What is a CAA Legal Internship?
The CAA Legal Internship is a specialized program established by the Coalition of American Attorneys. The internship program is designed to provide law students and recent law school graduates with a hands-on legal experience in understanding the intricacies of pursuing a career in entertainment and sports law, which ultimately helps them prepare for the competitive job market in the legal field.
The CAA Legal Interns are provided with the unique opportunity to be mentored and educated about the field of entertainment and sports law by top professionals at some of the most prestigious law firms and entertainment companies across the United States. These top industry professionals guide the CAA Legal Interns through invaluable hands-on legal tasks that vary by experience level. The intern program is overseen by an advisory board of leading partners at these law firms who personally mentor CAA Legal Inters throughout their one-month program.
Apart from gaining insight during mentorship initiatives , interns conduct legal research for active projects and draft detailed memorandums. Duties may also include drafting and filing contracts and other legal documents and observing active court cases and closings. CAA Legal Internship is open to first-year law, second-year law, and third-year law students (only if they have been accepted into a judicial internship).
Who Can Apply and How to Apply
Applicants for the CAA Legal Internship position must be current second- or third-year students enrolled in an accredited J.D. program and have a minimum 3.0 GPA. Applicants should also possess legal research and writing experience, and be fluent in both English and Spanish. Familiarity with PARS is a plus, but not required. Due to the nature of the work, CAA generally does not hire applicants who, at the time of application, are in their first year of law school. CAA’s campus office is located in Los Angeles, which is where the internship takes place. However, CAA has campuses on the East Coast, so applicants in New York City should not be discouraged from applying. Staff in the Los Angeles office may have the opportunity to travel to the New York office for work as well. Applications for the CAA Legal Internship must be submitted electronically to Human Resources.
Interviews with applicants are conducted each year after the annual summer meeting of the Television Critics Association in mid August, which is when CAA searches for the following year’s interns. Interviews are conducted by several attorneys within the Department of Labor Relations, including the Secretary, Associate and Senior Counsel. The final deadline for applications is December 10 each year. Only applicants seeking a summer internship for the following May/June should apply.
A Range of Opportunities for Interns
In addition to working with the company’s legal department on matters of great importance to the company and client, we are often given the freedom to explore other subject areas or practice groups based on our interests. This experience is very common among interns at CAA. From my perspective, it has almost become a rite of passage for interns to diversify their resumes by working with one of the many divisions or departments of CAA. There are numerous departments that work with the legal department: Business Intelligence, Legal Personalities Group, and Television Talent. Clients look for assistance with any number of issues, from background checks to product licensing to television commercial voiceovers. By working with legal on these other projects, interns have the opportunity to acquire experience in areas of interest and make valuable connections that could benefit them in the long run.
Additionally, pursuing work in the many areas of CAA can give interns the chance to expand their knowledge of all aspects of the entertainment industry, which is a vital part of a successful career in entertainment law.
Hands-On Experience and Connections
Not everyone can be a CAA intern. No one gets paid. The number of legal interns are usually capped at four, but that is it. With a limited number of interns, whether you can work for the CAA becomes much more competitive. But those who do get the positions undergo an unbeatable experience that allows them to see every angle of the industry and how entertainment law is integrated into the decision-making process. Even though the CAA has a plethora of clients from several fields within the industry, their day-to-day tasks are comprised of making sure those clients have the tools necessary to execute the contracts negotiated by CAA agents. If a movie star is starring in a motion picture being filmed in 30 days, the producers need, among other things, a letter from her attorneys that proves her ability to make those 30 days. Researching upcoming trials or filings in court is a daily task, which brings the real world experience of litigation into play. The sheer diversity of the clients that the CAA boasts , from artists to financers, means that each day can bring a new type of deal to execute and a new way of obtaining evidence and making analysis of those securities or financing interests. A major benefit of this internship is building a network. It is important that interns say yes to every opportunity offered and keep their networking tops. You never know when you will need to collaborate with someone again, or when an opportunity will present itself. Be nice to everyone. Be comfortable, because everyone, including other interns, works together. They are your immediate network. And do not hesitate to ask questions. As the saying goes, the only dumb question is the question that is not asked. Mentorship is crucial. Each intern is assigned to an alumni attorney whose mentor status is obtained through their time with the CAA, and who has agreed to guide interns through the process, even after the summer is over. This mentorship is a great resource, considering that these mentorships often last well beyond the internship.
CAA Legal Intern Success Stories
Many previous CAA legal interns went on to secure paying jobs in the sports and entertainment industries. A few past interns shared their success stories with us.
Victoria Wright
CAA legal intern, Fall 2007
Although most people view internships as a means to an end, I was able to cement my future plans through my internship with CAA. I worked for attorney John McHugh on tribecentrist.com, a Web site devoted to the recently gentrified neighborhood of Tribeca in Lower Manhattan. I was responsible for designing the site, researching Web site functionality, laying out the pages, editing content and uploading finished pages to the site. I also assisted in planning special events, such as celebrity book signings, and in covering those events by taking notes, writing articles and taking photographs for the site. I wrote about several restaurants, including The Odeon, The Capital Grille and Bubby’s, and did celebrity interviews myself or in coordination with the site’s editor-in-chief. Because I was a law student, what drew me to this position was the opportunity to work for an attorney. One of the most important projects I worked on as an intern for CAA was drafting a Non-Anthrax Bio-terrorism Waiver to be used by actors performing at a cocktail reception to be held for the American Academy of Arts and Letters. In order to effectively draft the waiver, I conferred with a member of the Faculty of Law from Columbia University and obtained feedback from another of my employers. The project reinforced the fact that there are many instances where different areas of study, in my case law and journalism, interject and form a completely new area of study. I still receive e-mails from the editor-in-chief, who now works at The New York Times, and can continue to enjoy new posts to the site.
Daniel Perez
CAA legal intern, Fall 2008
The greatest benefit that I received from my internship with CAA was the fact that the firm helped me to hone in on my career aspirations and to focus actually on a career path. Having read Yale Law professor Amy Chua’s book World on Fire, I thought that I wanted to be a business lawyer. But after this experience, I discovered that I wanted to be a transactional lawyer. I also learned that I would prefer to work as a junior associate in a large firm and eventually transition to in-house positions where I could have a larger influence. Working for CAA taught me that I need to try to find avenues in which I can use my skills to create and build relationships because, on top of being extremely valuable assets, they are vehicles for growth and success in all facets of our lives.
Securing a CAA Legal Internship
So how do you prepare for a CAA Legal Internship?
Prospective interns should familiarize themselves with:
Interns may also wish to study the following subjects in preparation for the internship:
Copyrights
Antitrust
Contract Law (FIFA)
Interests in the area of focus underscore one’s work ethic and motivation to be a sports lawyer .
Interviews and resume screening for CAA’s internship program occur year-round; deadlines for formal applications vary according to internal or external demands. Although only attending law schools are considered for internship opportunities, emails containing resumes and cover letters (no longer than half of one page) from all potential applicants are welcome at any time.