There has been a great deal of interest during the past 10 years by
lawyers who do not want to enter private practice, but are very
interested in the arts or cultural management. Quite a number are
working in museums. Most of the large museums now have lawyers on staff
as General Counsels. Many others have employed attorneys as Deputy Directors.
Some lawyers are doing entirely different things in museums, such as
education and curatorial. If a museum is large enough to have a contracts
office, lawyers are there too. The Smithsonian has eleven lawyers just
in the General Counsel's office, and many others are scattered around the
Institution in managerial positions. As for pros and cons, you would have
to talk to the individuals who are doing these things.

All museums need legal advice, but many must depend upon a local
lawyer or a member of their Board of Trustees. The American Bar Assoc.'s
American Law Institute and the Smithsonian cosponsor an annual conference
(ALI/ABA) for Legal Problems in Museums, a VERY VERY worthwhile meeting.
As a law student, you may be eligible for a scholarship. They are usually
conducted in March, in a different city each year.

GWU and NYU both have museum studies programs, and I'm not sure about
Columbia U. At GWU, Marie Malaro (an attorney) is the director, and
Flora Kaplan at NYU.  Good luck!      Jane Glaser