Arts & Entertainment Pro Bono Cases

Last Updated: Tuesday, March 10, 2026

Thank you for your interest in volunteering with VLA by taking on a pro bono case! If you have not yet attended a New Attorney Orientation, please click here for more information about volunteering with VLA.

Some cases may be on review with another attorney. As one case can only be on review with one attorney at a time, cases marked as “On Review” are not currently available. However, these cases may return to the list if not accepted by the reviewing attorney, so please indicate your interest so that your name may be added to the queue in the event the case becomes available.

To request a case, please email VLA at [email protected]. Please indicate the case number in the email subject line.

Receive CLE credit for pro bono work

VLA is approved to provide CLE credit to attorneys who provide pro bono legal services through our organization. Eligible pro bono activity is limited to legal services performed within New York State to clients unable to afford counsel, and is not available to attorneys volunteering at a clinic.

Credit for pro bono legal services shall be awarded in the following ratio: one (1) CLE credit for every 120 minutes of eligible pro bono legal service. A maximum of ten (10) pro bono CLE credits may be earned during any biennial reporting cycle.

Newly admitted New York attorneys may earn pro bono CLE credit only for the purpose of carrying over those credits to the following biennial reporting cycle, in partial fulfillment of the pro bono requirement for experienced attorneys.


CONTRACT

17609 – NEW CASE
Client, a filmmaker, seeks assistance with drafting an option agreement with an author.

17595 – NEW CASE
Client, a filmmaker, seeks assistance with drafting language to negotiate into agreements with producers and investors ensuring she retains creative control and with drafting a non-disclosure agreement.

17581 – NEW CASE
Client, producer of a short, horror-satire film, seeks the assistance of an attorney to draft standard cast and crew production agreements.

17238 – On Review
Client, a not-for-profit organization that advocates for transparency in the use of artificial intelligence in creative works, seeks assistance with making minor amendments to its non-disclosure agreement and volunteer agreement.


COPYRIGHT

17393 – NEW CASE
Client, a not-for-profit organization that promotes the work and legacy of a deceased painter, seeks assistance with drafting a copyright assignment from the artist’s heir to the not-for-profit.


CORPORATE

17566 – On Review
Client, a design consultation business, seeks assistance in forming a limited liability company.

17517 – On Review
Client, a musician, seeks assistance with setting up a limited liability company in New York for a new music and theater project.

16971 – On Review
Client, a filmmaker, seeks assistance in forming a limited liability company in New York.


DISPUTES

Contract Disputes

17487 – NEW CASE
Client, a visual artist, seeks an attorney to send a demand letter to a gallerist for payment for artworks that were sold without Client’s knowledge and to possibly negotiate a settlement.

17282
Client, a songwriter and graphic designer, seeks assistance in recovering payment for work completed for a not-for-profit organization and in terminating the organization’s utilization of intellectual property created without a contract.

17157
Client, a theater director, seeks assistance with finalizing a separation agreement with the co-creator of a play they collaborated on.

17145 – NEW CASE
Client, a filmmaker/director, seeks assistance with drafting a response letter to an attorney to recover compensation and obtain credit owed to her for pre-production contributions to a feature film.

17105
Client, a visual artist, seeks the assistance of a volunteer attorney to draft a demand letter to send to an art gallery that damaged Client’s painting.

16788 – On Review
Client, a singer and songwriter, seeks assistance with sending a demand letter to terminate management and distribution agreements.

16736
Client, a film producer and creative director for a short film, seeks assistance with filing a complaint against a former colleague for nonpayment of reimbursable expenses, and a cancellation fee.

16330
Client, a visual artist who invested in a purported pension fund, seeks a volunteer attorney to write a demand letter for return of his artwork, and negotiating a settlement, following their breach of contract.

16288
Client, a freelance designer seeks assistance to receive monetary compensation for additional work performed for a former employer who is demanding delivery of editable design files.

16019 – On Review
Client, a fundraiser for global refugees and advocate for the preservation of cultural art and artifacts, seeks to recover withheld equity from the co-founder of a business venture after the partner unilaterally removed her from the joint venture.

15854 – On Review
Client, a choreographer and dancer, seeks an attorney to respond to a demand concerning the ownership of the costumes created for a choreographic work she was commissioned for.

15424 – On Review
Client, a visual artist, seeks assistance with responding to a demand for payment for production fees from an art gallery.

14866
Client, a video editor and producer, seeks a volunteer attorney to assist with filing a claim and to potentially represent him in litigation to recover unpaid compensation for editing and production work he performed.

14732 – On Review
Client, a music producer, seeks assistance with receiving unpaid royalties from a publishing company.

13992 – NEW CASE
Client, a sculpture artist, seeks assistance with recovering payment for a piece of art sold to a gallery after a dispute regarding non-payment.

