Last updated: December 2025

Law Schools

American University Washington School of Law: Law and the Visual Arts (Former Faculty: Joshua Kaufman): Introduces students to the full range of legal issues that arise concerning works of art, the art market, and the art world. Topics to be covered include artist gallery relation, auction house procedures and issues, art tax related topics, art licensing, rights of publicity, the fate of works of art in wartime, the international trade in stolen and illegally exported cultural property, artistic freedom, censorship, copyright, moral rights and trademark rights, collectors and the art market, and art museums and their collections. (Est. 2009, to present) Washington, DC.

Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law: Art Law Course and Field Clinic: In addition to the Art Law Course (Former Faculty: Sandy Cobden, GC at Christie’s), the clinic offers students connections with the most vibrant art center in the world. Cardozo students work at the Whitney Museum, the Brooklyn Academy of Music, Christie’s Auction House, and other NYC Arts firms. (est. 2012) New York, NY.

Brooklyn Law School: Art Law Seminar (Faculty: Paul Cossu; Former Faculty: Beryl Jones-Woodin): This course is designed to introduce students to the field of art law. The class will study the ways in which the visual arts and the law collide, and how the law regulates the creation and distribution of art, as well as the cultural importance of art. Areas that will be considered include copyright and fair use, moral rights, restitution and cultural heritage law, authenticity, commercial art transactions, and the implications of new technologies, such as blockchain, non-fungible tokens, and artificial intelligence. Copyright Law or Introduction to Intellectual Property must be completed or taken concurrently. Grading is based on class participation (including class presentations), and a 10-page final paper that satisfies the Additional Upper-Class Writing Requirement. Brooklyn, NY.

Brooklyn Law School: Art and Cultural Property (Faculty: Lauren Fielder): This course covers domestic and international aspects of art and cultural property law. The scope of this course spans multiple disciplines and fields of law and is focused on legal issues that arise in the world of art, artists, collectors, and museums. The course touches many aspects of the processes of creating art, buying and selling it, using it, or displaying it in a museum. Additionally, the course covers the more nefarious legal issues in art and cultural property, including forgery, theft, illegal movement, and art in war, focusing on art stolen in the Holocaust.
Brooklyn, NY.

Case Western Reserve: Spangenberg Center for Law, Technology & the Arts (Faculty: Craig A. Nard) This Center was created with the understanding that technologic and artistic expression are both part of the human creative enterprise; and there are artistic influences in science and scientific influences in the arts. A core aspect of LTA is the study of intellectual property (or IP as it is commonly known), which has rapidly assumed center stage in the global marketplace and information economy, presenting some of the most exciting, important, and complex issues facing not only our legal system, but also the business, entertainment, and technology communities. Cleveland, OH.

Columbia University Law School: S. Law & Finance of the Art Market (Faculty: Cathy Kaplan) The Columbia class explores the intersection between art, finance, and law. The course covers the art market and its respective legal issues, as well as art financial structures. New York, NY.

DePaul School of Law: Center for Art, Museum, & Cultural Heritage Law (Faculty: Patty Gerstenblith) The DePaul Center aims to offer students opportunities to explore externship and internship placements in this rapidly growing area of law. They offer both a JD certificate in Arts and Museum Law, as part of the Intellectual Property Law program, and an LLM in International Law with a concentration in International Cultural Heritage Law. Chicago, IL.

Loyola Law School: Art and the Law Seminar (Co-Professors: Christine Steiner, Withers Worldwide; Margot Stokol, Assoc. Director of Legal Affairs at the Hammer Museum) The Art and the Law Seminar explores legal issues relating to cultural property in general, including rights and obligations of artists, dealers, collectors, and museums. Specifically, this course will focus on art trade practices; illicit international trade in art; cultural reparations and repatriation; copyright; artists’ rights; and ethical standards governing the acquisition and retention of works of art. (Discontinued) Los Angeles, CA.

