Fashion Law Institute

Programs: Classes - creating, teaching and managing a comprehensive curriculum in fashion law is a core component of the institute's mission. The central course in this curriculum is the original fashion law course, which defined the field and was created and taught by the institute's founder, professor susan scafidi. The fashion law institute also offered its fashion law and finance course, which explores the role of law and lawyers in developing a global fashion brand; fashion modeling law, which provides a comprehensive overview of the legal, business and societal issues faced by models and their agencies; fashion ethics, sustainability and development, which explores the intersection of fashion law and social values, including such topics as green fashion, fair trade and fashion-related social enterprise; fashion licensing, which examines the law and business of fashion licensing, the anatomy of a license agreement, and current trends in the industry in the us and worldwide; fashion law practicum, which provides practical experience with legal drafting in the fashion industry; fashion retail law, which examines the legal framework for the shopping environment, including retail stores, websites, and privacy and security issues raised by new technology; and two semesters of the capstone course for graduating students in the master's degree programs in fashion law.

events - in conjunction with the institute's classroom instruction, a related aspect of the institute's educational mission is the advancement of understanding in fashion law through seminars, symposia, continuing legal education and other programs open to both students and the general public. In summer and fall 2016, the institute's related events included costumes and copyright; a fashion law conference in brazil; the body politic: from banning burkinis to designing democracy; and #ad:native advertising, influencers, and new rules for fashion marketing. In spring 2016, the institute's events included inside out 2: moving fashion forward in a new america; its all-day 7th annual symposium, entitled fashion revolution, which explored such topics as the supreme court's star athletica decision and other major new cases; technology and the changing nature of retail; legal ethics and deregulation; legal issues in international trade and isolationism; and cutting edge legal and policy strategy, featuring insights from u. S. Representative carolyn b. Maroney; and war paint: cle on broadway, in which cast members in a play on beauty ethics and legal reform joined industry attorneys to discuss the history behind the play, the latest in legal reform and enforcement, and the social impact of changes in the nearby garment district. The institute also conducted two editions of its annual fashion law bootcamp, based in new york city and san francisco.

clinics - the fashion law institute also continued to conduct its pro bono fashion law pop-up clinic program, with five pop-up clinics held during the 2016-2017 academic year. At each pop-up clinic, students met with lawyers and designers for attorney-supervised legal training by assisting fashion clients. Besides gaining educational experience through being involved in pro-bono consultations, students also learned about fashion law and the fashion business by serving in institute-supervised internships as well as by assisting with various institute events. In addition, the institute continued to be active in connecting students to employment opportunities pertaining to fashion law.