Thank you for your support of the creative community. Now more than ever, it is essential that we as a community come together to help those in need.

If you are interested in taking on one of these pro bono assignments, please contact one of our Legal Service Coordinators at [email protected]

If you have any questions about representing a pro bono PVLA or PA Patent client, please do not hesitate to contact our Executive Director.

NOTE: attorneys should be sure to submit a volunteer application before signing on to take a pro bono case with PVLA.

Please see below for a list of available pro bono projects for low income artists, artist collectives, and small budget arts & cultural organizations or Download the full case listing here (PDF).

CONTRACTS

· Case 9719 (Full Service): Client is a non-profit organization that provides skill-sharing and collaboration resources for theater directors. Client has drafts of two template agreements, one for external consultants (such as guest speakers) and one for the “internal” independent contractor consultants who provide regular, part-time services to client. Client would like an attorney to review these templates.

· Case 9854 (Full Service): Client is a visual artist who is often commissioned to create work for commercial parties. She has a drafted contract that she would like to present to her customers. The client would like an attorney to review and edit the drafted contract as well as provide general advice on what to do if the contract is breached. before she signs.

GOVERNANCE

  • Case 9865 (Full Service): Client is a nonprofit theater company that is setting up its endowment policies and procedures. The executive board of the theater has approved the drafted policies, but the client and the board would like an attorney to review the documents. The client would also like to discuss any relevant legal issues that may be implicated by virtue of the fact that some of the board members would like to make endowed gifts.

NON PROFIT BUSINESS FORMATION

· Case 9793 (Full Service): Client is an art handler and visual artist that paints, sculpts, and does graphic design. Client also prepares and frames other people's artwork. He seeks assistance from an attorney in forming a legal entity to house his business.

· Case 9851 (Consultation): Client is a non-profit organization incorporated in New York and registered in Pennsylvania that uses dance as a way of achieving social justice. The client seeks to change its name and address and rebrand itself as a community services organization. The client seeks a one-hour consultation from an attorney on how to efficiently accomplish these tasks.

· Case 9882 (Full Service): Clients are actors in the process of starting their own theater company. Clients are seeking assistance with setting their company up as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit entity. The clients have already taken some preliminary, internal steps such as selecting potential board members, deciding on a name, drafting a mission statement, and starting plans for the organization’s activities.

NON PROFIT TAXATION/REGULATORY

  • Case 9671 (Full Service): Client is a Philadelphia-based 501(c)(3) organization that produces performances, classes, and trips that celebrate the arts and culture of Bahia, Brazil. Client’s work overseas is within its mission to promote the importance and value of the Afro-Brazilian culture and traditions. Client seeks counsel regarding the domestic (i.e., U.S.) ramifications of executing some of its programming in Brazil.

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

· Case 9763 (Full Service): Client is a filmmaker that is directing and producing a TV series based on his books. Client is seeking an attorney to assist him in drafting a standard contract for the use of filming locations around Philadelphia.

· Case 9771 (Full Service): Client is the son of a prominent musician who passed away in 2013 in California. Client is seeking assistance with getting copyright royalties from his father's music. Client believes that the royalties may have been withheld improperly by a family member who is a surviving leader of the band. Client also seeks compensation for use of his own music by the same party.

· Case 9784 (Full Service): Client is a musician whose original song was sampled by a foreign artist without notice or consent. Client is seeking counsel to advise on a potential infringement suit or royalty arrangement with the infringing artist and their label.

· Case 9809 (Full Service): Client is a multi-disciplinary artist focused on television production and film seeking counsel to notify television networks of alleged copyright infringement of a reality television series he developed and to negotiate compensation and a licensing agreement for said series.

· Case 9840 (Consultation): Client is an independent musician who believes his original song was infringed by another artist. Client is seeking a consultation with an attorney for an opinion on whether he has a viable infringement claim.

· Case 9883 (Full Service): The client is an independent artist and producer who recently formed a Pennsylvania LLC for the purpose of creating and presenting a theatrical music production to premiere in early 2024. The client is seeking assistance negotiating, drafting, and reviewing contracts with composers for the production regarding copyright ownership of the works created for the production.

PATENT

  • Case 9866 (Full Service): Client is an independent inventor with multiple patents regarding customization of items using 3D printing and similar technology. Client has become aware of potential infringement of his patents by two major automotive manufacturers. Client is seeking legal counsel to determine his ability to pursue litigation for past and ongoing infringement of his patents.

PRIVACY/PUBLICITY

· Case 9863 (Consultation): Client is an author writing a semi-autobiographical book about true events. Client is seeking a consultation about any legal issues that may arise with identifying the specific individuals that were involved with the events in the book.

DISPUTE RESOLUTION

· Case 9110 (Full Service): Client is an independent musician living with a disability. Client engaged an agent to assist in promoting Client's musical works. The agent has claimed that they have had no success in distributing Client's music, but Client has learned that his music is being played on various streaming platforms without his consent. Client is seeking counsel to determine if he has claims against the agent and/or these steaming platforms and, if so, assistance with pursuing the claim(s).

· Case 9693 (Full Service): Client is a founder of a curated market that values creating settings for original work to be appreciated through the organization of local events. Client was approached by a private membership club to embark on a creative partnership for the purpose of showcasing an exhibition in celebration of Black excellence through the works of Black artists in Philly. Client took concrete steps to execute the event, but the club cancelled the event within days of its planned opening and terminated the creative partnership with Client. Client seeks counsel regarding the potential legal claims arising from the terminated event and partnership.

· Case 9737 (Full Service): The client was awarded a grant to create a large sculpture for a park in collaboration with certain students within the community. While installing the artwork, a group of individuals began harassing the client, ultimately resulting in the sculpture having to be relocated to a less desirable area. The client also needed to buy new supplies and hire a construction team to assist with the move, incurring considerable expenses in the process. Client seeks counsel regarding the potential legal claims arising from the forced move of her installation.

· Case 9807 (Full Service): Client was a cast member and contributing editor of a podcast in which the cast members play a popular role-playing game. The members formed an LLC upon gaining a positive response online. Client has since left the podcast and is seeking advice on handling conflicts with the LLC including with respect to his shares and protection of the intellectual property he created while associated with the group.

· Case 9836 (Full Service): Client is a former member of a popular R&B group that had extensive touring. Client has been attempting to perform tribute shows to the group in the local area but has run into conflict with other former members regarding the rights to use the group's name. Client is seeking legal assistance to determine whether and, if so, to what extent he has the rights to use the name and is also seeking assistance with responding to a cease-and-desist letter from the owner of the relevant trademarks.

· Case 9843 (Full Service): The client is a mural artist in Allentown, Pennsylvania, where she was hired, as an independent contractor, to paint a mural at a church. The client did not waive any intellectual property rights. After the mural was completed and client was paid, the church expressed that some components of the mural were missing, and the artist offered to complete the mural according to the church’s wishes. A few months later, the artist found out that the mural was painted over with a different mural. The client would like advice and assistance in asserting whatever rights and remedies she may be entitled to for destruction of her intellectual property including, but not limited to, statutory damages and/or injunctive relief under the Visual Artists Rights Art.

· Case 9871 (Full Service): Client is an independent author who received a grant from a non-profit organization to fund her writing work. The organization began rejecting Client's requests for fund disbursement due to differing contract interpretations surrounding permitted use of funds. The client has since been unable to get in contact with the organization. Client is seeking counsel with determining whether she is entitled to the remaining funds and, if so, assistance with receiving them.