13547
Client, a filmmaker, seeks assistance with receiving a credit for her work on a documentary.

13287
Client, a film producer and director, seeks assistance with recovering pre-production costs from the co-producer’s estate.

13096
Client, an author, seeks the assistance of an attorney to obtain payment for her work on a terminated ghostwriting project.

11927
Client, a writer, seeks a volunteer attorney to assist in receiving payment for his work on a narrative manuscript.

Copyright Disputes

17466 – NEW CASE
Client, the creator of a game that fosters cognitive development and creative thinking, seeks assistance drafting a demand letter to an alleged infringer.

17413
Client, a sculptor and visual artist, seeks assistance with contacting a local building owner to resolve a dispute regarding the removal of their name from and the relocation of their sculpture from outside the building.

17216
Client, a writer, seeks assistance with a dispute with a publisher over a book that is set to be published without Client’s final review and approval of the manuscript.

17064
Client, a children’s book author, seeks assistance with drafting a demand letter to send to a publication company to recover royalty payments owed and pursuing a resolution with the adverse party.

16939
Client, a photographer under contract with a photo agency in the 1980s, seeks assistance with fixing an incorrect credit on some of his photos that have been released publicly.

16696
Client, a visual artist, seeks assistance with editing provisions of a proposed addendum to a settlement agreement regarding licensing photographs of Client and her work taken by her former partner.

16637
Client, a musical artist, seeks attorney assistance in drafting a formal separation agreement and a demand letter to a former collaborator demanding the payment of royalties owed on unauthorized sync placements for her work.

15867
Client, a vocalist and Master’s student in music, seeks the assistance of an attorney to respond to a cease and desist letter alleging Client’s unauthorized uploading and copying of sheet music.

14879
Client, a musician, seeks legal assistance to stop the removal of his albums from a major music streaming platform due to alleged fake streams, and to recover lost royalties.

14372
Client, a visual artist, seeks the assistance of a volunteer attorney to represent her in a dispute involving both copyright and trademark infringement.

Other Disputes

17349
Client, a musician, seeks assistance with sending a demand letter to recoup unpaid wages from his employer and to negotiate a settlement.

16775
Client, a not-for-profit organization facilitating artist talks, seeks assistance with drafting a demand letter and potentially representing Client in a lawsuit against a former board member who vindictively changed the organization’s login passwords.

16708 – On Review
Client, a not-for-profit cultural organization, seeks assistance in drafting a demand letter to resolve a dispute with a service provider.

16400
Client, a performing arts organization, seeks assistance with answering a demand for the return of grant funds.

16323 – NEW CASE
Client, a visual artist, seeks assistance with drafting a formal notice to an arts-related trust.

15513
Client, a musician, seeks assistance with drafting a demand letter to make corrections to an administrative error that has prevented her from receiving royalties for the use of her song in a documentary.

14904 – NEW CASE
Client, a visual artist, seeks assistance with sending a demand letter to recover damages from the breach of a lease agreement for an art studio.

12442
Client, a sculptural artist, seeks a volunteer attorney to recover damages for the unintentional disposal of Client’s artwork by their graduate school.


EMPLOYMENT

17518 – NEW CASE
Client, a not-for-profit performing arts organization, seeks assistance with revising employment contracts and reclassifying an independent contractor as an employee.

17375 – NEW CASE
Client, a New York city choir group, seeks assistance with addressing a claim brought by the New York Department of Labor, which has reclassified as employees certain singers previously classified as independent contractors.

15540
Client, a VFX artist, seeks assistance with resolving a dispute with a former employer regarding a job that was terminated early. Client seeks payment and for the former employer to cease using Client’s reel for marketing purposes.

15110 – On Review
Client, an actor, seeks assistance demanding payment after he was fired from a TV series after he refused a request to sign an additional agreement a day before his start date.


IMMIGRATION

16074
Client, a Ukrainian poster designer, seeks assistance with applying for an EB-1A visa to continue her work in the United States.

13878
Client, a musician born in Germany, seeks assistance with her application for an EB-1A visa.


NON-PROFIT

17388 – NEW CASE
Client, a not-for-profit arts organization, seeks assistance with drafting a conflict of interest policy.

17377 – NEW CASE
Client, an organization that provides a theatre platform for New York City artists, seeks assistance with forming a not-for-profit organization and obtaining tax-exempt status.

17321
Client, a not-for-profit dance company, is inactive and seeks assistance dissolving the organization.

17232 – On Review
Client, an organization dedicated to supporting artists from immigrant and minority communities, seeks a volunteer attorney to assist with forming a not-for-profit corporation, applying for 501(c)(3) status, and drafting necessary documents.

16902 – NEW CASE
Client, a not-for-profit organization promoting and hosting classical chamber music performances, seeks assistance amending their bylaws.

