{"id":1537,"date":"2025-01-03T10:46:55","date_gmt":"2025-01-03T15:46:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/clinics.law.harvard.edu\/tlc\/?p=1537"},"modified":"2025-01-03T10:46:55","modified_gmt":"2025-01-03T15:46:55","slug":"harmony-and-justice","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/clinics.law.harvard.edu\/tlc\/harmony-and-justice\/","title":{"rendered":"Harmony and Justice"},"content":{"rendered":"

[Originally posted by the Office of Clinical and Pro Bono Programs, Clinical Spotlight<\/a>]<\/p>\n

One musician-turned-law student\u2019s journey to advocate for artists<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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Krysta Hyppolite \u201925<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n
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When Krysta Hyppolite \u201825 first picked up a cello, she did not envision herself poring over legal contracts or advising fellow musicians on trademark law. Yet her experiences since\u00a0that day\u2014in orchestras, in recording studios,\u00a0playing gigs from weddings to musicals\u2014illuminated\u00a0the challenges facing working musicians. Now as a 3L at Harvard Law School, Hyppolite is ready to get back to work in the music world, with an understanding of\u00a0the complex intersection of arts and law and\u00a0the limitations of legal solutions in protecting\u00a0musicians\u2019\u00a0interests.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m a cellist, and my background is really in music,\u201d says Hyppolite, who completed her undergraduate studies at NYU with a double major in cello performance and politics. After earning an artist diploma in cello performance, she immersed herself in the professional music world,\u00a0substituting\u00a0in orchestras\u00a0across the country, playing in theater production, and doing recording work.<\/p>\n

Her transition to law school was shaped by both personal and family experiences. Growing up with a father in the record label industry, Hyppolite witnessed firsthand how technological\u00a0disruption\u00a0and economic uncertainty could impact musicians\u2019 livelihoods. \u201cDuring the 2008 recession, seeing how file sharing changed the industry \u2013 there was definitely risk,\u201d she explains. \u201cEveryone told me,\u00a0\u2018You\u00a0can be a musician, but you can\u2019t\u00a0just\u00a0<\/em>be a musician.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

With an inclination towards studying government and politics, law school was always on Hyppolite\u2019s mind as a natural next step. Working as a professional musician opened her eyes to systemic issues within the industry. \u201cAs I continue to work in music, it\u2019s a pretty messed up industry\u00a0and a lot happens\u00a0that really isn\u2019t right. I\u00a0thought that going to law school\u00a0would be a good way to help musicians,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0Recording Artists Project (RAP)<\/a>\u00a0became a crucial factor in her\u00a0decision. \u201cThe Recording Artists Project is one of the reasons why I decided to come to Harvard,\u201d Hyppolite\u00a0says.\u00a0RAP is a student practice organization\u00a0where\u00a0students, under the supervision of\u00a0clinical instructor and lecturer on law\u00a0Carmen Halford,\u00a0offer pro bono legal assistance to musicians and other entertainment clients.\u00a0\u201cMost law schools\u00a0I looked at didn\u2019t have opportunities where I could get experience working with musicians right out of the gate,\u201d\u00a0Hyppolite adds.<\/p>\n

She dove into work with RAP her 1L year, creating producer agreements, contracts, and participating in the\u00a0Mondo.NYC\u00a0Conference<\/a>\u00a0to offer pro bono legal counseling to musicians beginning their careers.\u00a0Amid\u00a0a challenging 1L year, Hyppolite\u2019s work with RAP offered a reaffirming boost. \u201cI knew that litigation wasn\u2019t for me, and 1L work is very\u00a0litigation heavy. Getting to do what I came\u00a0to law school to\u00a0do through RAP was a reminder that I don\u2019t need to jump to the conclusion that law school isn\u2019t for me.\u201d<\/p>\n

As a 2L and 3L, Hyppolite has served as a Team Lead in RAP, guiding new students through their projects and\u00a0fostering the organization\u2019s professional community.\u00a0The work hasn\u2019t stopped there\u2014Hyppolite also spent two semesters in the\u00a0Transactional Law Clinics (TLC)<\/a>.<\/p>\n

