Legal Commentary

I've put together a compendium of materials for courses on media law and entertainment law, and I've put it up on the web so that other teachers can make use of it. These are materials that I've used, or plan to use, in my own courses.

There are some judicial opinions in there. Judicial opinions are the staple of law-school reading. But the best parts of the compendium are the documents that are not judicial opinions. 

I'm a strong believer in assigning readings other than judicial opinions. So my compendium includes contracts, demand letters, and various litigation pleadings. These documents are especially valuable reading in entertainment law and media law, where industry custom, intimidation tactics, creative lawyering, ignorance, bullying, and fear all combine to play a role that rivals that of the law itself.

In the compendium, you will find a recording contract and a management deal for Mötley Crüe, scarily one-sided agreements for reality television participants (including Kid Nation), a television distribution deal, dressing-room requirements rider, endorsement deal, and cease-and-desist/demand letters written on behalf of Lindsay Lohan, Jennifer Aniston, and Catherine Zeta Jones. There are also some complaints, and the difficult-to-classify agreement between Britney Spears and Kevin Federline over their fake wedding ceremony.

If you use any of these materials in your class, I'd be grateful if you dropped me a note to let me know.

[Cross-posted on Pixelization.]