Authored by one of my talented law clerks this summer, Ms. Anna Zabotina, we're offered a fresh perspective on Fordham's new fashion law degrees from the perspective of a law student.
On Monday, June 21st
Fordham Law School announced the addition of two new fashion law programs to
its curriculum. The programs promise
specialized legal training for the fashion industry. The first program provides
an avenue for industry professionals without legal experience to learn about
what could affect their business. The second degree for attorneys presents a
conundrum of whether this added education is necessary for those who want to
work for a fashion client but cannot afford the luxury price tag.
In 2010 Susan Scafidi launched the
Fashion Law Institute at Fordham Law School after persuasive lobbying from the
Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA). The program includes various
fashion focused legal classes such as, Fashion Licensing and Fashion Retail
Law, and a summer “boot-camp”. During three weeks in the summer, interested
individuals are able to receive a quick rundown of what affects the industry,
and attend varying networking opportunities. This 2-credit (if already
attending law school) or certificate granting program runs at $3,900.00.
Nevertheless, during the launch
announcement of the two new degrees on Monday, Scafidi stated that in order to
have the field gain respect, students should have a degree to show for their
specialized knowledge. The first program being offered to those, who already
have a law degree, is a Master of Laws (L.L.M) in Fashion Law. The yearlong
(full-time) or three semester long (part-time) curriculum will teach about the
“four pillars” of Fashion Law in 24-27 credits. The pillars are; intellectual
property, business and finance, international trade and government regulation,
and consumer culture and civil rights. Additionally, the school will provide
varying events and networking opportunities to the students. For more information
see (http://www.fordham.edu/info/23599/fashion_law). For
eligibility criteria see (http://www.fordham.edu/info/21170/apply/5169/eligibility).
The second degree is a Masters
Degree for Industry Professionals (M.S.L) in Fashion Law. It is designed for
individuals either already working as designers, production managers, licensing
directors, human resources coordinators, and so on, or for those that aspire to
work in the fashion industry. The curriculum is meant to develop a "legal
literacy" for industry professionals through the four pillars of fashion
law. Diane Von Furstenberg, President of CFDA and a large supporter of the
program, has said that she “firmly believes this program will become a powerful
tool in the fashion world and beyond, and help us all as an industry – lawyers
or not – better understand, grow and protect our businesses.” Scafidi added
that if nothing else, this program will teach the fashion industry when to
acquire professional legal help. For more information on classes and how to
apply visit (http://www.fordham.edu/info/23328/msl_in_fashion_law).
Overall, the degrees are meant to
safeguard an industry that has had an increase in litigation over the last
decade, as evidenced by several high profile lawsuits such as the "Christian Louboutin Red-Sole" lawsuit [Christian Louboutin S.A. v. Yves Saint Laurent Am. Holding, Inc.,], and the "Marc Jacobs Three-Stripe"
lawsuit [Adidas America Inc. et al. v. Marc Jacobs International LLC]. According to the founders, since every single aspect of a fashion
business has a legal component (coming up with a brand name, leasing real
estate for sale, hiring employees, etc.) it is extremely beneficial to have
individuals with a specialty in the field that can zero in on specific needs of
a client and prevent disputes.
It should be noted, however that
fashion law is not a new law field, per
se. Fashion law is made up of a
combination of intellectual property, real estate, business, financial,
employment, contract law, international trade, product and fashion compliance,
and marketing law. The majority of these fields have been taught at most law
schools for decades.
As a law student who is interested
in working for a fashion business, I am drawn toward the idea of classes
focused on the industry. Also, the M.S.L. program provides the type of
education that someone in the industry
without prior legal background could definitely benefit from. Still, I wonder
if it is possible to succeed as someone who has had a legal education and finds
the idea of adding to student debt daunting.
The tuition for the L.L.M program is
$53,440.00 a year, and for the M.S.L. program it is $40,080. These price tags
are suited for luxury goods.
For those that cannot afford to
attend the program, taking classes similar to those offered at the L.L.M
program during law school could be an alternative. Although all of the required
courses have not been posted yet, they can be found in the future at (http://www.fordham.edu/info/23599/fashion_law). The
degrees offer varying networking events which are essential to any legal
career. Nevertheless, in the past it was possible to attend events at the
Fashion Insitute without being a student there, through a separate registration
for a minimal fee. For Fashion Institute's events check out (http://fashionlawinstitute.com/institute-events/the-power-of-fashion). Hence,
it could be possible to design your own "fashion law" curriculum
where attending the LLM program is not feasible.
While the combination of classes in
varying law fields, and industry insight might make individuals that acquire
these degrees desirable to employers and clients. The inability to attend the program does not
squander one's chances of working for a fashion business, as long as steps are
taken to learn and master the different fields of law that make-up
"fashion law."
