Dina LaPolt is an American entertainment
lawyer
A lawyer is a person who is qualified to offer advice about the law, draft legal documents, or represent individuals in legal matters.
The exact nature of a lawyer's work varies depending on the legal jurisdiction and the legal system, as w ...
and artist rights advocate based in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
,
California
California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
.
[
] After an early career in the music industry, she became an entertainment lawyer in 1997. She is the founder and owner of LaPolt Law.
[
]
Early life and education
LaPolt became an attorney in 1997
[
] after being in the music industry from age 13. Formerly a musician, LaPolt performed in multiple rock bands on the East Coast (1980-1990s). LaPolt later became a club promoter and artist manager working for Streetgang Productions.
[
] She received her bachelor's degree in music from the
State University of New York at New Paltz
The State University of New York at New Paltz (SUNY New Paltz or New Paltz) is a public university in New Paltz, New York. It traces its origins to the New Paltz Classical School, a secondary institution founded in 1828 and reorganized as an ...
.
In 1991 LaPolt relocated from
New York City
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
to the
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a List of regions of California, region of California surrounding and including San Francisco Bay, and anchored by the cities of Oakland, San Francisco, and San Jose, California, S ...
, where she taught guitar lessons and played lead guitar in the
all-female band
An all-female band is a musical ensemble, musical group in popular music that is exclusively composed of female musicians. This is distinct from a girl group, in which the female members are solely vocalists, though this terminology is not universa ...
Irresistible Impulse, named after
the criminal law defense. The band became influential in the gay and lesbian club scene. LaPolt often used the stage to advocate for gay rights. In 1993, she enrolled in law school at
John F. Kennedy University
John F. Kennedy University was a private university based in California with offices in San Jose, California. The university was founded in 1965 to offer degrees and certificates for non-traditional higher education students, taught mostly by adj ...
in
Walnut Creek. Shortly after passing the California bar exam, LaPolt moved to Los Angeles in June 1997.
[
]
Career
LaPolt's early entertainment law clients were Playboy Playmates including
Carrie Stevens and
Victoria Silvstedt
Karin Victoria Silvstedt (born 19 September 1974)''Expressen'', 29 October 2004. is a Swedish actress, singer, Playboy Playmate, television host, and beauty pageant titleholder. She participated in Miss World 1993, then branching into modelling ...
. In 2001 she founded LaPolt Law, a Los Angeles-based law firm representing entertainers and entrepreneurs.
Among LaPolt's earliest clients was the activist
Afeni Shakur
Afeni Shakur Davis (born Alice Faye Williams; January 10, 1947 – May 2, 2016) was an American political activist and member of the Black Panther Party. Shakur was the mother of rapper Tupac Shakur and the executor of his estate. She founded th ...
, mother of late rapper
Tupac Shakur
Tupac Amaru Shakur (; born Lesane Parish Crooks; June 16, 1971 – September 13, 1996), also known by his stage names 2Pac and Makaveli, was an American rapper and actor, regarded as one of the greatest and most influential rappers of all tim ...
. From 1998 to 2010, LaPolt was the entertainment attorney for the
Tupac Shakur
Tupac Amaru Shakur (; born Lesane Parish Crooks; June 16, 1971 – September 13, 1996), also known by his stage names 2Pac and Makaveli, was an American rapper and actor, regarded as one of the greatest and most influential rappers of all tim ...
estate, and served on the board of the Tupac Amaru Shakur Foundation and the
Tupac Amaru Shakur Center for the Arts
The Tupac Amaru Shakur Center for the Arts, based in Stone Mountain, Georgia, was a performing arts center supported through the Shakur Family Foundation. The Shakur Center's mission was to provide opportunities for young people through the arts ...
.
[
] Alongside Afeni Shakur, LaPolt oversaw the release of ten posthumous Tupac albums and several books, including
The Rose That Grew from Concrete
''The Rose That Grew from Concrete'' is a posthumous album based on the poetry/writings of Tupac Shakur, released on November 21, 2000. This album features a large cast of celebrities reading Shakur's poetry and writing, much in the spirit of ...
, ''
2Pac's Greatest Hits'', ''
Better Dayz
''Better Dayz'' is the eighth studio album and fourth posthumous album by the late American rapper 2Pac. It is his last double-album.
