Nonprofit Partner Spotlight: Philadelphia Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts (PVLA)

Philadelphia Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts (PVLA) connects low income individual artists and inventors, artist collectives, and small budget arts & cultural organizations in the Greater Philadelphia region with volunteer lawyers who contribute upwards of $1 million dollars in pro bono legal assistance each year. PVLA offers speaking engagements, consultation, and full service legal representation to clients, and educational programs, including CLEs, for lawyers and nonprofit leaders. Within the last ten years, PVLA volunteer lawyers have contributed more than 36,000 hours of pro bono legal services to the arts & cultural community, providing volunteer legal referrals for more than 200 artists, 50 arts organizations, and 10 arts collectives. Volunteer lawyers are needed to assist with a wide range of matters, including intellectual property protection and licensing, incorporation, employment counseling, contract drafting and interpretation, tax and business counseling. PVLA is supported by generous donations from individuals, law firms, foundations and government. In early 2022, PVLA was awarded a prestigious American Rescue Plan grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, allowing them to further their mission of empowering artists.