14984
Client, two associated Connecticut not-for-profit organizations that advocate for architectural workers, seeks assistance with dissolution and reformation (and application for 501(c)(3) status) of one entity in New York, and re-application for 501(c)(6) status and registration of the other as a foreign entity doing business in New York.


PATENT

17077
Client, the inventor of a mathematical puzzle game, seeks assistance filing a non-provisional patent application.

16882
Client, the inventor of a brake monitoring system, seeks assistance with converting a provisional patent application into a non-provisional application before June 13, 2026.

16858
Client, a software inventor, seeks the assistance of a volunteer patent attorney to file a patent application for a novel, functional, AI software framework before November 4, 2026.

16856 – NEW CASE
Client, the inventor of a new washing machine, seeks assistance with filing a patent application.

16648 – On Review
Client, the inventor of a workflow management system, seeks a volunteer attorney to assist with converting his two provisional patent applications into non-provisional applications before September 23, 2026.

16456
Client, the inventor of a compression garment, seeks assistance in filing a patent application.

16403
Client, the inventor of a medical injections system, seeks assistance with filing a patent application.

16401
Client, the inventor of a discrete travel case, seeks the assistance of a volunteer attorney to file a patent application before November 20, 2026.

16377
Client, inventor of an educational technology platform, seeks assistance with filing a provisional patent application.

16275 – NEW CASE
Client, the inventor of spacecraft navigation technology, seeks assistance with filing a patent application before July 11, 2026.

16171
Client, the inventor of unique sink designs, seeks assistance with filing a design patent application.

16135
Client, the inventor of a board game, seeks assistance filing patent applications to protect both the rules and game board.

15608
Client, the inventor of a ventilation device, seeks the assistance of a volunteer attorney to file a patent application.

15206
Client, the inventor of a piece of motorcycle gear, seeks assistance with filing a patent application and further guidance on the subsequent steps of obtaining a patent.

15196
Client, an inventor, seeks assistance in converting a provisional patent application for a medical education device to a non-provisional application before May 12, 2026.


REAL ESTATE

17317
Client, the owner of an art gallery, seeks the assistance of a volunteer attorney to resolve a dispute with his landlord over unpaid rent and to negotiate a settlement. Client has a court appearance for the nonpayment proceeding in Kings County Civil Court on April 8, 2026.

16854
Client, a music studio owner, seeks the assistance of a volunteer attorney to resolve a dispute with their commercial landlord over repairs to the HVAC system in the studio. There is a court date March 25, 2026.

16830
Clients, visual artists, seek assistance with understanding tenant rights and recovering for property destroyed in a fire.

15201
Client, a visual artist, seeks a volunteer attorney to assist with pursuing a claim against the landlord of her work studio space to recover damages for the destruction of her artwork and materials.


TRADEMARK

17292 – NEW CASE
Client, a not-for-profit organization providing mentorship services to dancers, seeks assistance with registering the trademark for the organization’s logo and wordmark.

17167 – NEW CASE
Client, the creator of a clothing brand, seeks the assistance of a volunteer attorney to register a trademark.

17160 – NEW CASE
Client, a fashion designer, seeks assistance renewing a trademark before August 4, 2026.

16860
Client, a comedian, seeks the assistance of a volunteer attorney to register two trademarks: one they previously registered and another that has yet to be registered.

16500
Client, a cellist, seeks a volunteer attorney to attempt to negotiate a settlement with an infringing user of his trademark, or otherwise litigate the issue.

15967
Client, a ballroom scene organization, seeks assistance requesting an injunction against former members over ongoing, unauthorized use of the organization’s trademarked name.


WILLS, TRUSTS, AND ESTATES

16572
Client, a playwright and single father of two, seeks the assistance of an attorney with creation of a trust, and to draft a will, living will, healthcare proxy, and power of attorney.

16454
Client, a musician and screenwriter, seeks the assistance of an attorney to establish a revocable or irrevocable trust for Client’s intellectual property assets.

15544
Client, the daughter of a deceased painter, seeks assistance with a dispute with her father’s executor over breach of fiduciary duty claims, demands for the return of her father’s paintings, and control of various trusts.

13708 – NEW CASE
Client, a printmaker and sketch artist, seeks an attorney to draft her will, living will and healthcare proxy and power of attorney.

13206
Client, a musician, seeks an attorney to determine ownership of her deceased husband’s creative works because he died intestate.

12225
Client, the trustee of a trust created by a now deceased dance educator and performer, needs the assistance of an attorney to acquire the assignment of copyright to go with the assets assigned to the grantor’s trust.

11636
Client, the son of an actress and writer, seeks the assistance of a volunteer attorney to recover his mother’s property from the a third party who purchased the contents of a storage unit that contained the property of the executor of his mother’s estate.

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