While the world grappled with the many limitations brought about by the COVID-19 crisis, UCLA Law harnessed the power of Zoom and brought the best of its scholarship to alumni, students, faculty and friends. The robust slate featured frequent installments with faculty members and other experts who offered rapid reactions to the day’s most pressing issues.

Among these offerings, a new webinar series, From the Front Line, covered topics relevant to recent events in the news. “After the Supreme Court’s DACA Decision: What’s Next?” featured Professors Jennifer Chacón and Hiroshi Motomura, and Daniel Sharp of CARECEN. “Racial Inequality and Policing: What’s Law Got to do with it?” included Dean Jennifer Mnookin and Professors E. Tendayi Achiume, Devon Carbado and Joanna Schwartz (pictured). “Are We There Yet? LGBTQ Rights and the Bostock Decision” had Associate Dean of Public Interest Law Brad Sears, Alphonso David of Human Rights Campaign, Andy Marra of Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund, Cary Franklin of University of Texas Law School and Melissa Zarda. “19th Amendment at 100: The Struggle for Voting Rights in America” featured Ellen DuBois of the UCLA History Department, Kathay Feng of Common Cause, Celinda Lake of Lake Research Partners, Celinda Vázquez of Planned Parenthood Los Angeles and Sonni Waknin ’20 of the UCLA Voting Rights Project. And Dean Jennifer Mnookin hosted a conversation with Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance.

In addition, many of UCLA Law’s centers of study hosted enlightening webinars. Notably, the Critical Race Studies program celebrated its 20th anniversary with several online events that often explored issues involving the current national reckoning with systemic racism. CRS hosted “What Critical Race Studies Teaches Us About Racism, Resistance & Policing”; “Dismantling Racism: Critical Race Studies In Action”; “McGirt v. Oklahoma: A Mvskoke Triumph” (sponsored with the UCLA Law’s Native Nations Law & Policy Center); “The Execuition of Lezmond Mitchell: Disdain for Life and Sovereignty” (sponsored with the UCLA Law’s Native Nations Law & Policy Center); “Good Trouble: A National Conversation on Black Lives Matter and Tenants’ Rights”; and “From Prop. 209 to Prop. 16: Historical, Legal, and Activist Perspectives on Affirmative Action.” 

UCLA Law looks forward to creating and presenting more novel, live online content that will continue to further these and many more conversations.