Georgia Lawyers for the Arts

What Georgia Lawyers for the Arts does

Georgia Lawyers for the Arts (GLA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1975 in Atlanta, Georgia by Benjamin T. White and Robert C. Lower of Alston & Bird. GLA provides pro bono and low-cost legal services to individual artists and nonprofit arts organizations across the state of Georgia, focused on intellectual property matters including copyright registration and enforcement, trademark protection, contract negotiation and review, licensing agreements, gallery representation, tax matters, dispute resolution, and estate planning. Since 2015, the organization has also served solo inventors, nonprofits, and small businesses through the Georgia PATENTS Program, operated in partnership with the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

GLA delivers services through a volunteer attorney network of over 1,000 active lawyers (with more than 2,000 having volunteered over 50 years), supplemented by monthly law clinics offering 30-minute consultations, educational seminars and workshops, a legal referral network, and an artist membership program. The technology infrastructure is modest: two websites (glarts.org and gapatents.org) handling membership management, event registration, and content distribution, with no disclosed proprietary technology, APIs, or AI capabilities. The organization maintains an active social media presence across Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, YouTube, Instagram, and X for community engagement and educational content distribution.

GLA's revenue model combines three streams: annual membership dues ($50 for individual artists, $75-$100 for nonprofit arts organizations), donations from individuals, corporations, and foundations, and grants from arts agencies including the National Endowment for the Arts, Georgia Council of the Arts, and the City of Atlanta's One Atlanta initiative. Paid seminars and workshops generate supplemental revenue with member discounts applied. Major corporate and law firm sponsors include Delta Air Lines, The Coca-Cola Company, Alston & Bird, King & Spalding, Greenberg Traurig, Ballard Spahr, Finnegan, and Kilpatrick Townsend. The organization is led by Executive Director Meredith Ragains (since 2013) and governed by a volunteer board of directors drawn from Georgia law firms and corporate legal departments.

Name

Georgia Lawyers for the Arts

Legal name

Georgia Lawyers for the Arts, Inc.

Website

https://glarts.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1975

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Georgia Lawyers for the Arts is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1975 providing pro bono legal services, educational workshops, and a volunteer attorney referral network to Georgia artists, arts organizations, and solo inventors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Legal Services

NAICS

Offices of Lawyers (54111), All Other Legal Services (541199)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGAEAM

Legal Aid & Client Advocacy Services

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Social Services & Community Support (Food, Housing, Family)

SECONDARYMPAIAGAE

Music Legal Services (Artist/Label/Publishing)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Music & Audio (Recording, Publishing, Streaming)/Artist Management & Agencies

SECONDARYHSACAHAM

Contracting, Licensing & Rights Management (Music/Performance Releases)

Home & Personal Services/Event & Personal Concierge Services/Entertainment Booking & Talent Management

Keywords

• Legal aid services
• Arts nonprofit
• Pro bono legal
• Intellectual property law
• Nonprofit legal services

Headquarters

HQ city

Atlanta

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Annual membership dues from individual artists and arts organizations providing access to legal clinics, seminars, networking, and pro bono referrals for qualifying members
2. Donations and Grants: Charitable contributions from individuals, corporations, and foundations plus government grants from organizations like NEA and Georgia Council of the Arts
3. Educational Programs: Revenue from paid seminars and workshops on legal topics for artists, with discounts for members

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Georgia Lawyers for the Arts is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides pro bono and low-cost legal services to Georgia-based individual artists and nonprofit arts organizations across copyright, trademark, contract, licensing, tax, dispute resolution, and estate planning matters. Services are delivered via a volunteer attorney network, monthly legal clinics, an artist and arts-organization membership program, educational seminars and workshops, and the Georgia PATENTS pro bono patent program (since 2015, in partnership with the USPTO).

Product overview

Georgia Lawyers for the Arts is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization providing legal services to Georgia's arts and cultural communities since 1975. The organization operates as a unified service offering centered around its legal assistance programs: Legal Services for Artists (including copyright, trademark, and contract assistance), the Georgia PATENTS Program (patent pro bono assistance launched in 2015), a Legal Referral Network connecting artists with volunteer attorneys, Legal Clinics offering free 30-minute consultations, and Educational Seminars/Workshops. The organization serves visual artists, musicians, dancers, filmmakers, photographers, writers, and other creators through membership-based access to these services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Georgia PATENTS: A program launched in 2015 in partnership with the USPTO to assist solo inventors, non-profits, and small businesses with patent filing processes. Recognized as one of the premier patent pro bono programs in the United States.

