Sara Vela

Background

About Sara Vela

Proud Mexican-American with a passion for international entertainment and intellectual property law.I began my journey while earning my undergraduate degree in Radio-Television-Film at UT Austin. During my time there I produced a variety of projects, including my own web series where I took on the role of showrunner, learning the ins and outs of every single step in the development process. These experiences ignited my fascination with the business side of the entertainment industry, especially in dealing with contracts, and led me to apply to law school.I enrolled in Southwestern Law School's intensive 2-year SCALE program where I graduated with my J.D. with a focus in Entertainment Law. My studies took me to London with the Biederman Institute’s International Entertainment Law Program where I learned the intricacies of common entertainment law contract provisions. I honed my drafting and redlining skills and began to understand the difference between industry norms for IP rights of various countries. I further developed experience with clients in the entertainment field as a clinician at Southwestern's Entertainment & The Arts Legal Clinic, as well as in my externship with Rosen Law Group. I worked with real clients, projects, and co-counsel everyday to get film, tv, podcast, music, and stage projects distributed and protected. I also became a student editor of the ABA Journal of International Media & Entertainment Law, where I learned about the powerful role of media on the global stage (and perfect grammar and citations).I'm a lifelong learner and creator at heart. I am fluent in Spanish and have been attending language lessons weekly for the past few years, gaining basic proficiency and the ability to read and write Mandarin. While attending law school in Koreatown, Los Angeles, I also learned basic Korean. I produce and self-publish music in my free time under the name saraeli, and have firsthand experience in registering my own copyright.I aspire to be able to combine my desire to challenge myself through analytical work with my passion for entertainment through practicing IP Law and just sat for the July 2024 California Bar Exam. I also hope to one day be able to use my ever-evolving language skills in working with international clients. Bringing creative ideas to life, protecting them, and connecting them to audiences through any artistic medium is not merely a line of work I fell into, but something I truly believe in.