(Windsor, ON, Monday, January 16, 2023) – The legal needs of Windsor’s creative community will find support at the University of Windsor’s Faculty of Law beginning this semester with the founding of the Transnational Arts and Entertainment Law Clinic (TEALSC).
The program will provide a unique educational opportunity for students to gain clinical experience in a niche industry, aligning with the University’s core values of access to justice and supporting the growth of the creative economy.
“This clinic will fill a vital gap and provide a much-needed resource to our creative community,” said Shanthi Senthe, Assistant Professor of Law and founding director of the clinic.
Dr. Senthe has created and developed an educational model that cultivates access to legal information for entrepreneurs within the arts and entertainment community.
“I am interested in further designing new forms of legal pedagogy through community lawyering in private law spaces.”
Senthe says that UWindsor’s Dual JD program with Detroit Mercy Law, as well as its geographic proximity to Detroit allows unique synergies between the institutions.
Through collaboration with U of D Mercy’s Arts and Entertainment Law Clinic, led by Professors Melissa Eckhause and Matt Bower, Senthe says both institutions will have enhanced opportunities to contribute to the cultural development of creative activities on both sides of the border.
She says the clinics provide training to support legal services to individuals in the music, film, writing and publishing, art, fashion, and photography industries, and that she is hopeful similar educational models can be used at other Canadian law schools.
Senthe says TEALC seeks to empower and support artists through knowledge mobilization, community engagement, and advocacy initiatives, and that through community outreach and stakeholder engagement the clinic will foster space for individuals in the creative community to be expressive while ensuring their legal rights are upheld.
“As both a law student and musician, this clinic is the perfect opportunity to merge my legal and artistic backgrounds to meet the needs of artists and entrepreneurs in the community,” says second-year law student Sarika Navanathan.
“I look forward to exploring the unique complexities of entrepreneurship through the law.”
This term the TEALC will focus on developing local and cross-border community events to provide legal information. Events will be shared on social media.
CONTACT:
Professor Shanthi Senthe
Faculty of Law
University of Windsor
sesenthe@uwindsor, or tealc@uwindsor.ca
Manager, Communications and Publications
University of Windsor
519-890-3300 (cell)
llewis@uwindsor.ca