Entertainment Law Initiative

The Entertainment Law Initiative connects top entertainment law professionals and students through networking, career development, education, and advocacy for music creators. The Entertainment Law Initiative was established by the Recording Academy to encourage discussion and debate around legal affairs in the ever-evolving music industry and how they impact creatives and the greater music community.

Grammy Week Luncheon
The Annual ELI GRAMMY Week Luncheon brings together professionals, creators, industry leaders and allies to honor trailblazers shaping the music business. As the premier annual gathering of entertainment attorneys, the event celebrates practitioner achievements, features insights from legal thought leaders, and champions students pursuing careers in music law. Sign up for our mailing list to receive updates about ticket sales and event details.
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ELI Writing Contest
In partnership with the American Bar Association, the ELI Writing Contest awards exceptional legal writing with scholarships, mentorship from industry leaders, and tickets to exclusive GRAMMY Week events.
The contest invites law students to explore a critical legal issue facing today’s music industry and propose a solution in a 3,000-word essay. Submissions are evaluated through a blind review by a nationwide panel of music law experts, who select one winner and two runners-up.
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ELI Writing Contest Winners
Congratulations to the winners of the 28th Annual Entertainment Law Initiative Writing Contest!
Following a thorough evaluation process, and with the invaluable contributions of our graders, we are pleased to recognize the authors of the winning and runner-up essays. These submissions were distinguished by their exceptional originality, depth of research, and relevance to the music industry’s legal challenges.
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Winner

Justin Fisher
Law School: St. Thomas University College of Law, 3L
Essay: "Uneven Stages: How Inconsistent State Taxation Undermines the Entertainment Industry"

READ ESSAY

Runners-Up
(listed alphabetically)

Anika Kazi
Law School: Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, 2L
Essay: "The Missing Guild: Why Songwriters Need Collective Bargaining Rights In The Streaming Era"

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Derek Song
Law School: University of California School of Law, Los Angeles, 3L
Essay: "From Voice Imitation to Data Exploitation: Reclaiming Musician Identity Through Biometric Privacy"

READ ESSAY

Read Past Winning Papers

Winner: Melanie Sallis, Georgia State University College of Law, Atlanta, GA 
“Beyond Takedowns: Expanding Music Monetization Tools to Support All Artists”  

Runner- Up: Angelina Craig, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Drexel University Thomas R. Kline School of Law 
“Words On Trial: The Use of Rap Lyrics as Evidence”

Runner-Up: Olivia McHenry, Davie, Florida, Nova Southeastern University Shepard Broad College of Law   
“Hidden Fees and Scalpers Are the Worst, So Put Fans First: Why the Fans First Act Is a More Resourceful Option Over Structural Relief of Live Nation-Ticketmaster" 

Winner: Olivia Fortunato, Cardozo School of Law, New York, NY
“Post-Mortem Right Of Publicity And Technological Advancements”

Runner-Up: Matthew Citron, UCLA School of Law, Los Angeles, CA
“BMI’S For-Profit Model And Consent Decree Regulation”

Runner-Up: Emily Cohen, Duke University School of Law, Durham, NC
“A “Perfect Storm” For Reworking The Copyright Test”

Winner: Sona Sulakian, USC Gould School of Law, Los Angeles, CA
“Protecting The Artist: Licensing In An AI-Generated Music Market”

Runner-Up: Chelsea Cohen, LMU Loyola Law School, Los Angeles, CA
“Welcome To The Metaverse: Solving Old-World Licensing In A Whole New Universe”

Runner-Up: Michael Harrigan, Stetson University College of Law, DeLand, FL
“Beyond A Reasonable Doubt: How Blockchain Technology Can Shift The DMCA’s Burden Of Notification Away From Copyright Owners”

Winner: Sophia Sofferman, University of Miami School of Law, Coral Gables, FL
“It’s My [Recapture Right], And It’s Now Or Never…”

Runner-Up: Evan Biegel, St. John’s University School of Law, Queens, NY
“Tuning The Role Of Artificial Intelligence In Musical Work Infringement”

Runner-Up: Alberto Vargas, University of Chicago Law School, Chicago, IL
“Bare Responsibility Or Reasonable Opportunity? In Defense Of A Defendant-Conscious View Of ‘Access’ In A Digital Age”

LEADERSHIP

Renee Karalian (Chair)

Kris Ahrend

Erica Bellarosa

Sandy Crawshaw-Sparks

Waleed Diab

Dina LaPolt

Wade Leak

Angela Martinez

Amanda Molter

Tanya Perara

Julian Petty

Leron Rogers

Bobby Rosenbloum

Laurie Soriano

Julie Swidler

Jeff Walker

Donald Woodard

Stephanie Yu

Ken Abdo

Jay Cooper

John Frankenheimer

Susan Genco

Jeff Harleston

Michael Kushner

Chuck Ortner

Don Passman

Michael Reinert

Henry Root

Ron Wilcox