Fashion Law Fundamentals

Fashion Law Fundamentals™ is designed for:

> Law students and recent graduates exploring careers in fashion, retail, or IP
> Junior attorneys and trainees advising consumer brands
> In-house legal teams at fashion, beauty, retail, and resale companies
> Professionals transitioning into fashion law or brand-side legal roles

Participants receive a certificate of completion and access to curated TFL resources referenced during the program.

Past participants include attorneys, in-house counsel, and other professionals from leading law firms, global fashion and retail companies, and top law schools in the U.S. and abroad.

Intellectual Property Principles & Practice

This session will delve into core intellectual property principles and practices in fashion and retail, including how brands protect design, trademarks, and brand identity in a globalized and increasingly digital marketplace rife with “dupes.” Topics range from the creation and enforcement of trade dress and copyright to the role of heritage in companies’ brand-building and enforcement initiatives.

Emerging Issues in Fashion Law

This session will cover the key issues currently facing fashion law. It will include an overview of the fast-evolving legal issues shaping fashion and retail, from sustainability claims and AI-driven design to influencer marketing and digital enforcement in an increasingly platform-driven marketplace. It will then turn to a focused deep dive on the resale market, exploring intermediary liability, trademark and counterfeiting risks, and how recent cases are reshaping the boundaries of first sale and platform responsibility.

ESG & Consumer Protection: Navigating Regulation & Reputation

This session will introduce students to the real-world legal issues facing retailers and consumer brands, from lawsuits over greenwashing, PFAS, and “Made in the USA” claims to disputes involving product labeling, automatic renewals, and warranties. It will offer a window into how regulatory law, consumer protection, and litigation intersect in practice. Students will gain insight into how lawyers evaluate risk, defend high-profile claims, and advise brands navigating an increasingly complex and closely regulated marketplace.

Fashion Law in Practice

This standout session will feature a conversation with Lisa Keith, the EVP, General Counsel, and Corporate Secretary of Steven Madden, Ltd. She’ll share career-building insights, a firsthand account of the day-to-day realities of practicing fashion law at the highest level, and insight into the evolving dynamics of intellectual property in the fashion and footwear industries.