Month: November 2011

Phew. Let’s hear it for holiday cheer, especially as it just might put down a gnarly period in legal doings, at least as it’s visible online and in some key media outlets: It wouldn’t be cherry-picking too much in the pile of recent legal-related press clippings to think that lawyers can be a pretty unhappy lot. They’re grumbling about what law schools do or don’t teach, and, thus, what Big Law firms must school associates in — to the consternation of cash-strapped clients struggling through the continuing and ugly recession. Some in legal academe are gnawing their nails down about the accuracy of students’ job placements and post-school salaries, while others are fretting about hypothetical scenarios and whether they show that prized J.D. degree adds up in economic terms. Then there are those who are looking at the mounting debt-load of law school grads and seeing what institutions public and private seem to be racking up the most sizable bills due for their prospective alums (click on that link and see why you may be glad not to be a Cal, Bruin or Loyola law student these days, shouldering lots of IOUs). It would be almost criminal, of course, to not want to stare at the published proposals of two law profs that law schools test an unusual means to cull their classes of those less likely to succeed but...

Southwestern’s Music Law Society and Entertainment and Sports Law Society brought to campus expert Bob Lefsetz (shown at left), who offered some blunt, candid thoughts on the future of the music industry. Lefsetz is an industry figure and author of the email newsletter and blog, The Lefsetz Letter.  A graduate of Southwestern, he worked as an entertainment business attorney, majordomo of Sanctuary Music’s American division and a consultant to major record labels. He started “The Lefsetz Letter” after “getting fired” and he now writes on issues at the core of the music business: downloading, copyright protection, pricing, and the music itself. He says the industry must alter its business model to embrace rather than combat online music services. With Napster as the trailblazer, sites such as iTunes, Spotify and Kickstarter are giving major record labels a run for their money and Lefsetz stands on the side of technology. Lefsetz offered these insights and anecdotes: Labels and publishers as dinosaurs: He says they have done too little to change. Despite the deal with i-Tunes and Rhino Records collaborating with Spotify by putting out play lists, the resistance remains.  The majors cling to an outdated model in which they control releases. Why labels haven’t acted: Leftsetz notes that profits still are key and argues that Rhino “has gotten it right” in dealing with Spotify.com. Labels must realize that consumers will tap technology — streaming and mobile applications...