Jerry Glover is teaching an entertainment law course at John Marshall Law School for the fifth consecutive summer, a challenging task for student and teacher.
"It's always funny talking to students in their 20s," said Glover, 60, who lives in Chicago's East Lakeview neighborhood. " [ The students ] just don't know a lot of the entertainment history that I do because, well, quite simply, they just weren't around."
He laughs, but has adjusted his teaching accordingly—he now explains who a person is from the past, and doesn't just assume they know.
Glover is a veteran Chicago-based entertainment lawyer who, last December, joined forces with Thomas Leavens and Peter Strand to create a new firm representing artists and companies in television, radio, film, music, publishing, theatre, and in the new online and mobile media.
The trio are Leavens, Strand & Glover, LLC—as it says on the door to their 25th floor office in downtown Chicago.
"It's a little daunting at first because you know that you're one of three responsible for whatever happens, good or bad," he said, laughing. "But it's been terrific."
The three have known each other for more than 20 years.
Glover, who is openly gay and very supportive of the local LGBT community, came to Chicago in 1980 from Arkansas—and he came at the time because he had been offered a teaching position at John Marshall, where he stayed for five years. ( He returned to John Marshall five years ago, and is now completing his 10th combined year at the school. )
"Arkansas is a very pretty state, and I met some terrific people and had some wonderful experiences there, but the state motto is, Land Of Opportunity. Some of us believe that is the opportunity to get out, which is what I did," he said. "Actually, there just is not a lot of what I practice in Arkansas."
Glover, after leaving John Marshall the first time, was the Senior vice President and General Counsel to Chicago's public television station, WTTW, as well as that company's commercial radio station, WFMT. He continues to serve as outside counsel to both stations.
Glover's specialty is entertainment law, which also includes copyright and trademark law.
"Entertainment law is basically a compilation of a bunch of different types of law, primarily contract law as it relates to specific entertainment industries, such as, film, TV, music, publishing, theatre, etc.," Glover said. "Each of those industries has their own customs and practices that usually are evident through the contracts."
He also regularly works with unions and labor law, particularly the entertainment unions, such as the Screen Actors Guild ( SAG ) .
Glover has been doing the legal work for 30 years, "and I enjoy it very much, in large part because of the clients, and also because of the interesting issues that come up when you're representing people and companies in the entertainment business," he said.
For example, he's working with an author who's in negotiations with a celebrity to co-author an autobiography.
Yes, Glover regularly works with the famous folks whom, he admits, "certainly provides interesting cocktail chatter at times."
His work, for instance, includes Harpo Studios and Oprah Winfrey personally.
"When you're working with celebrities, it's not the same thing as watching them on TV, or seeing them on the red carpet; they're really just regular folks," he said.
Glover's work includes copyright, trademark, publishing, promotions, sweepstakes, corporate tie-ins, product placements and sponsorships, among other things. Plus, he serves as counsel for several independent film and television production companies and has served as production and compliance counsel for a variety of nationally-broadcast reality television series.
Glover serves as general counsel for the Chicago Gay Men's Chorus, a group he also performed in for 25 years before retiring in December 2009.
Glover has served as the president for the AIDS Legal Council of Chicago.
"It's been a great run," he said.
Glover served as chairman of the Chicago Bar Association Committee on Intellectual Property and on the governing board of the Midwest chapter of the Federal Communications Bar Association. Chambers USA has listed Glover as a "Notable Practitioner" in Illinois for media and entertainment law.
Glover also is a member of the board of directors of the non-profit Lawyers for the Creative Arts, a group that provides pro bono legal services to filmmakers, theatre companies, musicians, artists and arts organizations.
