Marisa Schutz is one of three LCA interns this semester. Marisa is a rising 2L at UIC John Marshall Law School where she works as a student attorney in the UIC John Marshall Law School Trademark Clinic. Before LCA Marisa interned for FOX News at the 2016 Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia and with Hillary for America during the Fall 2016 Presidential Campaign. Marisa received a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with a minor in music from Alvernia University in Reading, Pennsylvania.
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 played piano since the age of 5 and taught myself how to play guitar when I was 13. I have always been involved with choirs and still enjoy singing.
How did you hear about LCA?
I went to law school because I wanted to become an advocate for artists and musicians. I searched for summer legal internship opportunities with a focus on the arts and music, and Lawyers for the Creative Arts seemed like a perfect fit!
What did you expect? Did anything here surprise you?
I expected to be working with clients on intake and performing various research opportunities. I was surprised by how thankful and appreciative most of the clients I have spoken to are. They really appreciate the services provided by LCA.
What's it been like to work with our clients?
In addition to being very appreciative for the services provided by LCA, all of the clients I spoke to were also surprised and happy that the initial response to their application was so quick. I worked with multiple clients who had issues related to music such as licensing contracts, copyrights, and trademarks. It helped me understand what types of legal issues artists need the most help with and discover what areas I enjoyed best.
How have you been handling remote work during COVID?
Unfortunately, the interns this summer were not able to work in LCA's normal office due to COVID-19. I ended up giving myself a schedule everyday that I stuck to and scheduled appointments with clients for phone intake interviews.
Do you have any favorite moments or projects from your time with us?
My favorite highlights from my time LCA were the educational opportunities provided and learning more about music copyright law. During my internship, LCA presented several webinars that I found very interesting: Blurred Lines-Five Years Later and From Student to Master-What You Need to Know About Copyright. I attended both and got to ask the panelists questions following the presentations.
How has your experience at LCA connected with what you have been learning in law school?
During my first year of law school, I took an intellectual property course that focuses on lawyering skills course for two semesters. I learned about contracts, trade secrets, patents, trademarks, and copyrights in the class. I was able to use the knowledge from the class when speaking with clients and working on research projects. My experience with LCA has also built upon what I have been learning in law school because I had numerous opportunities to apply what I have learned, speak with clients, and obtain hands-on experience.
Did you come into LCA hoping to get experience in a particular area of law? Have your interests changed at all?
Yes, I came to LCA hoping to get more experience in the area of music copyright law. My supervisors were aware of this and gave me a research project that seemed catered to my interests! I spent the summer creating a “How To” guide for musicians that gives instructions on how to register a song with the US Copyright Office and register with the necessary organizations to obtain money from the various licenses available for a song.
What’s next for you? Has your time at LCA helped you to narrow your options?
Working with LCA has helped confirm my decision to pursue a career in copyright and trademark law. I would love to narrow the scope and work exclusively in the area of music copyright law one day, but working with LCA has shown me that I can help artists and musicians with a range of issues that span multiple practice areas of law.
Do you hope to volunteer with LCA once you have your degree?
Yes, I would love to be able to volunteer with LCA once I graduate law school. The staff has been so nice and supportive, especially during this difficult time of working remotely during COVID-19. I would love to be able to come back and work with everyone again in the future!
What value does an organization like LCA add to the arts community?
Legal aid organizations like LCA are tremendously valuable to the arts community because many artists are lower income individuals and do not have the time, money, or knowledge to represent themselves in legal matters. LCA offers an invaluable service by connecting artists with attorneys and offering pro bono legal aid where applicable. I found the work that LCA does to help artists in the Chicago community and throughout Illinois to be very rewarding. The pro bono legal services offered through LCA are very much needed, especially during a time when many artists have a reduced income or no income due to COVID-19.
What's a fun fact about you?
I have lived in 5 different states: Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Alabama, and Illinois.
Which tv-show/movie/song/book have you recently finished that you would recommend?
I recently watched the movie Just Mercy on Amazon Prime Video about attorney Bryan Stevenson and his efforts with the Equal Justice Initiative in the south. It is a great movie for anyone who wants to be more educated about the systemic racism that exists in the United States today.
Thank you Marisa 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.