It was released on November 26, 2002, debuting at number five on the US ''Billboard'' 200. The album is the se ...
'', and ''
Until the End of Time''.
[
][
]
In 2013, LaPolt assisted
deadmau5
Joel Thomas Zimmerman (born January 5, 1981), known professionally as deadmau5 (pronounced "dead-mouse"), is a Canadian electronic music producer and disc jockey, DJ. His musical style mostly includes progressive house and electro house music, ...
in settling his trademark dispute with
The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company, commonly referred to as simply Disney, is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was founded on October 16 ...
.
[
] Disney argued that Zimmerman's signature mau5head headgear and logo resembled their Mickey Mouse cartoon character, thus attempting to block his trademark registration.
[
]
In October 2016, LaPolt gave a TED Talk on the importance of standing up for songwriters.
After the 2017 departure of
Camila Cabello
Karla Camila Cabello Estrabao (; ; born March 3, 1997) is an American singer and songwriter. She rose to prominence as a member of the Pop music, pop girl group Fifth Harmony, one of the List of best-selling girl groups, best-selling girl gro ...
, LaPolt renegotiated
Fifth Harmony
Fifth Harmony, often shortened to 5H, is an American girl group based in Miami, composed of Ally Brooke, Normani, Dinah Jane, Lauren Jauregui, and formerly Camila Cabello until her departure from the group in December 2016. The group signed a ...
's contract with Epic Records, and helped the group regain control of their brand.
In 2018 LaPolt took on
The White House
The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., it has served as the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in 1800 whe ...
and for the second time shut down President
Donald Trump
Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...
for unlicensed use of her client,
Steven Tyler
Steven Victor Tallarico (born March 26, 1948), known professionally as Steven Tyler, is an American singer and songwriter. Tyler is best known as the lead singer of the Boston-based rock band Aerosmith, in which he also plays the keyboards, h ...
's, music during Trump's rallies.
In February 2019, LaPolt helped secure the release of her client, rapper
21 Savage
Shéyaa Bin Abraham-Joseph (born October 22, 1992), known professionally as 21 Savage, is an American-British rapper. Born in London and raised in Atlanta, he began his recording career in 2013 and released three independent mixtapes to regiona ...
(She'yaa Bin Abraham-Joseph) from
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
The United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE; ) is a Federal law enforcement in the United States, federal law enforcement agency under the United States Department of Homeland Security. ICE's stated mission is to protect the Un ...
Detention after he was unfairly targeted by the Trump Administration due to his race and immigration status. On February 12, 2019, 21 Savage was released on bond.
In 2019 LaPolt became the youngest person and the second woman to receive The Recording Academy's Service Award at its annual Entertainment Law Initiative event. That same year she was inducted into Billboard's Women in Music Hall of Fame.
From 2002 to 2019, LaPolt taught ''"Legal and Practical Aspects of the Music Business”'' in the Entertainment Studies Department at
UCLA Extension
UCLA Extension is a public continuing education institution headquartered in Westwood, Los Angeles, on the campus of the University of California, Los Angeles. Classes are held at UCLA, in Downtown Los Angeles, and other locations throughout Los ...
,
[
] and has taught and lectured throughout the U.S., Canada and Europe. She is the editor of the book, ''Building Your Artist's Brand as a Business'', published in 2012 by the International Association of Entertainment Lawyers in
Cannes, France
Cannes (, ; , ; ) is a city located on the French Riviera. It is a commune located in the Alpes-Maritimes department, and host city of the annual Cannes Film Festival, Midem, and Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. The city is ...
.
[
]
Film and television
LaPolt served as an executive producer of the reality series on
AXS TV
AXS TV () is an American cable television channel majority-owned by Canadian broadcaster Anthem Sports & Entertainment. It is devoted primarily to music-related programming (such as concert films, documentaries, and reality series involving musi ...
called ''Real Money'', chronicling her client
Eddie Money
Edward Joseph Money ( Mahoney; March 21, 1949September 13, 2019) was an American singer and songwriter who, in the 1970s and 1980s, had eleven Top 40 songs, including " Baby Hold On", " Two Tickets to Paradise", " Think I'm in Love", " Shakin' ...
and his family of seven. The show was released in April 2018, and ran for two seasons. LaPolt also was an associate producer on ''
Becoming Chaz
Chaz Salvatore Bono (born Chastity Sun Bono; March 4, 1969) is an American writer, musician and actor. His parents are entertainers Sonny Bono and Cher, and he became widely known in appearances as a child on their television show, ''The Sonn ...
