Cindy X. Lin has joined UCLA School of Law’s Ziffren Institute for Media, Entertainment, Technology, and Sports Law as executive director.

At the Ziffren Institute, Lin will run UCLA Law’s main hub of scholarship, education, and programming in the areas of media, entertainment, sports, technology, and intellectual property. Signature events include the annual UCLA Entertainment Symposium, approaching its 46th year, and a wide array of programs where students and faculty connect with the preeminent leaders in the industry, including members of the institute’s advisory board, alumni, and affiliated professionals. UCLA Law currently has the top-ranked entertainment law program in the country, and it has been No. 1 for seven of the last eight years.

“The Ziffren Institute and UCLA Law are renowned for their cutting-edge curriculum and programming in media and entertainment law and for continuously connecting many of the top entertainment lawyers and executives in the country today,” Lin says. “I’m excited to come aboard and continue to grow the institute’s programs, further solidifying its reputation as the key legal center in the heart of the entertainment world.”

Lin joins UCLA Law from Sega of America, where she served most recently as senior director of legal and business affairs. Under her leadership of the company’s North American legal and business affairs team, Sega earned accolades as Metacritic’s top videogame publisher of the year in 2021 (having jumped from No. 18 the year before) and transformed its Sonic the Hedgehog character into a top entertainment property across games, film, animation, and consumer products.

She previously worked at Twentieth Century Fox as senior counsel, negotiating licensing, co-promotion, and brand integration deals for hits including Avatar, Titanic, The Simpsons, and Modern Family. Lin began her legal career as an associate at Morrison & Foerster, where she practiced general litigation and patent litigation for commercial and pro bono clients.

Lin earned undergraduate and master’s degrees in biological sciences from Stanford University. She earned her law degree from New York University School of Law, where she served as an editor of the New York University Journal of International Law and Politics.

“Cindy’s track record of success is remarkable, and I’m thrilled she will be leading the Ziffren Institute, where she can help us reach new levels in communicating with law students and connecting them with the media and entertainment community,” says Ken Ziffren ’65, founder of the institute.