Products and services

• Legal Services for Artists Pro bono and low-cost legal assistance for individual artists and arts organizations covering copyright protection, trademark registration, contract negotiation and review, licensing agreements, gallery representation, tax and financial matters, dispute resolution, and estate planning for artistic legacy. Available to members and qualifying low-income artists in Georgia.
• Georgia PATENTS Program Pro bono patent assistance program for solo inventors, non-profits, and small businesses needing help with the patent filing process. Operated in partnership with the USPTO and recognized as one of the premier patent pro bono programs in the United States.
• Legal Referral Network Network of over 1,000 volunteer Georgia attorneys providing legal referrals for artists with arts-related legal issues; matches qualifying members with attorneys willing to handle pro bono cases.
• Legal Clinics Virtual and in-person monthly law clinics offering 30-minute consultations with volunteer attorneys from partner firms such as Kilpatrick Townsend and Visa, focused on copyright, trademark, and simple contract questions. Free to members.
• Educational Seminars and Workshops Free and low-cost educational programs (including virtual and in-person sessions) covering intellectual property law, contract law, business formation, and other legal topics for artists and creators; members receive discounts on paid seminars.
• Artist and Arts Organization Membership Program Annual membership tiers providing access to GLA services: Individual Artist Membership ($50/year) for individual artists including one free pro bono referral, unlimited legal clinic placements, seminar/workshop access and discounts, and networking; Nonprofit Arts Organization memberships ($75/year for low-budget and $100/year standard) for Georgia 501(c)(3) arts organizations.

Quantifiable outcome

• $4,000,000+ in annual pro bono services; served 25,000+ artists; helped hundreds of nonprofit arts organizations obtain tax-exempt status
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and major.

• United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Partnership to operate Georgia PATENTS program, providing pro bono patent assistance to solo inventors, nonprofits, and small businesses. This program is recognized as one of the premier patent pro bono programs in the United States.
• Kilpatrick TownsendminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLaw firm whose attorneys volunteer for GLA's monthly Arts Clinics, providing 30-minute consultations to members on copyright, trademark, and contract questions.
• VisaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCompany whose attorneys volunteer for GLA's monthly Arts Clinics, providing legal assistance to artists.
• Zova LawminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTechnology-driven law firm for creators that presents educational seminars for GLA members on topics including intellectual property protection and legal foundations for creators.
• National Endowment for the Arts (NEA)majorGTM or Marketing PartnerFederal arts agency providing grant funding to support GLA's mission of serving Georgia's arts community.
• Georgia Council of the ArtsmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerState arts agency supporting GLA's operations and programs for Georgia's arts community.
• One AtlantamajorGTM or Marketing PartnerCity of Atlanta initiative supporting arts and cultural programs in the community.
• Alston & BirdminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLaw firm sponsor for GLA's annual gala and volunteer attorney for pro bono cases including trademark, copyright, and patent matters.
• Ballard SpahrminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLaw firm sponsor and volunteer attorneys for GLA programs including arts clinics and Georgia PATENTS.
• Greenberg TraurigminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLaw firm sponsor for GLA events and gala; attorneys volunteer for pro bono cases.
• King & SpaldingminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLaw firm sponsor for GLA's annual gala and volunteer attorneys.
• Delta Air LinesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor for GLA's annual gala and art auction.
• The Coca-Cola CompanyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor for GLA's annual gala and art auction.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Lawyers for the Creative Arts (LCA): Chicago-area nonprofit connecting artists with pro bono legal counsel through clinics and referrals, with a comparable Illinois-focused mission and membership structure.
• Washington Lawyers for the Arts (WLA): Washington-state nonprofit providing legal services and educational programs to artists and arts organizations; comparable clinic-based and referral-based delivery in a Pacific Northwest market.
• Texas Accountants and Lawyers for the Arts (TALA): Houston-based nonprofit providing pro bono legal and accounting services to Texas artists and arts organizations. Same hybrid legal-plus-educational programming model in a different state.
• Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts (VLA): New York-based nonprofit providing pro bono legal services, education, and advocacy to the arts community since 1969. Most established sibling organization and a natural peer in mission, member model, and pro bono network structure.
• Massachusetts Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts (MVLA): Massachusetts-based pro bono arts legal services program, providing legal clinics, referrals, and educational programming to artists in the New England region.
• Oregon Lawyers for the Arts (OLA): Oregon-based arts legal aid organization offering low-cost legal services and educational programs to artists in the Pacific Northwest. Comparable statewide scope and pro bono delivery model.
• California Lawyers for the Arts (CLA): California's state-level arts legal aid nonprofit, offering clinics, referrals, and educational programming to artists and arts organizations. Closest structural analog to GLA, with broader jurisdiction and longer California-specific track record.

Regional players

• Arts & Business Council of Greater Boston: Regional nonprofit providing capacity-building, legal clinics, and consulting to small arts organizations in Greater Boston. Comparable nonprofit capacity-building mission but oriented to organizational rather than individual-creator needs.

Broad incumbents

• Americans for the Arts: National nonprofit advocating for the arts and providing resources, research, and policy advocacy across the entire U.S. arts ecosystem. Broader advocacy and policy focus; overlaps with GLA only at the arts-supporting infrastructure level.

Emerging players

• Zova Law: Technology-driven law firm targeting creators with affordable IP, contract, and business legal services. Already partners with GLA on member seminars and represents a for-profit, tech-enabled competitor to GLA's pro bono model in the same customer segment.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/gla_arts
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCLiLW3eM-UbwO5D9osS_1Ig
• Facebookfacebook.com/GLARTS
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/georgia-lawyers-for-the-arts
• Instagraminstagram.com/gla_arts
• Pinterestpinterest.com/gla_arts

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Georgia Lawyers for the Arts