The FAME Center
Through its unique access to companies and professionals throughout the fashion, arts, media and entertainment industries, the FAME Center provides unprecedented training and development opportunities relating to the representation of businesses driven by the creative process.
Barbara Kolsun, Director of the FAME Center and Professor of Practice
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Creative Lawyers for Creative Industries
The FAME Center, a key component of Cardozo's Intellectual Property & Information Law Program, offers rigorous academic coursework, as well as externships, clinics and symposia featuring industry leaders and practitioners focused on the practical realities of counseling clients, from startups to Fortune 500 companies.
Students confront business challenges which, in the era of social media and digital access, are evolving faster than ever. The FAME Center provides unique value on the intersection of law and business in the fashion, performing and visual arts, entertainment, sports, industrial design, media, and film and streaming industries.
The FAME Center builds on Cardozo’s core intellectual property curriculum focused on trademark, copyright and patent and privacy law. Faculty and FAME Board members sponsor events with industry leaders on topics including employment law, technology, digital media, finance, tax, licensing, mergers and acquisitions, compliance and enforcement. The curriculum has unparalleled subject-specific offerings critical to success in creative industries.
The FAME Center has provided externships that offer students practical experience and training at these organizations:
BBC | Center for Art Law | Christie's | DC Entertainment | Forbes | Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater | Atlantic Records (Warner Music Group) | The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) | Authentic Brands Group | Brooklyn Nets | Burberry | CBS | Chanel | Coach | David Yurman | Elizabeth Arden | Estee Lauder | FilmNation| Giorgio Armani | Harry Fox Agency | J.Crew | Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts | Macy's Inc. | Mandalay Entertainment Group | Marvel | Michael Kors | National Media Group | Prada, Razor & Tie LLC | RCA | Reuters | Roc Nation | SAG-AFTRA | ShopKeep | Sony Music Entertainment | SONY Music Group | SoulCycle | Starwood Capital | Stuart Weitzman | Universal Music Group | VaynerMedia | Viacom Inc. | Whitney Museum of American Art
2025-2026 FAME Advisory Board and Alumni
See a list of our renowned advisory board and FAME alumni.
The Hollywood Reporter Names Cardozo Among Top 13 Law Schools to Jumpstart Your Hollywood Career
Cardozo Law is the place to be for future entertainment lawyers.
#1 Leading Law School of the Top Music Lawyers
Did you know? Cardozo is Billboard's Leading Law School of the Top Music Lawyers! Our alumni spoke with Billboard about some of the music business's most pressing concerns. Read in the link below.
Find Your FAME
Michael Ecker ’25
Riann Colbert ’25
Perry Santos ’26
About the Director Barbara Kolsun
Barbara Kolsun ’82, Director of the FAME Center and Professor of Practice teaching Fashion Law and the Fashion Law Practicum, is a leading fashion industry attorney and co-editor of seminal texts on the subject including "The Business and Law of Fashion and Retail." Kolsun has served as General Counsel at Kate Spade, Stuart Weitzman and 7 for All Mankind and as Assistant General Counsel of WestPoint Stevens and Calvin Klein Jeans.
Related Courses
Fashion Coursework:
- Fashion Law
- Fashion Law Practicum (an advanced course pairing Cardozo students with students in the Fashion Institute of Technology’s Master's program in Global Fashion Management)
- Related Programs: Fashion Law Society, Fashion Law Talks
Art Coursework:
- Art Law
- Visual and Performing Arts Law Field Clinic
- Related Programs: Art Law Society, Art Law Society Speaker Series
Media Coursework:
- Media Law
- Advertising Law
- Music Law
- Privacy Law
- Social Media Law
- Internet Law
- Artificial Intelligence & the Law
- Privacy Law
- Related Programs: The Howard M. Squadron Program in Law, Media and Society; Monroe Price Media Law Moot Court Competition; BMI Moot Court Competition; Sports & Entertainment Law Society
Entertainment Coursework:
- Entertainment Law
- Music Law
- Sports & the Law
- Social Media Law
- Internet Law
- Filmmakers Legal Clinic
- Theatre Law
- Related Programs: The Howard M. Squadron Program in Law, Media and Society; BMI Moot Court Competition; Sports & Entertainment Law Society
Fashion Law Practicum
Students from Cardozo and the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) came together to present their capstone projects as part of the Fashion Law Practicum. This unique collaboration pairs law students with FIT’s Master’s students in Global Fashion Management—providing real-world legal guidance to emerging fashion startups.
FAME & Academia Cerebra
Starting in January 2025, Cardozo students will have the unique opportunity to enroll in Academia Cerebra’s Micro-Masters in Fashion and Luxury Brand Management. Academia Cerebra is Europe’s premier academy specializing in luxury fashion, where students learn directly from industry leaders, including two presidents, six CEOs, eleven board directors, and numerous analysts from the luxury and fashion sectors. This program will provide a comprehensive understanding of luxury markets and consumer behavior, equipping students with the knowledge and skills needed to excel in leadership roles across industries such as fashion, hospitality, beauty, and high-end consumer goods.
I was in attendance at the Women in Entertainment event and all I can say is wow — what an amazing panel! I came to Cardozo because of the FAME law program and these panels have been so informative, authentic, and simply wonderful.
In the music industry, it’s important to work to prevent disputes from the outset of agreements, and to try to preserve those relationships if a dispute arises.
Cardozo was good at emphasizing that we should be complementing our classes with real-world experience. I feel proud about coming back.
Adjunct Professor at Cardozo
Cardozo Students Support Luxury Law Summit Organized by Professor Barbara Kolsun
The Luxury Law Summit New York 2025 organized and chaired by Professor of Practice and FAME Center Director Barbara Kolsun, brought together the brightest minds in the luxury legal sector for a day of thought leadership, innovation, and strategic insight. Featuring experts and influential voices across the luxury business and legal landscape, the Summit provided an essential platform for knowledge-sharing and actionable guidance.
Cardozo Faculty Set the Trend in Fashion Law with New Casebook: "The Business and Law of Fashion and Retail"
Professor Barbara Kolsun, Director of Cardozo's FAME Center for fashion, art, media and entertainment law and Cardozo Adjunct Professor Douglas Hand co-edited the new casebook on the topic of fashion law and business: The Business and Law of Fashion and Retail. Published by Carolina Academic Press, it is the only law and business school casebook which covers not only intellectual property but sustainability, fashion finance, privacy, the new world of advertising, employment and a chapter on comparative international law.