Universidad de Complutense in Madrid, Spain. I focused my curriculum on the Avant-garde movement and studied at La Reina Sofia, El Prado and El Museo de Picasso. I focused on Spanish and Italian language, literature, art and as an undergraduate at the University of Michigan. It was exhilarating to learn about great Spanish and Italian artists, writers and directors. Some of my favorites include Pedro Almodóvar, Frederico Fellini, Italo Calvino, and Jorge Luis Borges.
How did you hear about LCA?
During my second year of law school, a professor became aware of my appreciation for art, language, literature and culture. She recommended that I look into volunteering with Lawyers for the Creative Arts. I spoke with one of LCA’s interns and was told how positive and productive his experience was. I became very enthusiastic and decided to apply for an internship.
What did you expect? Did anything here surprise you?
I was surprised by the variety of matters that LCA handles. The volunteer attorneys and staff are extremely diversified in many areas of law. It is wonderful how LCA provides legal aid to artists and organizations even when their issues or questions are unrelated to art. LCA is truly dedicated to serving the community with passion, ability and integrity.
Do you have any favorite moments or projects from your time with us?
I worked with a volunteer attorney to draft an assignment of interest for a filmmaker. It was an amazing experience to work alongside a proficient and professional attorney. I gained many applicable legal skills throughout the process. I will use the skills learned through my LCA internship in my future practice of law.
How has your experience at LCA connected with what you have been learning in law school?
I have taken fundamental intellectual property courses such as Copyrights, Trademarks and Unfair Competition. Currently, I am enrolled in Intellectual Property Technology and Licensing. My courses established a sound foundation for the work that I do at LCA.
LCA provides the opportunity to apply the concepts that I have learned in school to actual client matters. The experiential learning at LCA has advanced my understanding of the way that substantive law applies in practice. The connection between learning and practice has been invaluable.
Did you come into LCA hoping to get experience in a particular area of law? Have your interests changed at all?
Before coming into LCA, I hoped to learn about art and entertainment law. More specifically, I wanted to understand the legal aspects of art negotiations and entertainment agreements. My interests have not changed, but they have expanded; I have become fascinated with music law. I learned basic principles of music law in my copyrights class. After encountering music-related matters at LCA, it has inspired me to learn more about the nuances of music law.
What’s next for you? Has your time at LCA helped you to narrow your options?
I intend to take more intellectual property courses during my last semester of law school. After graduation, I hope to practice intellectual property law. It would be personally and professionally rewarding to use my legal expertise to help artists and entertainers accomplish their objectives.
Do you hope to volunteer with LCA once you have your degree?
Absolutely! I am looking forward to the day that I can volunteer as an attorney for LCA. I strongly support their efforts to help the art community.
What value does an organization like LCA add to the arts community?
LCA’s mission is unique because it is the only organization that provides legal aid to the arts community in Illinois. LCA facilitates the connection between the arts community and attorneys. Many artists and organizations do not know where to begin when they need an attorney to answer questions or help resolve problems. LCA simplifies the process and arranges legal representation for those who cannot afford legal aid. LCA provides support to the arts community that it may otherwise not have access to.
What's a fun fact about you?
I speak three more languages - Spanish, Italian and Hebrew.
Which tv-show/movie/song/book have you recently finished that you would recommend?
I have just finished reading Robert Greene’s book, The Laws of Human Nature. He has some unusual and interesting ideas about how to view people and the world around you.
Thank you Sarah 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.