Robert C. Lind
Paul E. Treusch Professor of Law Emeritus
B.E.S., summa cum laude, Legal and Intellectual History, 1976, University of Minnesota; J.D., 1979, Teaching Fellow, 1979-81, and LL.M., 1983, with highest honors, George Washington University; Phi Beta Kappa; Phi Kappa Phi; Member, California State and District of Columbia Bars
A former semi-professional musician, Robert Lind combined his interest in the arts and law to become an expert in several aspects of entertainment, media and intellectual property law. A prolific writer, he is the author or co-author of widely used casebooks, treatises and study guides on entertainment law, art law, museum law, and media law, as well as copyright and trademark. He frequently shares his insights regarding emerging legal developments in these areas at programs sponsored by the intellectual property, entertainment and media law sections of the American Bar Association, California State Bar, Los Angeles County Bar Association, Beverly Hills Bar Association, and other local bar groups, nonprofit arts organizations, the legal departments of motion picture studios, music publishers and record companies, as well as the news media.
"After having taught more than 70 copyright law classes, I have learned two major truths: Copyright is the bedrock upon which civilization rests, and there is no greater calling than to teach copyright law. The move from an industrial society to an information society is having a tremendous impact on copyright law. It is interesting to teach a subject when its fundamental underpinnings are being questioned."
Professor Lind began his law career as a consultant to the American Law Institute-American Bar Association (ALI-ABA), and the American Association of Museums in Washington, D.C., assisting in the research and writing of Museum Trusteeship and Serving Two Masters, a work regarding conflicts of interests in museums. As a teaching fellow at the National Law Center at George Washington University, he taught legal research, writing and professional responsibility and also taught labor history at Marymount College of Virginia.
Since 1981, Professor Lind has been a member of the faculty at Southwestern where he has continued to develop cutting-edge entertainment, intellectual property, and media law courses, seminars, externships and practicums. He has worked to provide employment opportunities to numerous alums interested in practicing entertainment and media law. He assisted in the founding of the Southwestern Entertainment and Intellectual Property Alumni Association (SWEIP). Professor Lind was honored as the Irving D. and Florence Rosenberg Professor of Law in 2001, and as the Paul E. Treusch Professor of Law in 2005. In 2006, he was honored with the Upper Division Professor Excellence in Teaching Award. In 2008, he received the Outstanding Friend Award from the Southwestern Law School Alumni Association. Professor Lind served as Director of the Biederman Entertainment and Media Law Institute in 2009-10. In 2015, he was named the Irwin R. Buchalter Professor of Law. From 2016 - 2018, he served as Co-Director of Biederman Entertainment and Media Law Institute with Neil Ollivierra.