LEIB LAW
The Court Jester Legal Blog

Welcome to Court Jester Legal

July 2026 · by Howard Leib

I’m a lawyer who owns 5,000 comedy records. Here’s why that matters to you.

I’ve spent 30+ years as an entertainment and IP attorney. I’ve also produced comedy albums (a Grammy-nominated Bob Newhart record among them), taught entertainment law at Cornell, Syracuse, and Touro, and bombed on the New York audition trail. I’m putting more of that here, under a simple idea I call Court Jester Legal: comedians deserve a lawyer who actually knows comedy.

I’ll be posting plain-English answers to the legal questions comics actually have: who owns your bit, what’s hiding in a club contract, how to protect your name. Plus the occasional story from comedy history I can’t help telling.

Follow along if that’s useful. And if there’s a comedy-and-law question you’ve always wondered about, drop me a note and I’ll answer.

Got a contract sitting unsigned in your inbox? Whether it’s a club deal, a stolen bit, a podcast agreement, or a trademark on your stage name, Howard is happy to do a free 15-minute call. No pressure, plain English.
HowardLeib@aol.com · (917) 497-2847 · Court Jester Legal