In TLC, Hyppolite was able to work with even more clients in the\u00a0entertainment law\u00a0space.\u00a0Her projects have ranged from helping artists navigate record deals to advising on music video contracts.\u00a0In the clinic, Hyppolite has had a chance to see the challenges entertainers are facing from a new angle, learning more about when the law can help and where it can impose limitations.<\/p>\n

One particularly memorable client stands\u00a0out: \u201cWe had\u00a0very similar backgrounds in doing classical music, but also doing things in a variety of genres,\u201d she says.\u00a0The clinic\u00a0was working with the client on music licensing issues.\u00a0\u201cThis is somebody who was pretty legally savvy, who wanted to do things right,\u201d Hyppolite recalls.\u00a0\u201cHe did a lot of cover songs, and he always wanted to get licenses to do those cover songs.\u201d<\/p>\n

The\u00a0experience highlighted a crucial disconnect between legal requirements and practical reality. \u201cYou hear about all these efforts that the government has made to make music licensing easy. And then you do this work, and you figure out licensing\u00a0actually isn\u2019t\u00a0very easy in a lot of cases,\u201d\u00a0she\u00a0explains. \u201cWhen somebody\u2019s trying to do the right thing, and there are all these obstacles in the way \u2013 how do you advise them?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hyppolite\u2019s unique position as a musician and soon-to-be J.D. has given her insight into the systemic challenges facing working artists. \u201cSystems evolve to make things easy for big corporations, but what\u2019s easy for them is not easy for a five-person band trying to license songs and do what they need to do,\u201d she says. \u201cThe biggest issue is that things haven\u2019t evolved for the everyday working musician.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her legal education has also revealed structural inequities within the music industry, particularly regarding labor protection. \u201cMost musicians aren\u2019t allowed to unionize,\u201d she notes. \u201cBasically, only symphony musicians can unionize. And while the union protects classical musicians, I find they mostly protect classical musicians that are in the top orchestras.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Krysta Hyppolite \u201925<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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These revelations have led Hyppolite to reassess her career trajectory. \u201cI personally have concluded that the law is definitely important and necessary, but I don\u2019t think that is the best way to help musicians,\u201d she explains. \u201cI\u2019m definitely looking more into business careers and to playing music a lot more.\u201d<\/p>\n

Looking ahead, Hyppolite plans to continue straddling both worlds. As she approaches graduation, she\u2019s even considering going on tour \u2013\u00a0which she\u2019s been preparing for\u00a0this year as she balances gigs (from string quartets at weddings to a production of\u00a0Annie<\/em>) with her legal studies. Her journey suggests that while legal knowledge can be a powerful tool for change, the most effective solutions might lie beyond the courtroom, in the spaces where business, art, and advocacy intersect.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

[Originally posted by the Office of Clinical and Pro Bono Programs, Clinical Spotlight] One musician-turned-law student\u2019s journey to advocate for artists When Krysta Hyppolite \u201825 first picked up a cello, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":159,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[20,11,12],"class_list":["post-1537","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","tag-entertainment-law","tag-recording-artists-project","tag-transactional-law-clinic"],"featured_image_src":null,"featured_image_src_square":null,"author_info":{"display_name":"ahorn","author_link":"https:\/\/clinics.law.harvard.edu\/tlc\/author\/ahorn\/"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/clinics.law.harvard.edu\/tlc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1537","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/clinics.law.harvard.edu\/tlc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/clinics.law.harvard.edu\/tlc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/clinics.law.harvard.edu\/tlc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/159"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/clinics.law.harvard.edu\/tlc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1537"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/clinics.law.harvard.edu\/tlc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1537\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/clinics.law.harvard.edu\/tlc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1537"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/clinics.law.harvard.edu\/tlc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1537"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/clinics.law.harvard.edu\/tlc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1537"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}