Volunteer Lawyers and Professionals for the Arts (VLPA)

VLPA volunteer lawyers help artists and arts organizations of all disciplines including painters, musicians, playwrights, authors, photographers, songwriters, graphic artists, dancers, filmmakers, actors, poets, sculptors, craft organizations, theater companies, visual arts organizations and others pursuing or supporting artistic endeavors.

HOW WE WORK
If you think you might need legal help, please contact VLPA at (615) 743-3055 or vlpa@abcnashville.org. To support our operations, we ask clients to become members of the Arts & Business Council.  Membership is $30 for individual artists and $50 for arts organizations.

Many of the questions we receive from artists and arts organizations can be answered by VLPA staff or resolved by our educational programs (visit our Calendar for upcoming programs). If you need additional assistance, VLPA can connect you with one of our volunteer lawyers. We will ask you to come into the office first to discuss your issue in greater detail and confirm your financial eligibility. After the office visit, VLPA will locate a volunteer lawyer with the expertise to handle your matter. Once a volunteer has accepted your case, we will notify you and allow you to follow up directly with your volunteer.

ELIGIBILITY
To receive free help, you must be a Tennessee resident (or organization) that meets our income guidelines. We determine financial eligibility for artists based on their gross annual household income and for arts organizations based on their annual operating budget ($250,000 or less). Please note that while legal assistance is available for both individual artists and creative nonprofits, only nonprofits may currently receive pro-bono business assistance.

PAYING REFERRALS
If you do not qualify for free services because your income or annual operating budget exceeds our guidelines, VLPA can still make a referral to an experienced lawyer.

SAMPLE PROJECTS
Common legal matters VLPA assists clients with include:

• Drafting and reviewing contracts
• Copyright
• Commission or gallery disputes
• First Amendment issues
• Labor/employment disputes
• Obtaining tax exempt status
• Trademark

Common business matters VLPA assists clients with include:

• Marketing and communications
• Drafting a business plan
• Accounting
• Financial planning
• Information Technology (IT)