libby morehouse
ENTERTAINMENT LEGAL PROFESSIONALS ON THE RISE: LIBBY MOREHOUSE
Written by: Milla Nguyen
I had the opportunity to interview my good friends and respected colleagues, Mehrin Saleem, Makayla Rabago, and Libby Morehouse. All three women graduated from Loyola Marymount Law School and are currently on their way from entertainment lawyers to attorneys. Libby Morehouse was born outside of Chicago. Then, her family moved to the state of Vermont. She studied political science in college but didn’t fully want to go into politics in the future. On the other hand, she double majored in theatre. She recalled pouring her passion into theatre during difficult times. For a year after graduating from college, she worked as a theatre technician on a cruise line. She said, “It’s a form of escapism. People could just come to my theatre and forget their worries. I didn’t want to let go of my dreams of working in law. Maybe, there was a way I could marry the two. This is when I started looking into entertainment law.”
She moved to LA and uprooted her life. I asked Libby why she specifically chose to attend Loyola Law School. She explained that LMU alumni exuded a sense of friendliness and community. She received a warm welcome, and this is what clicked for her. When she finally got to LMU, students were technically eligible to transfer to other law school programs. At first, she wondered if she wanted to, but ultimately chose to stay because she built a community at LMU. She mentioned Professor Shapiro, who constantly encouraged her to grow within the program.
During her time at LMU, she was the Senior Production Editor of the Entertainment Law Review (ELR). She said, “I have never been a part of a newspaper or journal before. I don’t consider myself someone who always enjoys writing. However, I was super interested in the community impact and the network of people. I enjoyed the research side and checking the citations.” When I asked Libby about special projects she worked on. She mentioned her case study on family Youtubers and mom vloggers. She said, “I saw what these mom influencers put their kids through. I researched privacy and protection laws. Because the moms are oversharing so much, that kid will have to look back and see the entire internet was watching them grow up.” She dove deeper into the proposed laws regarding this matter. She found that the Coogan laws passed in California helped fill the gap in child labor laws. Most of the laws prior excluded child entertainers and child celebrities. Pop singer and actor Demi Lovato released a documentary, Child Star, which comments on the passing of this legislation. Libby said, “Maybe my case study didn’t change the world, but it was cool knowing I was researching something that was actively happening at the moment. I want to be a part of positive legal change.”
Libby and I discussed the hierarchy of Hollywood. From the low-ranked interns to the high-level executives, laws must be implemented in order to prevent workplace abuse or unethical practices. She said, “We just have to hope for a better future. I not only hope for it, but I want to also actively work towards it. I think social media is a way for people to break down barriers and reach success. That structure is a bit easier than the traditional way. By gaining a platform, it’s hard to ignore those voices.” I asked Libby if she had any advice for filmmakers who are not experienced in deal-making or entertainment law. She said, “I recommend everyone to take an IP class. Your value in the industry is your intellectual property.
If you don’t go to law school, it’s impossible to know everything. Still, you need to align yourself with your agent and the executives who are willing to work with you instead of taking over completely. You need to have a lawyer who will point out important aspects. If you’re a filmmaker who is younger in experience, there will be a limit to your rights and say in the deals.” Libby asked me the questions: Are you okay with giving up merchandise rights or rewriting capacity control? Is it a project that you want to shop off and be done with as long as it’s made? Is the project so intimate that you don’t want to forfeit the whole creative vision?
Libby made points that are essential to deal making. She recommends people look at sample contracts to learn these legal terms. She presents an analogy: your creative rights are a bundle of sticks. It’s up to you to decide how many sticks (rights) you want to give away and keep. How many sticks are you willing to give away on each project? Once you give up those rights, you can’t get them back.
She also mentioned that screenwriting is very integrated with legal matters. For documentaries or biopics, the writer must be careful about defamation and the acquisition of life rights. She said, “People in entertainment care about image. That is the business. People care about perception. If your lawyer tells you to edit your script, you should probably listen. Minimize the risk of lawsuits, pick your battles.”
Libby’s current position is at Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani, a large law firm in Los Angeles. She works in employment litigation. She said, “No matter the industry, nothing gets done without employment contracts. I want to apply this to other entertainment law positions in the future. Learning these skills will allow me to better represent my clients. Studios hire their counterparts at these big law firms because they know they can be great negotiators. My end goal is I want to be a talent attorney. I want to help artists protect their IP, especially as these major studios consolidate more and more. I want to fight for art.”
I asked Libby if she could describe herself in three words. Libby acknowledges that the legal industry is not easy. Whether she is reviewing cases or collaborating with team members, she feels that it is draining. She said that she feels weird or out of place at times because there’s so much to learn, see, and understand. Still, this doesn’t stop her. She is immensely passionate about what she does. Her moral goals also drive her. She said, “I’m internally driven. I know what changes I want to see in the world. I don’t know how to get there, but I know where my intentions are.”
When I met Libby, I could tell she was intelligent, bright, and enthusiastic. Her curiosity for life was contagious. In the legal and filmmaking professions, the two fields are bound by the idea of keeping that creative spark alive. As Libby mentioned, it is important to build yourself with strong moral intentions. Libby said that community is also extremely important to her. She believes that’s the heart of storytelling. She said, “One can enrich the other. While I’m not a filmmaker, I can help give a voice to those who may not have one in court. I can help move these projects forward.”
Finally, I asked if she had anyone she would like to thank or acknowledge during this journey. Libby said, “My entire immediate family. I have to talk about my Mom. While driving home from the grocery stores on Sundays, I chat with her about my day. She’s truly my best friend, and she grounds me. Everyone at Entertainment Law Review, especially Alyssa Garcia. She and I ran the Malibu half marathon and trained together. Last, I would like to thank Allison Binder, who is an amazing attorney and mentored me throughout law school. She’s always been someone who has encouraged me.”