Museums and the Law

Museums, being complex institutions, encompass not only their collections and exhibits but all the people who contribute to their successes, including trustees, employees, volunteers, donors, members and visitors. Museums are often involved in legal matters relating to governance, operations, personnel, intellectual property including digital media, and cultural heritage. They combine scholarly disciplines with intertwined management and organizational challenges. This course provides an overview of the law and its principles as they relate to museums, which should benefit museum professionals even if they do not anticipate being directly involved in legal matters.