Georgia State University College of Law announced Issa Rae will sit down with students to speak about the legal aspects of her successful career as part of “The Legal Life of Issa Rae” course.
On Nov. 7, the producer-actress will hold court at Rialto Center for the Arts. The visit is the culmination of a course examining Rae’s years-long career in the entertainment industry. Rae’s career provides a wealth of legal diversity to explore, as her career has expanded beyond visual entertainment.
The class is part of the “The Legal Life Of …” series. The series was created by George State University law professor Moraima “Mo” Ivory.
As a professor at Georgia State’s College of Law, Ivory curated the series to examine the legalities in maintaining a high-profile career. Rae is the subject of this semester’s course, reported BLACK ENTERPRISE.
The Insecure creator’s team worked with Ivory to give an in-depth look into the contracts that helped Rae secure her deals.
“Thanks to the support of her team, we’ll also have the unique chance to analyze her real-world agreements and discuss how her approach to deals is shaping today’s entertainment landscape. We’re incredibly fortunate to have this opportunity,” Ivory told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
The class was given access to 10 years worth of contractual agreements to analyze.
“This is the first class where every single contract was the actual artist agreement,” Ivory said. “The students get to see how real deals actually happen and what a real entertainment lawyer for Issa Rae has been doing for the last 10 years.”
Ivory, professor and Fulton County Commissioner, believes the language of law is important and the ability to see the language in connection with a notable product allows students to break down the barrier of unfamiliarity.
“You have to get into what people are actually doing and what’s happening right now. The more familiar they can become with the language, the faster they’ll be able to master them and be able to start representing clients.”
According to Ivory, Rae’s family and business partners have been instrumental in breaking down the intricate details of her business. The course has hosted visits from “Rae’s mother, siblings, network executives and members of her staff.”
The multi-hyphenate began her career on YouTube with her show “The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl.” The success of the show led to a partnership with Nightly Show host, Larry Wilmore, and a multi-show deal with HBO. Outside of television, Rae is a successful actress and producer of multiple shows, including Rap Sh!t (2022). She also created her own media company, HooRae media, and music label, Raedio.
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