Why "protect your magic"?
Hint: I read more Sagan than Starhawk.
In my legal practice, every client starts with a comprehensive, integrative assessment of her intellectual property, collaborations, career, finances, hopes, and fears.
We call this assessment Protect Your Magic.
“Magic” is a capacious and flexible container that can include visual art, writing, music, ritual, guidance - pretty much anything. We use this word in the office because we work with a diversity of creative clients and happily advise them on any kind of content that can be legally protected. (And some that can’t - we’ll definitely cover that topic in future newsletters!) My approach to “magic” is a blend of my legal expertise, feminist orientation, training as an art historian, extensive practice of witchcraft, and decades in psychotherapy. In my day job, I make responsible decisions about which of these knowledges to draw on, when, and with whom.
A newsletter is also a flexible and capacious container. I self-censor regularly as a lawyer (as I should), so this newsletter is a place to explore the intellectual paths not taken: the fascinating legal cases that I couldn’t apply to the matter on my desk, my burning desire for a theory of intersectional copyright law, and the holy intellectual trinity of Lewis Hyde, adrienne maree brown, and Silvia Federici. Among many, many other subjects because I am rapaciously curious.
Sometimes I will offer insights that have marinated for years - writings that were studied and vetted by mentors and peers but never published. Sometimes I will interview my favorite thinkers, writers, and makers. Sometimes I will wax excitedly and at length about someone else’s work because I’m all fired up and dying to discuss it. Sometimes it might be a lot of related links sewn together by a single thread, as I love a good archive.
About Katherine:
I grew up in New York City, received my BA, JD, and PhD in art history and visual studies from Duke University, and had a brief-yet-harrowing stint in museums before founding a virtual and concierge law firm that caters exclusively to creative clients.
I am an attorney who helps conscious creatives understand intellectual property laws, collaborate with confidence, and make money as ethically as possible in our late capitalist hellscape. Through decades of work with hundreds of cultural businesses, I’ve seen firsthand that conflict chokes creativity and adversarial stances turn lovely people into total assholes. I might be the most sensitive, woo-woo lawyer you’ve ever met, because my data shows being polite and following your intuition means less stress and more abundance for everyone involved.
In addition to being a valued consigliere to clients who don’t suck, I’m a formally-trained art historian. I know how to see, describe, and cultivate creative brillance, which helps me interpret every artistic gesture as history in the making. Contemporary art is my area of specialty, but I regularly delve into the past to find guidance and context for understanding today’s world.
I live in a little forest cabin in with my partner-in-all-things, Robert, and my 10-year-old, twice-exceptional (gifted and dyslexic) daughter. You can follow us on Instagram, the only social media platform I can tolerate.
Our Schedule:
A newsletter on a matter of art, law, history, technology, and/or feminism will sail from me to you on Friday afternoons. At the end, you’ll find a reading list. I’ll tell you what I liked that week, why, and where to find it. (Obsessive archival behavior is my last concession to academia. I READ A LOT.)
No Hate Speech. No Shame. No Judgement. No Exceptions.
I am committed to building a supportive, shame-free community. As such, I moderate comments. By engaging with my work, you agree to the following:
Debate is natural, but kindness is non-negotiable.
There are no stupid questions, so feel free to be curious. Shaming and judgmental replies kill curiosity, so please be mindful of your tone.
Degrading comments towards any race, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, or disability will not be tolerated. Additional content that will be met with immediate removal: sexually explicit commentary, promotion of illegal activity, ad hominem attacks, and any sort of harassment.
What-about-isms will be met with swift sarcasm. I appreciate curiosity but do not have time for nonsense.
As the lawyers say: Miscellany
Every new edition of the newsletter goes directly to your inbox. It is free and will always be free. Sharing is the best support you can offer!
I love reader questions and ideas. If you have an idea for a future newsletter, please email me at hello@implementlegal.com with “idea” in the subject line. You can also reach my team at that email with any other concerns.