Legal Summit | Folk Alliance International 2027 Conference

FAI is working with the American Bar Association for this year's Legal Summit, which will take place during the Folk Alliance International Conference, January. The in-depth legal sessions are open to all conference attendees as well as attorneys looking to fulfill their CLE requirements in a unique environment.

‍To Receive CLE Credit:

If you have met the participation requirements, you will receive a personalized CLE affidavit from mcle-fai@americanbar.org for the program at which you attended at least one session to completion. Please check your spam or junk folders as these emails often end up there. Please note you will fill out one affidavit for the full event. Once you complete the affidavit, you will be able to download your certificate(s) of attendance and they will be emailed to you as well from mcle-yourorgnamehere@americanbar.org

‍Working with the ABA: Folk Alliance International is working with the American Bar Association for its accreditation processing. Questions regarding MCLE credit and/or certificates can be sent to mcle-fai@americanbar.org.

CLE Marketing Language: This program is eligible for 4 hours of CLE credit in 60-minute states, and 4.80 hours of CLE credit in 50-minute states. Credit hours are estimated and are subject to each state’s approval and credit rounding rules.

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Panels of in-depth topics available during this time will include:
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The Show Must Go On: Contracts, Crises & Crowd Safety in Live Music
Live music events sit at the intersection of creative ambition, commercial risk, and public safety. This panel brings together attorneys representing artists, promoters, and event-safety and insurance interests, alongside an experienced concert promoter, to examine the legal and operational challenges behind producing successful shows. The discussion will explore artist agreements, financial terms, production responsibilities, cancellations and force majeure, indemnification, insurance coverage, and the allocation of risk among key stakeholders. Panelists will also address crowd management, severe weather, emergency planning, and the difficult real-time decisions that arise when safety and business considerations collide. Attendees will gain practical insights into negotiating better agreements, coordinating effectively before show day, and managing risk when the unexpected happens. Matthew Wilson (mod), Michael Berg, Brian Rosenblatt, Timothy Epstein

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Teamwork Makes The Dream Work: Artists and Their People
Sustaining a career in the music industry requires talent, drive, resilience, and luck. For most artists, it also requires a "supporting cast" -- key professional allies who represent, support, and elevate their work. In this session, we will discuss the various members of an artist's team: who they are, what they do, how they are compensated, and what red flags to avoid. For lawyers and non-lawyers alike. Judy Tint (mod), speakers TBD

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I Shall Be Released—Considering Major, Indie, Distribution, and Self-Release Options
Join a veteran musician and 3 attorneys discussing the choices facing artists in early, mid, and later stages of their careers as they decide how to release their recorded music. What choices are realistic, and what are the benefits and disadvantages of each path. The panel will contrast the legal/business differences of each scenario, as well as looking at issues of artistic freedom, growth of the fanbase, and long-term value of an artist’s copyrights. Robert Meitus (mod), Carrie Newcomer, Ben Lockyer, Loren Wells
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Music Law Ethics in the A.I. Era: The Song Remains the Same
Artificial Intelligence has changed and will continue to change the practice of law and the world of music. We will discuss how AI impacts the professional rules of conduct for attorneys –what’s new and what is the same. Peter Strand (mod), speakers TBD

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*All attorneys registering for the legal summit have access to the full conference programming.

Discount code for attorneys registering for the conference: LegalSummit27