'', a documentary released in 2011 discussing the gender transformation of
Chaz Bono
Chaz Salvatore Bono (born Chastity Sun Bono; March 4, 1969) is an American writer, musician and actor. His parents are entertainers Sonny Bono and Cher, and he became widely known in appearances as a child on their television show, ''The Sonn ...
.
LaPolt was a co-producer of the Oscar-nominated 2003 documentary ''
Tupac: Resurrection''. In 2022, LaPolt was engaged by the Shakur estate to produce ''Peace, Love & Respect: The Afeni Shakur Story'', chronicling the activist's work as a key figure in the
Black Panther party
The Black Panther Party (originally the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense) was a Marxism–Leninism, Marxist–Leninist and Black Power movement, black power political organization founded by college students Bobby Seale and Huey P. Newto ...
.
Advocacy
LaPolt has been involved in legislative advocacy efforts on behalf of the music community. In 2013, LaPolt helped write proposed legislation on the right of privacy for celebrities and other public figures in the state of Hawaii along with Senator Kalani English, D-Maui.
[
][
] The “
Steven Tyler Act” passed through the state Senate with only one opposing vote.
[
] Although the measure failed in the House of Representatives two months later, the legislation stayed active for two years.
[
][
]
She has also submitted comment papers to the United States Patent and Trademark Office, the United States Copyright Office and Department of Justice on various legislative issues. In October 2015, LaPolt spoke in front of members of the U.S. House Judiciary Committee at UCLA as part of their ongoing review of copyright law.
In 2015, LaPolt helped found songwriter advocacy group the
Songwriters of North America
Songwriters of Northern America (SONA) is a not-for-profit trade organization for songwriters' rights. It was founded by Michelle Lewis and Kay Hanley in January 2015, in order to advocate for fair remuneration for songwriters in the era of stream ...
(SONA) with songwriters
Michelle Lewis
Michelle Robin Lewis (born ) is a singer-songwriter from United States who has released two solo albums. She has since worked as a songwriter for artists including Cher, Shawn Colvin, Hilary Duff, Kay Hanley and Kelly Osbourne.
Biography
Mic ...
and
Kay Hanley
Kay Hanley (born September 11, 1968) is an American singer and songwriter. She is best known as the vocalist for the alternative rock band Letters to Cleo.
Life and career
Hanley grew up in Dorchester, Massachusetts, across the street from the ...
. SONA has grown to now include over 600 songwriters including
Kara DioGuardi
Kara Elizabeth DioGuardi ( ; December 9, 1970) is an American songwriter, record producer, music publisher, A&R executive, and singer. She primarily writes music in the pop rock genre. She has worked with many popular artists; sales of albums ...
,
Siedah Garrett
Deborah Christine "Siedah" Garrett (born June 24, 1960) is an American singer and songwriter who has written songs and performed backing vocals for many recording artists in the music industry, such as Michael Jackson, the Pointer Sisters, Brand ...
,
Justin Tranter
Justin Drew Tranter (born June 16, 1980) is an American songwriter, singer, and activist. Tranter has written songs for artists such as Britney Spears, Gwen Stefani, Linkin Park, Kelly Clarkson, Sara Bareilles, Selena Gomez, Justin Bieber, DNCE, ...
, Mozella, Busbee, Priscilla Renea,
Diane Warren
Diane Eve Warren (born September 7, 1956) is an American songwriter. She has won an Academy Honorary Award, Grammy Award, an Emmy Award, two Golden Globe Awards and three consecutive ''Billboard'' Music Awards for Songwriter of the Year from 19 ...
, Claudia Brant,
Steven Tyler
Steven Victor Tallarico (born March 26, 1948), known professionally as Steven Tyler, is an American singer and songwriter. Tyler is best known as the lead singer of the Boston-based rock band Aerosmith, in which he also plays the keyboards, h ...
