On Wednesday, March 18th, AABANY’s Student Outreach Committee and Women’s Committee organized the Careers in Media Law Panel, hosted by Perkins Coie. The panel featured a diverse group of professionals in media law: Roger Chao (Senior Counsel at A+E Global Media), Jessica Cheung (Associate at Perkins Coie), Amy Gajda (Jeffrey D. Forchelli Professor at Brooklyn Law School), and Alicia Matusheski Khaled (Senior Counsel at Perkins Coie). The event was held at Perkins Coie’s midtown Manhattan office in the SoHo conference room, where around 15-20 lawyers, students, and other registrants attended.
The panelists engaged in a riveting discussion of media law, the field’s niches, and the influence of AI on their work. Topics such as the First Amendment and privacy were brought into the conversation, specifically how these areas were being put in jeopardy and questioned by AI’s emergence. The panelists also engaged in a lighthearted, realistic discussion about the challenges of working within media law, as well as the rewards. They found the work they did to be stressful sometimes. One example included the stress in getting a contract or agreement through as a deadline looms, because not closing the deal can mean delays in production and content that was waiting to be used or seen by millions of people. But what the panelists found most rewarding was seeing the shows, games, or other media they worked on in the news and loved by fans.
The audience was incredibly engaged and interested in what was shared. Attendees asked questions generally about the field of law, but also specific questions, including discussion of AI and its impact. After the panel discussion and Q&A, the attendees and panelists networked over a spread of hors d’oeuvres featuring lime-and-garlic-grilled shrimp and truffled potato croquettes as well as strawberries dipped in chocolate for dessert. Those who attended in the hopes of gaining more insight into media law left with a deeper understanding of the field’s intricacies and the stories of the experts who worked within it.
AABANY thanks Perkins Coie for the refreshments and the beautiful space. Thank you also to our panelists, who were deeply engaged in conversation and who passionately shared stories, information, and tips about media law.
To learn more about AABANY’s Student Outreach Committee, click here. To learn more about AABANY’s Women’s Committee, click here. You can find out more about upcoming events by visiting the calendar on AABANY’s website.
— Written by Emily Kam, AABANY Student Outreach Committee Vice-Chair