This in-person program introduces artists to the fundamentals of reading, understanding, and negotiating contracts they may encounter throughout their creative careers. Designed for artists across disciplines, this session focuses on practical, real-world agreements, helping participants build confidence navigating common terms and provisions.
We’ll review key contract components and how they impact ownership rights and creative control. Participants will work through a sample “mock” contract together, with opportunities to mark up and annotate terms during the session, gaining hands-on experience identifying potential concerns and negotiating strategies. Through interactive exercises and guided scenarios, participants will practice evaluating and responding to common contract situations, and leave with practical tools to support their creative work.
Space is limited to 20 participants to allow for discussion and individual questions.
Presenters: Students from the Economic Inclusion Clinic, Mitchell Hamline School of Law, under the supervision of Professor Kim Vu-Dinh, J.D.
Alex Moe is a musician and third-year law student at Mitchell Hamline School of Law. One of his undergraduate degrees was a BA in Music, where his primary instrument was tenor saxophone. He still enjoys spending some of his free time practicing and playing. With a deep appreciation for jazz and the realities of working artists, Alex is passionate about helping creatives understand contracts, protect their rights, and approach their art as a sustainable business.
Kaylah Pask is a second-year law student at Mitchell Hamline School of Law with a strong interest in contract and transactional business law. She is passionate about supporting creative professionals and is committed to providing accessible legal education to local artists. Outside of her academic pursuits, Kaylah enjoys exploring the Twin Cities, spending time with her cat, Greta, and coaching a high school dance team.
Professor Kim Vu-Dinh is the Director of the Economic Inclusion Clinic and joined Mitchell Hamline School of Law in 2022 after serving as a professor and Director of the Business Innovations Clinic at the University of Arkansas and as an adjunct at the Clinton School of Public Service. She founded Arkansas’s first National Lawyers’ Guild chapter, trained over 50 legal observers after George Floyd’s murder, and coordinated litigation ensuring all 2020 absentee ballots were counted. Previously a clinical teaching fellow at Yale Law and adjunct at Tulane, she taught sustainable real estate development and worked on post-Katrina community redevelopment in New Orleans. She has owned her own independent record label, and has represented musicians in New Orleans and overseas. She also enjoys exploring local restaurants, listening to live music, and jiu jitsu.
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