Ken Ziffren, whose generosity has helped position UCLA School of Law as the country’s top law school for media and entertainment law, will continue his support in these areas with a visionary planned gift — the largest-ever gift in the law school’s 76-year history.

A 1965 UCLA Law alum, Ziffren is one of the nation’s leading entertainment lawyers and co-founder of the entertainment law firm Ziffren Brittenham. His previous philanthropy enabled UCLA Law to create the Ziffren Institute for Media, Entertainment, Technology and Sports Law. Now celebrating its 10th anniversary, the Ziffren Institute, originally established in 2015 as the Ziffren Center for Media, Entertainment, Technology and Sports Law, is widely recognized as a training ground for top industry attorneys and executives. Its robust curriculum, cutting-edge experiential offerings, and access to experienced alumni open doors to careers in a broad spectrum of media, entertainment, and sports.

“As a Bruin alumnus, Ken Ziffren understands the importance of connecting students to experts in their fields and building bridges between learning and practice,” says UCLA Chancellor Julio Frenk. “With his most recent and generous gift to our campus, Ken is providing enduring support for students and faculty that will ensure UCLA Law’s preeminence in the fields of media, entertainment, technology, and sports law.”

The investments UCLA Law will make thanks to Ziffren’s gift are aligned with the university’s strategic plan goals to deepen connections with Los Angeles, enhance research and creative activities, elevate teaching methods, and expand global reach. They will allow the Ziffren Institute to enrich its activities and impact in these areas.

The Institute now produces the annual UCLA Entertainment Symposium, which recently concluded its 49th year of bringing together business leaders and lawyers across Hollywood and the world. It also oversees a comprehensive and cutting-edge curriculum with classes taught by industry veterans on a range of topics, including motion picture and television distribution, the streaming business, entertainment guilds, music law, artificial intelligence law, and digital media. It recently partnered with UCLA Athletics to launch an educational program that enables law students to engage directly with the evolving legal landscape of college sports.

By boosting the school’s strengths in entertainment, technology, and sports, the Institute draws students from all over the world. They benefit from a rich mentorship program that helps them meet senior industry leaders and potential future employers. The Institute provides alumni educational programming and supports job placement by facilitating introductions both directly and through a wide range of events.

“A true legend in the profession, Ken Ziffren’s contributions have defined the field of entertainment law and made meaningful impacts on countless students, clients, and professionals,” says UCLA Law Dean Michael Waterstone. “We are deeply grateful for Ken’s transformative gift to our school and value his service as a teacher, mentor, and leader, both at UCLA Law and throughout the Los Angeles legal community. This gift is a testament to his enduring legacy and will enable excellence for generations to come.”

Ziffren is one of UCLA Law’s most distinguished graduates and supporters. During law school, he was editor-in-chief of the UCLA Law Review. After graduation, he clerked for U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice Earl Warren. After entering private practice in Los Angeles, Ziffren pivoted from initial work in real estate, business, and tax law to a pioneering career as an entertainment law luminary. He is often called the Dean of Hollywood and currently represents clients in mergers and acquisitions, financing, and distribution deals across film, television, and digital media.

Long dedicated to the law school and the success of his fellow UCLA Law graduates, he became an adjunct faculty member in 1998 and has been a lecturer since 2006. The two seminars that he teaches, Motion Picture Distribution and Television Special Issues, are among the most popular in the law school’s curriculum.

“My law school experience was a joy, and it feels only natural that I would want today’s students to share in that same experience,” says Ziffren. “This gift is both a way of giving back and an opportunity to provide students with meaningful exposure to media, entertainment, technology, and sports law. For years, the Institute has helped place UCLA Law at the forefront of these ever-evolving fields. I am proud of all that it has accomplished and deeply committed to ensuring that its strength endures well into the future.”

In 2015, a gift from Ziffren enabled UCLA Law to establish the Ziffren Center for Media, Entertainment, Technology and Sports Law and laid the foundation for its success. Ziffren continued his generosity in 2019 with an additional gift that was combined with support from the Patricia W. Mitchell Trusts and matching funds from the UCLA Centennial Chancellor’s Scholarship Match. This transformative support expanded the Center’s reach and vision, culminating in its renaming as the Ziffren Institute for Media, Entertainment, Technology and Sports Law and paving the way for its impactful work today.

A decade after Ziffren’s initial investment, the Ziffren Institute provides valuable leadership in a changing industry. Events and education cover legal issues around artificial intelligence in entertainment, digital streaming, and other advancing areas. Ziffren’s gift will ensure that UCLA Law remains atop the fields of entertainment, media, sports, and technology law, as recognized by industry peers and publications alike.

“The impact of Ken Ziffren’s gift cannot be overstated. This gift will expand opportunities for our students and scholars, fueling new ideas, advancing leadership, and supporting dynamic programming across entertainment, technology, and sports law,” says Cindy X. Lin, executive director of the Ziffren Institute. “It strengthens our mission to grow as a center of excellence for the media and entertainment community, and to support lawyers in building meaningful careers and in exchanging ideas.”

In addition to his philanthropy benefiting UCLA Law and UCLA, Ziffren leads through service to the institutions. He is a member of the law school’s Board of Advisors, which he previously chaired, and was also a member of the UCLA Centennial Campaign Cabinet.