Dina LaPolt is one of the most influential attorneys in the entertainment industry and the founder of LaPolt Law, P.C. - the only major law firm of its kind founded by a sole female lawyer. Since opening her firm in 2001, she’s built a powerhouse roster of recording artists, catalogues, film and TV talent, and entrepreneurs across music, fashion, and beauty.
LaPolt is widely known for her work at the intersection of law, policy, and artist advocacy. She was helpful in moving the Music Modernization Act (2018) through Congress and securing COVID relief for creators through the CARES Act (2020).
She co-founded SONA, successfully sued the U.S. Department of Justice to protect songwriter rights, and continues to advise U.S. lawmakers on legislation like the RAP Act and the No Fakes Act, fighting for protections around artistic expression and AI.
One of her first clients was the estate of Tupac Shakur and she co-produced the Oscar-nominated documentary Tupac: Resurrection.
A longtime educator and fierce advocate for equity and sobriety, LaPolt has earned top industry honors including Billboard’s Power 100, Variety’s Power of Law, and the Recording Academy’s Service Award. Her debut book, Street Smart: Tips for Succeeding in a Man’s World, is out in October 2025.
You’ve been called fearless, a real boss, and “street smart” in every sense. What does being ‘street smart’ mean to you and when did you first realize you had it?
To me, being street smart means knowing how to hustle, how to read people, and how to survive—especially when there’s no safety net and no one coming to save you. It’s about trusting your instincts and learning how to move through the world with awareness and adaptability.
I think I first realized I had that in me when I packed up my car, left everything I knew behind, and drove across the country to California. No job lined up, no real connections just a music degree, a head full of dreams, and a gut feeling that I had to go. I wasn’t sober yet—that journey came later—but even then, I was already leaning on my instincts. I figured out how to connect with people, spot opportunity, and make myself useful—even if I didn’t have the résumé yet. That’s what street smarts are about: surviving, adapting, and knowing how to move forward even when the path isn’t clear.
You move between boardrooms, Congress, courtrooms, and creative circles. What does a typical day look like for you if there even is one?
Honestly, there’s no such thing as a typical day and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I thrive in the chaos, but I anchor it with structure where it counts. My mornings start early. I need that first hour to myself—to have my coffee, meditate, and check emails and messages. It’s how I get centered before the whirlwind begins.
After that, I usually squeeze in a workout, and then the day takes off. I might be on the phone with a member of Congress or a lobbyist in D.C., then jumping into calls with my law partners to strategize across multiple deals. A few times a week, I will have a lunch meeting with a colleague, and afternoons are typically stacked with Zooms, calls, and in-person meetings.
But no matter how busy things get, I always carve out time for my twin boys and for my recovery meetings. My kids and my sobriety that’s my foundation. Everything else runs on what I call controlled chaos. And I always begin my day with a gratitude check-in. It’s my way of remembering what really matters before the world starts pulling in every direction.
Street Smart drops October 6, 2025. What’s one chapter or lesson you think every young woman entering the music business should read first and why?
Honestly? Every single chapter. Street Smart is designed like a toolkit—and each of the ten chapters holds a different key. The lessons come straight from my own journey; raw, unfiltered, and hard-earned. From being diagnosed with dyslexia, to navigating alcoholism, to not going to the “right” law school, I’ve faced my fair share of setbacks. But I turned every one of them into fuel.
This book is for the young person who walks into the room feeling underestimated and walks out owning it. It teaches you how to navigate high-pressure environments, whether you're in a studio, a boardroom, or a negotiation table. It’s about learning to trust your instincts, sharpen your emotional intelligence, and lead with both heart and strategy.
Throughout the book, I discuss the importance of doing the grunt work and building your foundation—because without a strong sense of self, it’s easy to get knocked off course especially in business. Chapter six dives into how to build a core skill set while also honoring your values. Any high stakes business can be chaotic and cutthroat, but if you know who you are and what you bring to the table, that’s your superpower.
This book isn’t just about survival; it’s about standing tall in your own voice and learning how to play the game without losing yourself in it.
The book’s subtitle is ‘Succeeding in a Man’s World'. What’s the most common mistake women make when trying to navigate power structures in this industry?
One of the most common mistakes I see women make when navigating power structures (especially in male-dominated industries) is believing they have to emulate the same behaviors that have traditionally held power.
There’s this pressure to “play the game” as it’s been defined by men: to be aggressive, to suppress emotion, to sacrifice authenticity for acceptance. But the truth is, our power doesn’t come from mimicking that model it comes from challenging it.
In my own work—whether it's pushing for legislation like the Music Modernization Act or all the COVID Relief legislation, I've seen the most progress happen when we lead with authenticity, collaboration, and persistence. Women often underestimate the power of their unique perspective, or they’re told it's a liability. But when we lean into who we are, instead of who we think we’re supposed to be, that’s when we actually shift the culture not just survive it.
You’ve built a firm from the ground up and stayed independent. How much of the book is memoir, and how much is playbook?
