Legal Affairs Fellow

About Hook Hook is a social music platform, backed by top-tier investors, building the next generation of music discovery, fan expression, and creator growth. We turn the songs people love into sounds they can play with — enabling fans and creators to reimagine music through intuitive, remix-friendly experiences with zero learning curve. By partnering directly with artists, labels, and rightsholders, Hook ensures music is discovered, shared, and expressed in ways that respect and reward the people behind it. At Hook, music isn’t just consumed — it’s experienced, expressed, and made personal. Role Overview This is not your typical entry-level legal role. As Legal Affairs Fellow at Hook, you will work directly alongside the General Counsel with hands-on responsibility for virtually every facet of an in-house legal practice. From day-to-day operational documents to complex content licensing and IP transactions, you will be doing the real legal affairs work of a fast-moving early-stage music and consumer tech startup. This role is designed for a 3L or recent law school graduate who already has a foundation in music, IP, or technology law and wants to understand what it truly means to serve as General Counsel within a dynamic music technology startup —not just in theory, but in practice. You will work cross-functionally within the company, learning from and collaborating with immensely talented professionals within Hook’s content, engineering, marketing, operations, and business development teams. You will have the opportunity to contribute meaningfully to the company and to see your ideas and work come to fruition. This role demands excellent drafting and communication skills, an eye for detail, sound judgment about when to escalate, a passion for technology and the law, a self-driven ability to learn quickly and, most importantly: an insatiable curiosity. For the right candidate, this fellowship is designed as a path to a permanent role on Hook’s legal team as the company grows. Conversion to a permanent position is at Hook’s discretion and is not guaranteed. What You’ll Do Day-to-Day Legal Operations - Draft, redline, and manage non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) and confidentiality agreements, taking first-pass ownership of the negotiation - Prepare and process offer letters, contractor agreements, and other employment-related documents - Support corporate governance and organizational housekeeping, including board and stockholder consents and corporate records Transactional & Commercial Work - Draft and redline service agreements, vendor contracts, and partnership deals, and support their negotiation through signature - Assist with content licensing agreements with labels, publishers, and other rightsholders, as well as sync licenses and content distribution deals - Conduct due diligence and support deal execution across a range of commercial transactions Intellectual Property & Entertainment - Research and advise on copyright, trademark, and other IP matters relevant to the music, entertainment, and digital media industries - Review and redline complex IP licensing and rights agreements - Support Hook’s trademark and patent portfolio, working with outside counsel - Monitor industry developments, regulatory changes, and emerging legal issues in entertainment and digital media, including AI, UGC, and platform liability General Counsel Exposure - Participate in cross-functional projects with business, creative, and product teams - Gain exposure to risk assessment, compliance, and corporate strategy at the executive level - Build and improve internal legal templates, playbooks, policies, and legal operations processes. Qualifications & Experience Required - 3L at an ABA-accredited law school or a recent law school graduate, with strong academic credentials. - Demonstrated experience in music, intellectual property, and/or technology law—through prior internships, clinics, journal work, coursework, or professional experience before or during law school. - Hands-on drafting and redlining experience: you have marked up real agreements (NDAs, services agreements, licenses, or similar) in an internship, clinic, or prior role and are comfortable working in tracked changes. - A strong understanding of music copyright law and the corresponding licenses (sound recording and musical composition rights; mechanical, performance, and sync licensing). - Excellent legal research, writing, and analytical skills. - Detail-oriented with the ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines. - Self-starter who thrives in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment and is comfortable taking ownership of matters with General Counsel oversight. - Comfort with social media consumption patterns and creator / UGC platforms. - Strong interpersonal and communication skills—comfortable collaborating across teams. Preferred - Prior in-house, law firm, label, publisher, or DSP experience in music, entertainment, or technology. - An understanding of the current commercial and legal landscape within the entertainment industries, music, social media, UGC, music consumption, and creator marketplaces. - Familiarity with emerging issues at the intersection of AI and copyright, including training data and AI-generated content. - Experience working at an early-stage startup (Seed–Series B). - For recent graduates: admitted to, or sitting for, the New York bar. - Passion for music and technology.