Loyola University of Chicago School of Law: Art Law: Art Law and Transactions is a study of the main legal issues involved in the acquisition, ownership and disposition of works of art. The primary perspective is that of an attorney in the representation of an art collector, and how the transactional arc involves regular concerns, such as contract law, as well as art specific concerns, such as Nazi-era looted art. Part I Acquisition begins with a focus on the legal issues raised by the various venues for art purchases (art commissions, through a dealer, at auction) and follows with the two core issues of authenticity and good title. Part II Ownership concerns three topics that could arise during the ownership phase: crossing borders, moral rights and art loans. Part III Disposition completes the transactional loop with a discussion of how one transfers works of art during life or at death, whether by sale or gratuitous transfers, including valuation concerns. The course will include several drafting exercises (some of which will be done in teams) and a one-hour in-class final. Chicago, IL.

New York Law School: Art Law Course (Faculty: Hartley Waltman (2024- ); Faculty Emiritus: Judith Bresler (1946-2020 – taught for 25 years) This Art Law Course serves as an introduction “to the specialized law practice relating to the creation, purchase, sale, and transfer of art. Students analyze the artist-dealer relationship through actual recognition of consignment agreements from the perspective of both artist and dealer; explore the law of auctions and of private sales, and debate the need for further regulation; examine the artist’s rights, including First Amendment rights and limitations, copyright issues particularly pertinent to artists, moral rights and resale rights, and address the topic of tax and estate planning for collectors and artists, including the tax and estate planning aspects of charitable contributions, the drafting of wills, and the transfer of art work from generation to generation. The course touches on the international transport of art and cultural property; the legal responsibilities of appraisers; commissioned works; loans made to museums, and the art collection as an investment property.” New York, NY.

NYU Law School: Art Law Course (Faculty: Amy Adler) Students explore how the law shapes and constrains visual expression. The focus for the most significant portion of the semester is on the censorship of art. Ultimately, by concentrating on the special problems presented by visual images, we probe more deeply into the meaning of “speech” for purposes of the First Amendment. The next part of the class examines copyrights, moral rights, and the right of publicity. The final portion of the class addresses legal issues that arise in the art market, including stolen art, forgeries and authentication. The class frequently considers contemporary art controversies as a means of examining these broader issues. New York, NY.

Rutgers University: Dual MA and JD The School of Law at Newark and Camden and Cultural Heritage and Preservation Studies offer a dual degree designed for students who are interested in pursuing a career in law and cultural heritage and preservation studies. This four-year program leads to a dual MA/JD degree. The program is targeted to future lawyers, but also students pursuing careers in cultural heritage and preservation studies within governmental and non-governmental agencies as well as in cultural and public service institutions. This program includes two and one-half years at the Newark or Camden Campus studying Law and one and one-half years at the New Brunswick Campus studying Cultural Heritage and Preservation Studies.” New Brunswick, NJ.

Rutgers Law School – Newark: Art Law Seminar The Art Law Seminar covers how the law shapes, contours and constrains both the visual arts and artists. Emphasis will be given to issues such as copyright protection for artists; the moral and economic rights of artists; censorship and First Amendment rights of artists; artists’ business relationships; public support for art and the display of art in public places; preservation of art and cultural property; stolen art and forgeries; the international movement of art, repatriation of cultural objects and the illicit international trade in art; and the role of museums in society. Newark, NJ

Saint Louis University: Art Law Course (Faculty: Yvette Joy Liebesman) Saint Louis, MI

Suffolk University Law School: Law and the Visual Arts (Faculty: Peter J. Karol) Boston, MA.

University of California Berkeley Law: Art and Cultural Property Law Course  (Faculty: Carla Shapreau) This seminar explores and analyzes the intersection of law with art and culture. Topics will include U.S. and international law as they relate to the illicit trade in antiquities, Nazi Era plunder and restitution, and other art crimes. It also examines aspects of law pertaining to museums, artist’s rights, art merchants, auction houses, and dealers, as well as issues regarding authenticity, title, and the statute of limitations. Berkeley, CA.

UCLA Law School: Art and Cultural Property Law (Faculty: Angela R. Riley) The Art and Cultural Property Law course covers the creation, destruction, purchase and sale (including auctions), consignment, ownership, authentication, export/import, seizure, display, reproduction and appropriation, and theft and recovery, of fine art and cultural property. It also reviews artists’ legal rights and protections (artist-dealer relationship, First Amendment, copyright, moral rights, resale royalty rights (including current cases and legislative proposals), and government, corporate and private censorship). Los Angeles, CA.

