The Ziffren Institute for Media, Entertainment, Technology, and Sports Law was proud to host distinguished UCLA School of Law alumna Catrice Monson ’97 for a John H. Mitchell Visiting Scholar Lecture titled “Inclusive Storytelling: What does Inclusion Really Look Like in Entertainment?” before a virtual crowd of law school students on Feb. 1.

Monson is the co-founder of Right Size Media and previously spent two decades working in the diversity, equity, and inclusion space for CBS. She walked the students through ways in which the landscape of entertainment and storytelling are now moving toward greater inclusivity.

Monson covered the current initiatives that many movie studios are implementing to ensure equitable representation and payment, such as pipeline programs for talent in front of and behind the camera. She mentioned that good people were needed on all sides, including the unions and guilds, to ensure that everyone is bringing their own experiences to the conversation.

The discussion also centered on new roles for entertainment lawyers in this space. Monson emphasized that it is important for young attorneys — or soon-to-be attorneys — to look through the lens of diversity and inclusion, and that it’s an attorney’s duty to keep an eye out for what might be offensive. She mentioned that in today’s climate, many networks have lawyers reviewing content for these issues as a standard practice.

The evening concluded with a lively question-and-answer session, as Monson fielded many topical and poignant questions from students.