,
Joe Perry, Rick Nowels, Darrell Brown, Dave Bassett, and
21 Savage
Shéyaa Bin Abraham-Joseph (born October 22, 1992), known professionally as 21 Savage, is an American-British rapper. Born in London and raised in Atlanta, he began his recording career in 2013 and released three independent mixtapes to regiona ...
. LaPolt also serves as an attorney advisor to the GRAMMY Creators Alliance, announced during the
2015 GRAMMY Awards
The 57th Annual Grammy Awards were held on February 8, 2015, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. The show was broadcast live by CBS at 5:00 p.m. PST ( UTC−8). Rapper LL Cool J hosted the show for the fourth consecutive time. ...
broadcast.
In 2016,
orchestrated the filing of on behalf of the Songwriters of North America in connection with the DOJ's mandate requiring 100% licensing by each of the major Performing Rights Organizations.
[
In 2017, LaPolt worked with members of Congress to write and introduce the ]Music Modernization Act
The Orrin G. Hatch–Bob Goodlatte Music Modernization Act, or Music Modernization Act or MMA (, ) is United States legislation signed into law on October 11, 2018, aimed to modernize copyright-related issues for music and audio recordings due ...
(MMA), which changed the way songwriters are paid for use of their works by streaming services. In April 2018, LaPolt was recognized on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives by the MMA's author, Congressman Doug Collins, R-Ga., for her work spearheading the MMA. In September 2018, the Music Modernization Act was unanimously passed in the U.S. Senate.
In March 2020, again through the Songwriters of North America
Songwriters of Northern America (SONA) is a not-for-profit trade organization for songwriters' rights. It was founded by Michelle Lewis and Kay Hanley in January 2015, in order to advocate for fair remuneration for songwriters in the era of stream ...
and as well as the Nashville Songwriters Association International
The Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI) is a 501(c) Non-profit organization, not-for-profit trade organization that works to help songwriters in three ways: through legislative advocacy, through education and advice about the ...
, LaPolt was instrumental in advocating for independent contractors, sole proprietors, and the self employed to be added to the Federal Government's stimulus bill, the CARES Act, ensuring eligibility for artist's for federal relief during the COVID-19 pandemic. The revisions to the bill allowed coverage for songwriters, producers, and music artists, as well as others in the music industry, whose business was disrupted due to the Government's stay-at-home mandates.
LaPolt is also an active member on the Executive Leadership Council of the Black Music Action Coalition. In 2021, she was honored for her activism in the Black community as the recipient of The Black Music Action Coalition's Agent of Change Award alongside civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump
Benjamin Lloyd Crump (born October 10, 1969) is an American attorney who specializes in civil rights and catastrophic personal injury cases such as wrongful death lawsuits. His practice has focused on cases such as those of Trayvon Martin, Bre ...
.
In September 2022, working alongside Congressman Hank Johnson and Congressman Jamaal Bowman
Jamaal Anthony Bowman (born April 1, 1976) is an American former politician and former educator who served from 2021 to 2025 as the United States representative for New York's 16th congressional district.
Bowman is the founder and former princi ...
, LaPolt helped to develop new Federal legislation, the ''Restoring Artistic Protection (RAP) Act'' to the US House of Representatives . The RAP Act “ rotectsartist from the use of their lyrics against them as legal evidence in criminal and civil cases,” and is the first of its kind at the federal level. The act is a layer of protection for the hip-hop genre in particular, a sector of music that LaPolt says the courts “fundamentally misunderstand” due to underlying racial prejudices. The California version of the bill, the ''Decriminalizing Artistic Expression Act'', was signed into California law by Governor Gavin Newsom on October 1, 2022.
Awards and honors
*2011 Best in Biz Awards: Best Music Business Attorney National Association of Record Industry Professionals
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lapolt, Dina
Living people
Year of birth missing (living people)
Lawyers from Los Angeles
John F. Kennedy University College of Law alumni
Place of birth missing (living people)
American LGBTQ businesspeople
20th-century American lawyers
20th-century American women lawyers
21st-century American lawyers
21st-century American women lawyers