November 13, 2025

Katrina Petty Turns Passion into Practice in the Entertainment & The Arts Legal Clinic

“I wanted to apply everything I'd learned in my classwork to real clients.”

For Katrina Petty, a 4L in Southwestern’s Part-Time Evening program, that simple goal guided her into the Entertainment & The Arts Legal Clinic. She joined the clinic in Spring 2025 and returned for another semester in the fall. What she found there was a place to practice her skills in real situations. It also helped her understand the work of entertainment law from the inside and connect her long-standing passion for the arts to the needs of real people navigating a complex industry. The clinic offered the kind of practical, steady experience that aligned with her purpose for coming to law school in the first place.

Putting Legal Skills to Work

Katrina Petty came to Southwestern with a creative background that had already shaped her career goals. Before law school, she worked in public relations and later as a virtual assistant. She grew up performing, played piano and guitar, and earned a performing arts scholarship in college. Creativity was always part of her environment, especially alongside her husband, who works in the entertainment industry.

“My interest in entertainment law came from my passion for music and the film industry,” she says. “And being in L.A., the industry is so prolific.”

Through the clinic, she found what she had been looking for: a space to take legal concepts off the page and put them into practice. One of the most valuable skills she’s gained is learning how to communicate complex legal issues in ways that make sense to the people who need that information most.

“Having a strong understanding of legal issues is important, but even more important is providing the information to your clients in a way that is both correct and makes sense.”

“The law has its own language that makes sense to legal professionals, but to our clients, it can be confusing. That’s why they come to us for help, so it’s our job to make it easy on them.”

A Six Week Project That Changed Her View of the Work

One project captures how much she grew during her clinic experience. At first, her team thought the assignment would be simple. It quickly became a major undertaking.

“We worked for almost six weeks and had gone through numerous meetings with the client and the other side to get this agreement signed,” Katrina said. The process required careful drafting, long meetings, and constant communication. It was intense and often unpredictable.

“There were many moments we found ourselves frustrated and overwhelmed,” she said. But when the agreement finally closed, the payoff was clear. Their client had been working toward this deal for years. He was grateful not only for the outcome but for the way the Clinic protected his interests throughout the process.

“The work we did made sure that they understood everything within the deal,” Katrina said. “Being a small part of something like that and knowing we did all we could for our client is incredibly rewarding.”

Mentorship That Made a Difference

Katrina credits the clinic’s professors and fellows with shaping her not just as a student, but as a legal professional.

“They have all challenged me, encouraged me, and helped me in many different ways,” she says. “They have taught me how to be a critical thinker and understand not only what is best for my client, but what is logical and reasonable in this field of entertainment law.”

“The practical knowledge they provide has been wonderful to learn from.”

Advice for Future Clinic Students

For Katrina, clinic work has been the most valuable part of her law school experience.

“I think the best decision you could make in law school is joining a Clinic,” she says. “The practical experience is invaluable, and getting to work with real clients to apply your knowledge is so rewarding.”

“Being able to help others has been a wonderful gift that we, as law students, are able to give to make others' lives easier.”

Looking Ahead

Now in her final year, Katrina is preparing for what comes next—and taking the lessons from clinic with her.

“I feel like the Clinic has been the greatest contribution to my professional career that I could have asked for,” she says. “I feel extremely confident in my abilities now that I've been in the Clinic for two semesters because I've been able to learn from some of the best attorneys in the field.”

“I'm confident that the lessons I learned here will be with me throughout my professional career, and I'm grateful for the opportunity to hone my skills in this setting.”

Want to explore what’s possible through clinic work? Learn more on our Clinics page.