WALA ( Washington Area Lawyers for the Arts)
901 New York Avenue, NW
Suite P1
Washington DC 20001-4413
202.289.4440
legalservices@thewala.org

www.thewala.org

WALA provides legal services and support to the Washington arts community in several ways: education programs, legal clinics, and legal referrals.


EDUCATION PROGRAMS

WALA offers workshops on a variety of legal topics. Please see www.thewala.org/calendar.htm and check in regularly to view our updated calendar. WALA members receive regular email announcements about upcoming education programs.


LEGAL CLINICS

WALA, through the generous assistance of the attorneys at our member law firms, offers free legal clinics about once a month to help WALA members that have legal issues that can be resolved in a short period of time, during a brief meeting with an attorney. These are issues that do NOT involve litigation or other adversarial proceedings. Issues appropriate for a legal clinic include a review of a brief contract, a simple question about copyright ownership, or a review of correspondence. WALA can help you determine if your legal issue is one we can handle during a clinic or if you need more in-depth assistance. Advance registration is required for legal clinic appointments. Email walainfo@gmail.com for more information.


LEGAL REFERRALS

For legal issues that will require ongoing legal assistance, such as trademark protection, lawsuits, or contract negotiations, WALA offers legal referrals to attorneys within its network. Low-income artists and small non-profit organizations may be eligible for pro bono (free) legal assistance from our volunteer attorneys. Members whose income level exceeds our pro bono guidelines may receive referrals to WALA attorneys whom they will pay.


Please note that WALA does NOT provide legal advice to artists; rather, we administer a program that refers artists and arts organizations to outside attorneys for legal assistance.

Membership Types

ARTISTS

Artist Member - $35

WALA Artist Members may visit the WALA Legal Clinic www.thewala.org/legal.html at no extra cost;
Artist Members can receive legal referrals www.thewala.org/legal.html - pro bono referrals for low-income artists; fee referrals for others;
Artist Members receive free admission to monthly "Basics" classes www.thewala.org/education.html ; discounted admission to other programs;
Artist Members receive invitations to arts, cultural and social events www.thewala.org/calendar.htm throughout the year.

Full-time Student Member - $20

Same benefits as Artist Member.

NON-PROFIT ARTS ORGANIZATIONS (for already-existing 501(c)3 non-profits)


Organization - $150

If you join at the Organization level, your staff and directors are entitled to free admission to any of WALA's monthly "Basics" classes www.thewala.org/education.html ; your staff and directors can attend the WALA Legal Clinic www.thewala.org/legal.html at no additional cost; your organization can receive legal referrals www.thewala.org/legal.html – pro bono referrals for small non-profits (under $250,000 annual budget); fee referrals for larger organizations; In addition, WALA will send a speaker to address your organization's staff and directors on legal issues once per year.

Partner Organization - $150 + $10 per organization member (based on prior year membership)

We are pleased to be able to offer a Partner Organization membership for those organizations who would like to offer the benefits of WALA membership to their own members. Partner Organizations receive all the same benefits of Organization members, and in addition, each of the Partner Organization's members will receive the benefits of WALA Artist Membership (a $35 value). That means that each member is eligible to attend WALA's Basics workshops and clinics at no additional fee, and if they require further legal assistance they will be referred to a pro bono or a fee attorney, depending on their individual income level. WALA will send a speaker to address your organization's membership once per year on legal issues specific to their artistic discipline. Partner Organizations will receive recognition on WALA's web page and printed materials. Please contact WALA director@thewala.org for more information.

ATTORNEYS

Volunteer Attorney

Volunteer Attorneys are the heart and soul of WALA. They volunteer their time to assist low-income artists and small non-profit arts organizations with their legal issues. There is no charge for an attorney to be a WALA Volunteer Attorney, however, to be considered a member of WALA and to receive WALA member benefits, you must join at one of the attorney membership levels listed below. WALA requires Volunteer Attorneys to complete a registration form available here www.thewala.org/opportunities.html.

Not a D.C. Bar member? D.C. Court of Appeals Rule 49 specifies certain exemptions for attorneys licensed in other states who are not D.C. Bar members and who are engaged in pro bono work in D.C. Please check the rule to see whether you fall within one of these exemptions. Non-Bar members who fall within one of the Rule 49 exemptions are welcome to volunteer with WALA.

Attorney - $100

All attorneys are invited to join WALA as Attorney members of the organization to help support WALA's programming in service to the Washington, DC area arts community. Attorney members receive free admission to "Basics" classes www.thewala.org/education.html ; discounted admission to other programs; and invitations to arts, cultural and social events www.thewala.org/calendar.htm throughout the year.

Angel Attorney - $250

Another way for attorneys to support the arts community in Washington - be an Angel! Many of WALA's attorney members are involved with other arts organizations as founders, board members, and patrons. Angel Attorneys receive all the benefits of Attorney membership for themselves, and also provide an Organization membership for the non-profit arts organization of their choosing (or you can let WALA choose a deserving organization). Angel Attorney members receive individual recognition on WALA's website.

LAW FIRMS

Law Firm membership is based on the number of attorneys in the firm's Washington-area offices. Attorneys within member law firms receive free admission to "Basics" classes www.thewala.org/education.html and discounted admission to other programs; Pro Bono Coordinators of member law firms receive notice of WALA's pro bono opportunities and art, cultural and social events to share with their attorneys. Law Firm members receive recognition on WALA's website.

10 or fewer attorneys in the DC office - $500
11 to 25 attorneys in the DC office - $1000
26 to 100 attorneys in the DC office - $2500
More than 100 attorneys in the DC office - $5000


For more information on law firm membership, please contact WALA director@thewala.org .

To join, click the "Donate Now" button at the top of the page and enter the appropriate amount for the membership level you desire.

To join, click the "Donate Now" button below and enter the appropriate amount for the membership level you desire