Judith Bresler Fellowship

January 1, 1970

The Center for Art Law has a long-time commitment to training, mentoring, and guiding students and graduates interested in pursuing a career in art law. In 2009, the Center was created to offer opportunities for students and to this day, it has mentored over 50 interns and 10 postgraduate fellows. Pursuant to the Center for Art Law’s mission to foster a vibrant and diverse art law field, the Center is pleased to accept applications from recent law school graduate for its newly-created Judith Bresler Fellowship to lead the Center’s legal clinics.

In 2020, the art law community lost a prominent and beloved colleague with the passing away of Judith Bresler, a prominent transactional attorney and litigator who co-authored the seminal Art Law Treatise, now in its 5th printing. She was a tireless advocate for the advancement of art and law and an inspiration to her colleagues and to all seeking to dedicate themselves to the practice and advancement of art and law. Judith was an inspirational lawyer, professor, author, and mentor to many.

In recognition of Judith’s contributions to the law, the Center for Art Law is proud to offer a Judith Bresler Fellowship to candidates who exhibit many of the gifts, qualities, and passions that Judith so beautifully embodied.

Position

Over the years, the Center for Art Law has been a relentless advocate for visual artists, who often find themselves helpless in the face of the law and in need of legal tools and resources to navigate their rights. From teaching Art & Law Workshops to hosting legal clinics, the Center wholeheartedly believes in educating the arts community through an accessible, affordable, and personable approach. In January 2020, the Center launched a Visual Artists’ Immigration Clinic designed to guide international artists through the process of obtaining a visa to work and create in the United States. With the involvement of eight Volunteer Attorneys, the Clinic serviced 51 artists and the Center is pursuing its efforts to host more sessions in the year to come. 

The Center currently envisions creating similar artists’ clinics for art consignment contracts and to help artists with planning their estates and legacies, two topics that were of particular interest to Judith Bresler. Under supervision of the Executive Director, the Judith Bresler Fellow will be taking the lead on the operation and expansion of the Visual Artists’ Legal Clinics, including:

• To coordinate the planning of Immigration Clinic sessions;
• To perform field research toward the creation of clinics dedicated to helping artists navigate (1) consignment contracts and artist-dealer relationships, and (2) estate and legacy planning;
• To research, draft, and publish articles on art law topics related to the clinics’ areas of focus;
• To create a network of resources to promote and expand the mission of the clinics;
• To contact, interview, and vet potential volunteer attorneys;
• To coordinate and confirm sessions with co-hosts, volunteer attorneys, and other stakeholders; and
• To collect and analyze data for each session and prepare reports and presentations on the program performance. 

The Judith Bresler Fellow will be expected to work 20 hours per week for one year (two semesters), between September 2021 and June 2022.

In addition to receiving a monetary compensation of $4,000 each semester, the Judith Bresler Fellow will be provided with mentoring and professional development support, will have access to the Center’s resources and networking opportunities, and will receive exposure to the field of art and cultural heritage law. 

Qualifications

The Judith Bresler Fellow will be selected through a review process by the Center’s staff and a committee of professionals in the field of art law.

To be eligible, applicants must be recent law graduates (0-2 years after graduation), show relevant experience before, during, and after college and law school with management and leadership skills, and have a demonstrated interest in public or community service and advocacy. In its review process, the Judith Bresler Fellowship Committee will pay particular attention to the candidate’s qualities. An ideal candidate would demonstrate a dedication to following Judith Bresler’s footsteps: advocacy for the arts and artists, a sincere interest in contributing to the art world and community by writing and publishing, along with the importance of mentorship.

Application Process

To apply for the Judith Bresler Fellow, candidates will need to fill out an application form and gather the following documents:

1. Cover letter;
2. Resume or CV;
3. Most recent school transcripts;
4. One letter of recommendation from an academic professor or former supervisor;