Approach & Curriculum
USC Gould School of Law

Our Approach

Effective legal practice combines legal knowledge with the skills required to apply that knowledge to achieve client objectives. Our Media, Entertainment and Technology Law curriculum addresses each of these key components. To build your legal knowledge in these fields, we offer traditional courses in substantive legal doctrine, statutes and regulations. Then we offer workshop-style courses that focus on the lawyering skills and business concepts critical in legal practice. These unique courses, typically taught by practitioners with decades of experience, are conducted in an interactive format with regular oral and written exercises designed to simulate legal practice.

Following are brief overviews of some of our signature workshop courses.

Digital Media Transactions

This course uses paradigm transactional scenarios and accompanying contractual documentation to analyze the business and legal issues that arise in connection with the creation, financing, and distribution of digital media, including TV, streaming, mobile, and virtual reality market segments. The instructor has extensive experience as a senior attorney in the media and entertainment law practice of a leading national law firm.

Intellectual Property Litigation

This course simulates a patent and trade secret litigation from start to finish. You will be exposed to documents from actual infringement litigations, including motion papers, briefs, exhibits, discovery materials and other documents. The instructors are partners at a leading national law firm with an extensive practice in patent infringement litigation.

Music Law in Practice

In this course, you will acquire a toolbox of legal, analytical and client management skills required to service a broad spectrum of music industry clients. You will be expected to prepare, negotiate and edit a variety of client deliverables, including written agreements, government filings and communications with hypothetical clients. The instructor is a veteran entertainment attorney who specializes in all aspects of the music industry.

Sports Law in Practice

This course covers legal and business issues relating to four key areas of sports law practice: ticketing, merchandise licensing, sponsorships and broadcasting. The course focuses on practical skills, including hypothetical client problem solving, contract drafting, and negotiation simulation and presentation skills. Course materials consist principally of sports-related contracts, including sports franchise charter and constituent agreements. The instructor is a partner at a major national law firm.

Television and Digital Media: Business and Legal Issues

This course examines the legal and business issues that regularly arise in the context of television and digital media production and exhibition. You will design and implement best practices through "hands on" application of legal principles in the context of real projects, case studies, drafting workshops and dispute resolution scenarios. The course examines the issues that typically arise across multiple genres, including dramatic scripted, non-scripted, live events and sketch comedy. The instructor is a vice president, business and legal affairs, at a major television network and media company.

Technology Transactions Workshop

This course exposes you to the "nuts and bolts" of negotiating licensing and other technology transfer transactions. You will gain experience with the types of documents encountered in transactional intellectual property practice, including term sheets, licensing and other agreements, patents and other materials. The instructor is a former partner in the Silicon Valley business practice of a leading law firm, acted as general counsel for several technology companies and has headed technology licensing teams at major research universities.

Video Game Law in Practice

This course covers the most essential topics in video game law, including content creation and acquisition; distribution, publishing and marketing; brand management; user management; cybersecurity; eSports; online gambling; virtual currency and property; and related international issues. The instructors are experienced practitioners serving in-house at a major video game company.

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