WA Lawyers For The Arts

At Washington Lawyers for the Arts (WLA), we believe that creativity takes courage. Founded in 1976, our nonprofit service organization is dedicated to supporting the arts in Washington state by creating alliances and making legal resources accessible to artists and arts organizations of all disciplines.

Our Mission

Washington Lawyers for the Arts supports the work of artists and arts organizations, whose efforts enrich the quality of life in Washington State. Our mission is to establish a bridge between the arts and legal communities and provide resources to enable artists and arts organizations to better manage their legal issues. WLA is committed to offering legal services, including legal advice and legal education, to support Washington's arts community.

What We Do

We serve the communities surrounding the performing, literary, media, visual, and interdisciplinary arts. In most cases, artists and arts organizations seek our services due to budget constraints, yet many of our programs are available for individuals of all income levels. In just the last two years, WLA has served over 250 artists through our legal clinics alone.

Our services include:

• Legal Clinics: Offering 30-minute consultations with attorneys
• Legal Workshops: Presenting in-depth looks at issues relevant to artists
• Legal Referrals: For artists and arts organizations seeking legal advice beyond clinic appointments
• Speakers' Bureau: Pairing volunteer attorneys with organizations and educational institutions to offer presentations specific to their legal needs

Who We Are

We are a group of lawyers, artists, and community members working to make legal services more accessible for artists. Our team includes:

• Rebecca Lanctot, Chair: Rebecca Lanctot is on Amazon's Legal team since 2017, in roles supporting research and development for Amazon Web Services and Prime Video. She previously worked as in-house counsel focused on content licensing at Insight Editions, a boutique book publisher in the San Francisco Bay area. While in California, she was an active member of California Lawyers for the Arts. She fancies herself a creative soul and a maker, dabbling in several artistic mediums, including most recently writing children's books and baking. She graduated from Mitchell Hamline School of Law in 2008 after earning a MBA from the University of North Dakota (UND). She also has two bachelor's degrees from UND, in Marketing and Mass Communication (Advertising).
• Luis Adan Jimenez, Board Member: Luis Adan Jimenez is an attorney in Washington, specializing in managing copyrights for artists. He previously worked at Amazon with the licensing compliance team charged with identifying Amazon's compliance with local, state, and national laws.

Partners

Washington Lawyers for the Arts partners with various organizations to provide legal services and support to artists and arts organizations. These partnerships allow us to reach a wider audience and offer more comprehensive resources to the arts community.

Artist Spotlight

At WLA, we believe in highlighting the talents of our local artists. We regularly feature artists who have benefited from our services and continue to make significant contributions to the arts community in Washington state.

Get Involved

We rely on passionate people like you to continue our work in supporting the arts community in Washington. There are many ways you can get involved:

• Volunteer: Join us as a volunteer to help with our events, clinics, and workshops.
• Become a Member: Become a member of WLA to receive exclusive benefits and support our mission.
• Join Our Email List: Stay updated with our latest news, events, and services by joining our email list.

Services

Washington Lawyers for the Arts offers a variety of services to support artists and arts organizations. These services include legal advice, legal education, and legal resources tailored to meet the specific needs of the arts community.

• Artist Resources: We provide legal resources and advice specifically for artists, including information on copyright law, contract negotiation, and more.
• Non-Profit Resources: We offer legal resources and advice for non-profit arts organizations, including information on tax law, employment law, and more.

Donate

Your support is crucial to our mission. By donating to Washington Lawyers for the Arts, you are helping us continue to provide essential legal services to artists and arts organizations in Washington state.