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I discovered that I am really interested in Film and Television and my family would like it if I studied law instead, is it possible to do both of these and still manage to balance them

#JULY 2020 #film #journalism #television #law

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DENNIS’s Answer

Hi Ruby: Short answer - yes! Howard Cossel (before your time famous sports announcer) was a lawyer. Heraldo Rivera of FOX news is a lawyer. So there are two in front of the camera. There are also entertainment lawyers who handle things for movie stars and movie companies. Then there are lawyers who act as consultants on different shows. So there are plenty of areas for you to explore. Mahata Ghandi was a lawyer. Franklin Roosevelt was a lawyer. Your parents are trying to give you a safe landing spot. That's their job! The film industry is very difficult! Competitive, cut throat. Hot one day cold the next. Lawyers have a steady job compared to film people. But film people can make more money if they succeed. Follow your passion - be true to yourself! But remember your parents are looking out for you! You can do a lot with a law degree so do not overlook your parents concerns. So yes - balance is possible. Let your parents know that you understand their concerns! Oh and by the way, I tried cases for many years in NYC. Many lawyers I know took acting classes to help them in the law! So you have many roads open to you! Good luck!
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David’s Answer

It depends on where you want to attend school.

In the United States where I live, one one typically pursues a law degree after earning an undergraduate degree. It is completely possible to study film and television as an undergraduate and matriculate to law school once you have earned your bachelor's degree. You'd need to make sure you take any pre-requisite courses for law school admission while you study Film and Television as an undergrad, but you definitely can do both.

Good luck.
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Dayna’s Answer

I think a couple ways to incorporate law and your love of film/television would be to study intellectual property law or entertainment law. Intellectual property deals with patents, copyrights, trademarks, etc where as entertainment law provides services to the entertainment industry. I think either field would be a good fit to combine your passions with law. However, I believe you would enjoy entertainment law more. The best part of law school is you can major in ANYTHING in under grad. For example, I majored in accounting while friends majored in political science, criminal justice, theatre, business, communications, etc. The diverse backgrounds of my friends and I is what makes law school fun. After you take the required courses your first year, you're free to take law classes that interest you.
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Josh’s Answer

Absolutely. You often see reporters or people who work in TV, whether they're analysts or have other roles, who are also lawyers. In fact, people with law degrees are in high demand for TV networks because they better understand certain situations and can quickly diagnose breaking news with legal consequences when it happens. A lot of your path will have to do with what side of the camera you want to be on. If you want to be behind it, then having a legal sense can help with how you make shows or films. If you want to go the corporate route, you can use a law background to help networks or film companies to maneuver through legal issues. Having a legal background shouldn't stop you from pursuing your dream. Instead, it can ultimately help you.
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Nicole (Nikki)’s Answer

Yes, you can study film and television and you can still go to law school if you choose to do so, since you can apply to law school with any undergraduate (BA/BS) major. I will say this though while you are in undergrad figure out if your what your true passion is and if you really want to go to law school. There are several people who attend law school due to family pressure or they think it's the next step because of their major and don't like it and feel pressured to practice or to stay in law school due to the costs (especially here in America where law school tuition can cost you over six figures).

Now with that said, there are several ways to combine a passion for film and television with the law, some of which don't require you to practice law but your legal background will help. Take for instance agents, agents represent actors, writers, directors, sports figures (for sports, marketing, television, etc.), and also below the line talent (producers, etc.). Many agents attended law school but every few of them practice law. There are also lawyers practicing law you can find them at agencies, production companies, on shows (production attorneys), for the studios/networks, representing talent/writers/producers, music lawyers, and outside counsel who help all of these groups with more nuanced type work. You can even focus on other areas than entertainment law and still be involved in the field, for instance many companies have either in-house or use outside counsel for labor, immigration, tax, real estate, complex intellectual property issues, litigation, etc. There are also jobs that perform legal work where you can but don't have to have a law degree - clearance work, music licensing, line producers, television reporting (as mentioned above), writers, media consultants, etc.

Therefore, there is not only a way to go to law school but to also be a lawyer working in entertainment after law school. But please keep in mind the majority of the work will be in the larger metropolitan areas (e.g. Los Angeles, New York, London, Vancouver, Toronto, Berlin, etc.). Hopefully this is helpful.

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