California Lawyers for the Arts

California Lawyers for the Arts (CLA) supports the creative community by providing dispute resolution, education, and representation. This non-profit organization was formerly known as the Bay Area Lawyers for the Arts and Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts - Los Angeles.

From its offices in Santa Monica, Sacramento, San Francisco, and Berkeley, the CLA supports artists and strengthens the arts for the benefit of communities throughout California. 

Members of CLA support this important service organization that provides links to other community sectors. CLA also educates the public about issues affecting the arts. Additionally, the organization provides referrals for quality legal services and educational programs.

Contact Information:

Certified Lawyer Referral Service of CLA

The Lawyer Referral Service of California Lawyers for the Arts (CLA) manages a lawyer referral service under the authority of the State Bar of California. CLA is a State Bar of California Certified Lawyer Referral Service - No. 0021. The service provides referrals to qualified attorneys only for creative artists, arts organizations and those with arts-related legal matters.

To receive a referral, visit the CLA website to use their referral form. After you submit the form, a representative of CLA's referral services will contact you to discuss your legal concerns and to refer you to an attorney when appropriate.

The attorneys that participate in the referral service represent clients in different arts-related issues such as:

• Copyright
• Mediation and Arbitration
• Employee/independent contractor
• Organizational Tax (not individual tax)
• Landlord/Tenant
• Nonprofit Organization Issues
• Contract drafting, review and negotiation

Benefits of Joining CLA

The benefits of joining CLA include:

• savings on referrals;
• discounts on educational programs;
• subscriptions to publications.

In exchange for an administrative fee of $35 (or $20 for C.L.A. members), you can receive the referral to a qualified attorney who has agreed to provide a FREE 30 minute initial consultation. The attorneys that serve on the referral panels are familiar with specific arts-related legal issues. The initial consultation can take place either in the office or over the phone.

Membership levels of the CLA include:

The various membership levels of the C.L.A. include:

• Guest -Free 
• Artist - $30.00 (USD) 
• Senior Citizen (65+) - $20.00 (USD) 
• Student - $20.00 (USD) 
• General Individual - $45.00 (USD) 
• Patron - $100.00 (USD) 

• Organization (Small) - $50.00 (USD) 
• Organization (Large) - $90.00 (USD) 
• Corporate Sponsor - $100.00 (USD) 

• Lawyer (Non-Panel) - $70.00 (USD) 
• Panel Attorney [Lawyer Referral Service Membership] - $75.00 (USD)

This article was last updated on Friday, January 17, 2020.