Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts (VLA) is both a generic term for legal service organizations located throughout the United States and the proper name of the organization in New York City. Founded in 1969, that organization is the oldest VLA in the country.
The first VLA organization, named simply Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts, was founded in 1969 and serves the New York area out of its Manhattan office. Chicago-based lawyers for the Creative Arts was founded in 1972. Bay Area Lawyers for the Arts (BALA) was founded two years later. When BALA expanded to Southern California, joining with Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts-Los Angeles, the organization was renamed California Lawyers for the Arts. Denver-based Colorado Lawyers for the Arts began operations in 1974, incorporated in 1979 and continues to serve that state's arts community.
Among the newer Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts organizations are New Jersey Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts, Inc. and Kansas City Volunteer Lawyers and Accountants for the Arts, both founded in 2004. More recently still, Tennessee Lawyers for the Arts, opened in Nashville in 2005.
There are more than 30 VLA programs throughout the United States. Not a single organization, but rather a network united by similar missions, the organizations provide a broad range of free and low-cost legal services and educational programs addressing the needs of artists and arts organizations of all artistic disciplines.
Each VLA organization operates independently. Most are nonprofit organizations, while others are housed with arts councils, arts services organizations, bar associations or business for the arts programs.
Some of the programs provided include:
Legal services through referrals and, in some cases, on-site consultations; legal clinics; alternative dispute resolution services, including mediation and arbitration; accounting services; law student internships; advocacy; educational programs on such topics as contracts, copyright, estate planning, taxes and nonprofit incorporation; and publications on a broad range of topics.
Without these services provided by these organizations, many arts-related legal problems would go unresolved and many artists would be denied an opportunity to develop their creative abilities fully.
Volunteer Legal Assistance for Artists, Arizona[1]
Beverly Hills Bar Association Barristers Committee for the Arts300 S. Beverly Dr., Ste. 201Beverly Hills, CA 90212(310) 601-2422[2]
California Lawyers for the Arts (Sacramento)2015 J Street, Set. 204,Sacramento, CA 95811(916) 441-7979[3]
California Lawyers for the Arts (San Francisco)Fort Mason Center, 2 Marina Blvd., Building C, Rm 265San Francisco, CA 94123(415) 775-7200[3]
California Lawyers for the Arts (Los Angeles)12304 Santa Monica, Blvd, Ste. 304.Los Angeles, CA 90025(310) 207-0001[3]
California Lawyers for the Arts (Berkeley)Wells Fargo Building, 2140 Shattuck Ave., Suite 309, Berkeley, CA 94704(888) 775-8995
California Lawyers for the Arts (San Diego)2869 Historic Decatur Rd., San Diego, CA 92106(888) 775-8995
San Diego Performing Arts League110 West C St. #1414San Diego, CA 92101(619) 238-0700 x. 16[4]
Colorado Lawyers for the Arts720-272-0961[5]
Washington Area Lawyers for the Arts1629 K Street, NW, Suite 300Washington, DC 20006(202) 289-4440[6]
Legal Art924 Lincoln Rd. #205Miami Beach, FL 33139(305) 674-8278[7]
Florida Lawyers for the Arts, Inc.PO Box 2091St. Petersburg, FL 33731(727) 823-5809[8]
Georgia Lawyers for the Arts887 West Marietta St. NW, Suite J-101Atlanta, GA 30318(404) 873-3911[9]
Lawyers for the Creative Arts161 N. Clark St.,Suite 4300Chicago, IL 60601(312) 649-4111[10]
Creative Arts Legal League20 N. Meridian St. #500Indianapolis, IN 46204[11]
Iowa Volunteer Lawyers for the Artsc/o David J. Bright122 South Linn St.Iowa City, IA 522240[12]
Louisiana Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts818 Howard St.New Orleans, LA 70113(504) 523-2430[13]
Maine Volunteer Lawyers for the ArtsP.O. Box 17911511 Congress St.Portland, ME 04112-17911(207) 699-4600[14]
Maryland Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts1500 Union Ave., Suite 1330Baltimore, MD 21211(410) 752-1633[15]
Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts of Massachusetts15 Channel Center StreetSuite 103Boston, MA 02210(617) 350-7600[16]
Creative Many Michigan440 Burroughs Street, Suite 365Detroit, Michigan 48202(313) 483-5705[17]
Springboard for the Arts308 Prince St.St. Paul, MN 55101(651) 292-4381[18]
KC Volunteer Lawyers and Accountants for the Arts115 W. 18th St.Kansas City, MO 64108(816) 472-3535[19]
St. Louis Volunteer Lawyers and Accountants for the Arts6128 DelmarSt. Louis, MO 63112(314) 863-6930[20]
New Hampshire Business Committee for the ArtsOne Granite Pl.Concord, NH 03301(603) 224-8300[21]
New Jersey Volunteer Lawyers for the ArtsP.O. Box 2265Flemington, NJ 08822(856) 963-6300[22]
Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts729 Seventh AvenueNew York, NY 10019(212) 319-2787[23]
North Carolina Volunteer Lawyers for the ArtsPO Box 26513Raleigh, NC 26513(919) 699-6285[24]
Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts ProgramCleveland Bar Association1301 E 9th St.Cleveland, OH 44114(216) 696-3525[25]
Oregon Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts[26] Portland, OR
Philadelphia Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts(Arts and Business Council)200 S. Broad St.Philadelphia, PA 19102(215) 790-3836 x1[27]
Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council707 Penn Ave. #2Pittsburgh, PA 15222(412) 391-2060[28]
Ocean State Lawyers for the ArtsPO Box 19Saunderstown, RI 02874(401) 789-5686[29]
Tennessee Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts1900 Belmont Blvd.Nashville, TN 37212(615) 460-8274[30]
Texas Accountants & Lawyers for the ArtsPO Box 144722Austin, TX 78714(800) 526-8252[31]
Washington Lawyers for the Arts6512 23rd St. NW #320Seattle, WA 98117(206) 328-7053[32]
Arts WisconsinPO Box 1054Madison, WI 53701(608) 255-8316[33]