Great question, it’s actually a mix of both. Street Smart: Succeeding in a Man’s World blends personal storytelling with practical, actionable advice. The structure was inspired by a book I’ve always loved: Never Wrestle with a Pig by Mark McCormack.
That book is packed with no-nonsense insights drawn from his experience in sports and celebrity management, and I wanted to create something similar—but through the lens of a woman who’s had to fight her way into rooms, build something from scratch, and stay independent in industries not built for us.
So while Street Smart does include pieces of my own journey what I’ve overcome, what I’ve learned—the heart of the book is about giving women tools they can use, no matter what field they’re in. Each chapter delivers real-world lessons, the kind you usually only get from lived experience. It’s part memoir, part playbook and 100% designed to help women not just survive, but lead and thrive on their own terms.
You write about defusing emotional triggers and sharpening instincts. What’s one high-stakes moment in your career where that mindset made all the difference?
One that really stands out is when a client and I set out to help get a privacy law passed in Hawaii to protect high-profile individuals from aggressive paparazzi tactics. At the time, it felt like a total David versus Goliath moment. I’d never been involved in the legislative process before, let alone lobbied for something this public and yet, the issue was incredibly personal to me. In California, we have statutory protections in place, but Hawaii didn’t. And what the paparazzi were doing wasn’t just invasive it was dangerous.
We’ve seen the tragic consequences of that kind of behavior, like what happened to Princess Diana. The stakes were sky-high professionally, emotionally, and reputationally. There was a lot of media attention, and I knew I couldn’t let fear or self-doubt take the wheel. That was one of those moments where staying grounded, defusing emotional triggers, and trusting my instincts made all the difference. I treated it like any other negotiation: stay prepared, listen more than you speak, and never let your emotions do the talking in the room.
My firm actually ended up drafting the legislation, and I worked side by side with local lawmakers, pushing through a lot of resistance. It didn’t pass the first time which was heartbreaking but we stayed at the table, built relationships, and kept showing up. And that persistence ultimately helped shape how future privacy laws were developed.
That experience taught me that real progress isn’t always quick but when you pair emotional clarity with purpose-driven action, you become unstoppable.
Negotiation is at the heart of Street Smart. What’s your #1 rule for walking into a negotiation and walking out with what you want?
Be the most prepared person in the room. That’s my golden rule. Know the deal backwards and forwards—every variable, every possible outcome, every piece of leverage.
When you walk in with that level of preparation, you carry a quiet confidence that changes the energy in the room. You’re not reactive, you’re strategic. You can stay cool when things get tense, because you’ve already anticipated the pressure points.
And here’s something people often overlook: silence is powerful. Don’t rush to fill it. When you leave space after making a point or an ask, you force the other side to sit with it and that’s when the real movement often happens. Negotiation isn’t about being the loudest voice. It’s about being the calmest, the sharpest, and the most grounded person at the table.
What’s your non-negotiable for staying grounded?
My recovery. I’ve been sober since 1998, and that’s the foundation for everything I do. Without my sobriety, I wouldn’t have my career, my children, or even my emotional peace. When I start feeling overwhelmed, frustrated, or self-doubting, I pause and ask myself, What’s right in my life? That simple question helps me reset and gain perspective.
Another non-negotiable for me is acts of kindness. Helping someone else whether it’s a friend, a colleague, or even a stranger—helps me get out of my own head and back into alignment. It’s a constant reminder that my purpose goes beyond myself, and that keeps me grounded, no matter what else is happening.
You helped shape the Music Modernization Act and fought for independent creators under the CARES Act. What’s the next policy battle the industry should be preparing for?
I’m currently involved in two major legislative initiatives that I believe are pivotal for the future of the industry. The first focuses on protecting creative expression from being unfairly used as evidence in criminal cases. Specifically, the practice of using song lyrics as evidence of guilt disproportionately targets Black men and that’s something that absolutely needs to be addressed.
Along with the Black Music Action Coalition, California Assemblymember Reggie Jones-Sawyer, and Governor Gavin Newsom, we helped pass the Decriminalizing Artistic Expression Act in California. This legislation has now been adopted in several states including, surprisingly, Louisiana and Missouri. When we frame the issue through the lens of the First Amendment and freedom of speech, it becomes a bipartisan issue, which gives it real momentum. We’re now working on a federal version of this bill, called the Restoring Artistic Protections (RAP) Act, in partnership with U.S. Congressman Hank Johnson.
The second initiative I’m heavily involved in is the creation of a federal right of publicity, which is crucial in today’s digital landscape. This year, our Human Artistry Campaign comprising the Recording Academy, Songwriters of North America, the Black Music Action Coalition and many other organizations worked to reintroduce the No Fakes Act. This bipartisan bill, when passed, would establish a federal right to control one’s voice and likeness. It’s especially urgent with the rise of AI and deepfakes, as it would provide essential protections not just for public figures, but for everyday people too.
These legislative efforts will fundamentally reshape how we protect creativity and identity in the digital age. I think the industry should be preparing for these conversations to ramp up, as these issues are only becoming more urgent as technology evolves.
