Hollywood’s Top 12 Law Schools 2023

Winston Cho
Updated ·4 min read

For aspiring entertainment lawyers, there’s no foolproof way to break into Hollywood ­­— but studying at a school with a specialized program and well-connected alumni certainly doesn’t hurt.

Each year, The Hollywood Reporter spotlights the top programs — factoring in their alumni on the Power Lawyers list as well as new and novel courses, externship programs and other offerings — that could give students an edge in the industry.

More from The Hollywood Reporter

1. UCLA

Nestled in the heart of Westwood, UCLA returns to the top of the list with a splashy offering through the Ziffren Institute for Media, Entertainment, Technology and Sports Law that includes two seminars taught by Ken Ziffren himself and a TV law course taught by Lionsgate’s Sandra Stern. There’s also a program that guarantees internships at CAA, WME and Ziffren Brittenham to promising students as part of their admission.

2. Harvard

Grads from the iconic Cambridge, Massachusetts, Ivy have no trouble landing jobs in Hollywood, whether at top studios, elite firms or powerhouse media companies. Students in the Recording Artists Project and the transactional law clinic often find themselves advising artists, indie labels and others and can even help negotiate contracts.

3. USC

USC Gould’s Media and Entertainment Law program is offering a new course on digital media transactions, and in the works is one on Web 3.0 that will address legal issues at the intersection of content and tech. Alumni have access to an exclusive LinkedIn group, and students have the opportunity to attend its long-running Entertainment Law & Business Institute, which is frequented by industry players looking for fresh talent.

4. Berkeley

The Bay Area school offers an IP & Technology Certificate — boasting more than 50 related courses covering subjects like content creation, content ownership and streaming platform regulation, including a new Technology & IP Transactions course, which is a foundation for classes in sports, music and video game law.

5. Columbia

The Upper West Side Ivy emphasizes a robust internship program and giving students down-to-earth advice and experience. Alumnus Matt Galsor remembers AFI founder Tom Pollock visiting. Another student bragged about his expertise in copyright law. “Pollock looked past him and said, ‘Expertise? Who cares about expertise? How are you going to get clients?’ That was a great lesson,” Galsor says.

6. Southwestern

This L.A. school was among the first to offer a specialized law degree in entertainment and provides more than 60 courses covering various aspects of the industry. Participation in its pro bono Entertainment and the Arts Legal Clinic continues to grow, and dozens of students nab Hollywood internships every year.

7. Cardozo (TIE)

The New York City-based school’s FAME Center for fashion, art, media and entertainment; Tech Startup Clinic; the Filmmakers Legal Clinic; and the Data Law Initiative offer a wealth of opportunities to represent businesses in several fields. Last year, it launched the Center for Visual Advocacy, which highlights protecting rights of artists and art institutions.

7. Loyola (TIE)

The L.A.-based institution is well regarded for its Entertainment Law Fellowship program, which was designed with the help of top firms, major studios and talent agencies. This year it introduced a first-of-its-kind class on Representing Talent in Television, centered on the perspective of actors, writers and directors, departing from similar courses taught from the studio side.

9. Brooklyn (TIE)

Brooklyn offers a certificate in Intellectual Property, Media, and Information Law and a specialized sports law externship course where students are placed at local sports teams, league headquarters and agencies. In response to the true-crime boom, it held a panel on defamation in biopics.

9. Penn (TIE)

While Penn doesn’t consider itself a top entertainment law school in the conventional sense, it has Hollywood alumni in spades. This year, Penn added Jennifer Rothman — among the foremost experts on the right of publicity — to its roster of professors.

11. Georgetown (TIE)

The D.C. school’s Entertainment & Media Alliance offers externship opportunities, while U.S. second gentleman Douglas Emhoff is teaching a new class this year on entertainment disputes in addition to his alternative dispute resolution course.

11. Yale (TIE)

While Yale’s progam is not specific to entertainment law, it more than makes up for that in cutting- edge tech, cyberlaw, media and First Amendment courses. Students can also join the Entertainment and Sports Law Association and participate in one of more than 30 clinics. — W.C.

Honorable Mentions

Cornell Law School; UC College of the Law, San Francisco; NYU School of Law; Stanford Law School

This story first appeared in the April 12 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. Click here to subscribe.

Best of The Hollywood Reporter

Click here to read the full article.