AG Chapter Events
Wednesday, January 28, 2026
7:00 pm-9:00 pm Eastern
Friends Meeting of Washington, 2111 Decatur Pl NW, Washington, District of Columbia
Join the Guild’s Washington, D.C., chapter for a panel discussion with two Authors Guild attorneys, Chief Legal Officer Kevin Amer and Staff Attorney Kyle Maxey, called Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Legal Rights and Responsibilities for Authors But Were Afraid to Ask.
What do authors need to watch out for when signing a contract with a literary agent or publisher? How can you avoid getting sued as a memoirist? When an author quotes another person’s work, what does and doesn’t count as fair use under copyright law? How is AI changing the legal landscape in publishing? Learn the answers to these questions and more.
This event will include time for networking, a panel discussion, and opportunities to ask the attorneys your own questions. This panel discussion will be moderated by Michael Chorost and hosted by co-ambassador Liza Achilles. There will be light food and non-alcoholic beverages provided.
Kevin Amer is Chief Legal Officer of the Authors Guild. He previously served in senior roles at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and the U.S. Copyright Office. As the director of the copyright policy team at the USPTO, Amer led a team of attorneys and staff, providing expert advice on domestic and international copyright. He holds a JD from Yale Law School and an AB in history and literature from Harvard University.
Kyle Maxey is currently a Staff Attorney at the Authors Guild. Having started at the Authors Guild as a Legal Fellow in September 2022, Kyle has provided extensive counsel to authors in a number of different areas, including copyright law, First Amendment law, and contract law. Kyle has also interceded in a number of disputes on behalf of authors, and has extensive experience in managing multi-party claims. Kyle graduated from Mount Saint Mary’s University with a degree in Political Science & History in 2018, and with an MBA in 2019, as well as from George Mason Law School in May 2022. Kyle is admitted to the Maryland State Bar.
Michael Chorost (KOR-ist) has authored two books on neuroscience (Rebuilt, World Wide Mind) and has published in Smithsonian, Slate, the Chronicle of Higher Education, the Washington Post, Technology Review, the New Yorker’s blog, Astronomy Now, and Wired. He has given over 170 lectures and done many radio, television, and podcast interviews. He is currently writing a science-fiction novel.
