Applying for a career in law can be just the beginning of working out where your career will take you. Within law, there are numerous different practice areas which each have their own trends, focus areas and specialist firms. We’ve pulled together a bright guide to media law – an ever-growing legal area – to help you get an overview of this key area.
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Law in the media sector
Media is an area of huge growth in today’s society, and so inevitably the law associated with it has grown and developed in order to keep up with the industry.
Media Law offers trainees exposure to a range of legal regimes including regulation of all key forms of media content as well as regulating the infrastructures by which such content is delivered.
As a constantly evolving sector, it doesn’t come as a surprise that clients are dynamic, young and sociable. As a result, Media Lawyers need to be engaging and characterful.
It’s a healthy environment to work in, being a broad discipline in a growth area. What’s more, media law is expanding across various organisations, especially given the importance of utilising client data in a safe and legal way, and so this is likely to continue to be a significant and fruitful practice area for many years.
Key areas of interest
Within Media Law, you will find three key areas that you could choose to focus on:
The first is print media, which includes magazines, newspapers and print advertising—the second is telecommunications, which includes TV broadcasting and radio. The third field, and probably the biggest in growth, is digital communications, including the internet. As to be expected, all three of these areas are growing at a fast and vibrant pace.
A diverse role
Your role as a Media Lawyer will be hugely diverse, dealing with a variety of matters including defamation, slander and the right to privacy. As the industry evolves at such a fast pace, there will be continual discussion over whether or not activities are legal, and what alterations might need to be made in order to make an activity legal.
Day-to-day
As a media lawyer, a lot of the day-to-day will be about trying to keep up with fast-moving developments in the media landscape. You will spend a lot of time on the phone with clients, in meetings and drafting agreements. If you love keeping up to date with the latest legal developments then this could be the role for you.
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A growing industry
It’s a healthy environment to work in, being a broad discipline in a growth area. What’s more, media law is expanding across various organisations, especially given the importance of utilising client data in a safe and legal way, and so this is likely to continue to be a significant and fruitful practice area for many years.
Client work
As in all types of law, a lot will be expected from you as a trainee. Bear in mind, however, that some creative clients might not have a clear idea of the legal implications of their work. Therefore, a patient approach with a willingness to explain is essential.
Which law firms specialise in media law?
Companies like Slaughter and May offer work in this sector, however, media law is typically practised in smaller, boutique law firms. For more information check out Olswang, Wiggin LLP, and Harbottle & Lewis.
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