University of Chicago, D’Angelo Law Library: Art Law (Faculty: William M. Autumn- Landes, and Anthony Hirschel): This seminar examines legal issues in the visual arts including artist’s rights and copyright, government regulation of the art market, valuation problems related to authentication and artist estates, disputes over the ownership of art, illicit international trade of art, government funding of museums and artists, and First Amendment issues as they relate to museums and artists. Chicago, IL.

University of Miami School of Law: LL.M. Entertainment, Arts and Sports Law, Arts Law Track (Co-directors: Vivek Jayaram & Carolina García Jayaram; Former Director: Stephen Urice) All courses in the program are taught by prominent practicing attorneys. In addition, students will have access to Miami Law’s unique relationships with The Aspen Institute – Artist-Endowed Foundations Initiative and the University of Geneva in Switzerland. Miami, FL.

University of New Mexico School of Law: Art Law Course (Faculty: Sherri Burr) UNM Art Law Course explores the practical legal problems of visual artists and the commercial art world. The course may include simulations, where students negotiate contracts to sell various works of art, and field trips to local galleries and museums. Also, students who study with Burr have an opportunity to participate in the making of ARTS TALK, a weekly television show that Burr produces and hosts. Albuquerque, NM.

University of North Carolina School of Law: Art Law (Faculty: Deborah R. Gerhardt) In Art Law, students will acquire a broad understanding of many legal issues that arise in representing creative clients and institutions that purchase, perform and display creative work. The course begins with a survey of legal doctrine of significance to the arts including selected topics in copyright, trademark, first amendment, contracts and rights of publicity. We will consider issues arising out of controversial public monuments in the United States and abroad. We will also explore international laws and norms governing the protection and  preservation of cultural heritage and repatriation of looted art and artifacts. The class will attend arts events and meet with local and national arts leaders. Each student will select an art law topics for individual or group research on topics such as musical sampling, fan fiction, fashion law, graffiti art, film and applied art. Chapel Hill, NC.

University of Oklahoma College of Law: Art Law Course (Faculty: Sarah Fackrell) This course will explore the legal issues relevant to art and cultural property, with a special emphasis on American Indian issues. Specific areas of coverage will include the legal definitions of “art” and “craft”; the legal rules that govern art galleries, auctions and museums; international rules relating to the movement of art during war; international preservation and appropriation of cultural property; and statutes enacted to protect the art and culture of American Indians, such as the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act; and the Indian Arts and Crafts Act. (Discontinued 2022) Norman, OK.

University of Virginia: Art Law (SC) (Faculty: Dotan Oliar). This course, compressed during the semester, will introduce students to the practice of “art law,” which lies at the intersection of several bodies of law. Contract doctrines such as meetings of minds, mistakes of fact, warranties, and good faith will be explored. The Uniform Commercial Code, which is the primary regulatory schema in the U.S. governing disputes over art transactions, including claims of looted art and fake art, will also be studied. Students will learn to apply civil procedure rules and concepts that can be outcome-determinative in art cases, including statutes of limitations, the laches defense, and choice of law analyses where different international rules and policy preferences may conflict. Property and intellectual property concepts in the area of visual art will additionally be introduced, including principles of copyright law, rights of publicity, and moral rights. Students will get to know the various art market stakeholders (such as artists, dealers, collectors, auction houses, museums) and their customs and practices. Methodologically, the course will use a law-and-economics approach to analyze issues such as allocations of burdens of diligence and risks of loss. No prior background in art is required or assumed. Charlottesville, VA.

Wake Forest University School of Law: Art and Commerce (Faculty: Steve Virgil): This class explores art, what it is, and how it is bought and sold. This will be a compressed course, but we will cover a good amount of material. You will see this topic involves an intersection of several areas, including contracts, sales, property, intellectual property, civil procedure, and conflict resolution. While our focus will be on art, the course will explore these topics in a way that will inform other course work and practice. We will use our time in Venice to explore topics which will shape your practice after law school. Specifically exploring cross-cultural experiences in a professional setting and examining larger questions of how law reflects societal values. Those who are interested will also have the opportunity to gain practical experience that will directly translate to practice. Winston-Salem, NC.

