For the third consecutive year, the Ziffren Institute on Media, Entertainment, Technology and Sports Law presented 5 Years Out, an event aimed at providing current law students a candid look at the day-to-day work lives of UCLA Law alums now five years into their professional careers. On Feb. 6, 2020, the instituted welcomed back Ashley Berk, counsel at NBCUniversal Entertainment & Lifestyle Group; Daniel Gibbons, senior counsel at DreamWorks Animation; Gabriella Nourafchan, associate at Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp; Jonathan Sauer, associate at Sloane, Offer, Weber and Dern; and Allen Secretov, associate at Kinsella Weitzman Iser Kump & Aldisert.

In front of a packed room, Ziffren Institute executive director Sue Akens moderated a panel discussion in which alumni described how they are adapting to life in the middle, still learning from more senior attorneys while also training and assisting more junior attorneys. In addition to offering career guidance and emphasizing the importance of maintaining a healthy work-life balance, the panelists provided practical tips on which law school courses to take, how to handle job interviews and even gave book recommendations to further students' knowledge of the intricacies of the entertainment business. A catered networking reception followed the event, during which students asked the panelists follow-up questions and exchanged contact information.