I suggest that you talk to some of the presenters at ALI-ABA's Legal Issues
of Museum Administration. I've been to two of these courses. The faculty is
excellent and well-versed in their topics.  They'd probably be the best
people to talk to so far as "where next?"

From my experience, every museum could use such an attorney but few museums
can afford them.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Annemarie Brennan Rice" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Wednesday, April 25, 2001 1:30 PM
Subject: Plotting a Course Toward Becoming a Museum Lawyer


> I am a practicing lawyer in Washington DC.  I have always loved Museums
and
> museum stuff and even attended Parsons School of Design for a couple of
> years before going to law school with an eye toward becoming a curator.  I
> got waylaid one summer while studying in Italy by the terrible corrosion
> facing our architectural treasures and decided to go to law school to
> become an historic preservation and/or environmental lawyer.  Alas, I am
> currently doing neither.  In fact I am a commercial lawyer.  My focus over
> the years has been in employment law, contract law - both drafting and
> negotiating as well as litigating, and insurance law.  I've worked with
> artists through the Washington Area Lawyers for the Arts, and I am
> currently participating in a docent program at a museum here in DC.  But
> I'd really like to get back to my true love and find a way to combine my
> profession with my avocation and go to work for a museum as a lawyer.  I
am
> prepared to spend a year or two regrouping and networking.  I am also
> considering going back to school for some additional formal education to
> round out my experience.  My question is what kind of program would be
more
> useful:  a Museum Studies Program or a Not-for-Profit Administration
> program?   I can see how my contracts and insurance background would be
> useful, but what other areas would a museum want its general counsel to be
> well versed in?  What does a Registrar of a museum do exactly?  Finally,
> does anyone know who does the legal work for the Corcoran Museum and/or
> Corcoran School of Art?  Thanks.
>
> --  Annemarie Brennan Rice
>
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