Yale Law School: Art Law: Selected Topics (Faculty: Katherine Wilson-Milne) This seminar will survey a variety of topics at the intersection of art and law. Each class will examine how the law defines and shapes artistic expression and/or ownership. The course will examine four general categories of art law: (1) intellectual property and moral rights, (2) the First Amendment and other speech-related concerns, (3) art-market relationships and issues involving title and authenticity, and (4) looted art and cultural-property disputes. This class aims to present a sample of art law topics and notably leaves out many important areas, such as tax and estate planning. New Haven, CT.

Non-Law School Courses

The Art & Law Program The program is a NY-based seminar-colloquium that focuses on the study of law as a linguistic system, institutional force, and power structure, with a particular focus on how the discourses and practices of law and visual culture impact each other, self-governance, history, and culture. Fellows of the Program meet once a week for a 3-hour seminar to discuss readings and visual materials with the Director of the Program, Sergio Muñoz Sarmiento, and/or with a guest seminar leader. Seminar leaders assign required readings and present ideas and materials relevant to their areas of practice. New York, NY.

Christie’s Education: Art Business Course/Module 1: Art and Law The rules governing the art market today are unique and continually evolving. Every player in the field, whether artist, dealer, or collector, has rights that reach beyond standard business law. This module will present an overview of how the art market is regulated, looking at the laws which guide the market. This course will tackle tax law, artists’ rights, contracts between artists and galleries, and consignment agreements and commissions. The laws that regulate intellectual property will also be explored, with a lecture on moral rights, copyright and trademark acts, freedom of criticism and expression, and recreation and fair use. The module will also cover issues of art crime and restitution, including the topics of theft and forgery and issues of cultural patrimony and trade restrictions, along with the legal repercussions of art authentication, restitution, remedy and recovery. $3,000. New York, NY.

Johns Hopkins University’s Advanced Academic Programs: Master of Arts in Cultural Heritage Management: In this part-time online program, you will discover practices for embracing our shared humanity while preparing to lead initiatives that foster the betterment of a global society. Online.

NYU-School of Professional Studies: Art Law for the Art Professional (Patricia Dillon) This course explores art law’s most important components and the most ardently enforced laws governing authenticity, title, cultural property, conflicts of interest, protected species, provenance, VARA, copyright, expert testimony, the legal status of foundations and catalogue raisonnés, tax considerations, defamation, disparagement, and the return of war-looted art. They also look at the obligations imposed by the ethics codes of appraisers, museums, and dealers. New York, NY.

NYU-School of Professional Studies: IRS Legal Guidelines in Valuation of Fine and Decorative Arts (Patricia Dillon, Summer 2015) Learn about current tax law as it applies to the valuation of fine and decorative arts for estate, inheritance, gift, and income tax purposes, as well as for donations to charitable institutions. New York, NY (and online).

NYU-School of Professional Studies: The Heart of the Matter: Legal and Ethical Aspects of Appraising  (Patricia Dillon, Summer 2015) Legal aspects of appraising have become crucial to the profession. At its highest levels, appraising requires in-depth knowledge of key issues, including clear title (NAGPRA with regard to ownership of Nazi-era looted property), IRS legal considerations, determination of authenticity, appropriate marketplace (retail market and tax shelters), the factoring in of volume discounts, the interaction of case law and the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice, and legal aspects of damage/loss appraisals. Analyze prominent cases that illustrate compelling legal considerations connected with valuing modern and contemporary art, including that of Warhol, O’Keeffe, Rothko, and Calder. New York, NY (and online).

NYU-Graduate School of Arts & Science: Museums and the Law (Hima Gleason) This courseexamines how museums are affected by a variety of legal regulations, including cultural heritage legislation, intellectual property issues, such as copyright, trademark and moral rights, first amendment and censorship claims, work-place hazards, contracts, and nonprofit and tax laws, such as valuation, charitable transfers, payments in lieu of taxes and the unrelated business income tax. New York, NY.

Sotheby’s Institute of Art: MA in Art Business This Master’s program provides “an understanding of the key legal and practical issues to consider when buying, selling and owning art. The areas where disputes most often occur are identified alongside the way in which risks can be minimized or eliminated. The course addresses important issues such as pre-acquisition due diligence, provenance and title in works of art, as well as the legal challenges in trade and ownership, such as contractual disputes, cross border trade issues and intellectual property rights.” There is a full-time program (three-semester long), and a part-time program (evenings and weekends). New York, NY.