The UCLA Documentary Film Legal Clinic provides pro bono services to independent documentary filmmakers needing legal help. The Clinic is staffed by second and third year law students, working under the guidance of two experienced media attorneys, including the Clinic's Director, Dale Cohen. Since the Clinic is part of UCLA Law's Ziffren Institute for Media, Entertainment, Technology and Sports Law, the Clinic's student-practitioners will also have the opportunity to draw upon the expertise of UCLA's deep faculty and outstanding alumni.

Student-practitioners will provide a wide variety of legal services to clients, including:

• Assisting filmmakers in gathering news and content – e.g., public records requests, location agreements, depiction and materials releases and other newsgathering issues;
• Providing intellectual property counsel and training, including advice regarding fair use, clearance of music, visuals and archival materials, and rights of publicity;
• Drafting and negotiating a wide variety of contracts, including agreements to secure content, talent and other personnel; and
• Advising filmmakers regarding defamation, privacy and other First Amendment and liability issues.

UCLA Social Impact Media Summit

October 2-3, 2026

UCLA’s School of Theater, Film and Television and UCLA Law's Documentary Film Legal Clinic are co-hosting the inaugural UCLA Social Impact Media Summit, a two-day event bringing together filmmakers, scholars, alumni, students, attorneys and cultural leaders to celebrate the past, present, and future of social impact filmmaking. This year's Summit will focus on the L.A. Rebellion—its extraordinary legacy and its continuing influence on socially engaged filmmaking.

For more information and to register for this free event, visit the UCLA Social Impact Media Summit event page.

SHUFFLE Screening and Discussion

October 18, 2026

UCLA's Documentary Film Legal Clinic is co-hosting with UCLA's Friends of the Semel Institute a special in-person screening of SHUFFLE, the award-winning documentary from filmmaker Benjamin Flaherty. Drawing on Flaherty's own experience in recovery, SHUFFLE takes an unflinching look inside America's addiction treatment industry. The screening will be followed by a conversation with leading voices in addiction research, treatment, and mental health about the issues raised by the film. The Clinic provided ongoing legal support to SHUFFLE, and the event will also recognize the Clinic’s broader work providing pro bono legal counsel to independent documentary filmmakers while training the next generation of entertainment lawyers.

For more information and to register for this free event, visit the SHUFFLE event page.

Documentary Film Legal Clinic students celebrate client’s Emmy Award win (UCLA Law News, October 25, 2024)

Sundance Stars: Documentary Film Legal Clinic Shines in Park City (UCLA Law News, January 29, 2020)

Reel Life: Documentary Film Legal Clinic Produces (UCLA Law News, November 8, 2019)

Candid Cameras? Panel Explores the Legal, Cultural Impact of Documentary Films (UCLA Law News, June 10, 2019)

Law school opens clinic to provide free documentary film law assistance (Daily Bruin, January 31, 2018)

Documentary Film Legal Clinic Spotlighted in L.A. Times Sponsored Content (Los Angeles Times, May 23, 2019)