To be awarded the specialization in Criminal Law and Policy, students must maintain a B- (2.7) grade average in courses taken for the specialization.
Detailed course descriptions are linked in the listings below. Prospective students should bear in mind that, due to curriculum scheduling and faculty availability, not every class listed is taught each year. This is most often true in the case of seminar courses. A sufficient number of courses will be available to enable those students who choose to specialize to satisfy the specialization requirements.
Curriculum
-
Group A
(Minimum of two courses required)
LAW 202Criminal Procedure: Investigations
LAW 211Evidence
LAW 295Criminal Procedure: Adjudication
LAW 309Criminal Law
-
Group B
(Sum of courses from Groups A, B, C, and D must equal four)
LAW 269National Security Law
LAW 296Criminal Procedure: Habeas Corpus
LAW 298International Criminal Law
LAW 389Prison Law and Policy
LAW 429Capital Punishment in America
LAW 449Business Crime
LAW 503Current Topics in Criminal Law
LAW 529Criminal Procedure: Policing Poverty
LAW 534Sentencing Law and Policy
LAW 545Suing the Police
LAW 547Psychology and Criminal Law
LAW 593Preventive Detention
LAW 613The Criminal (In)Justice System
LAW 657Contemporary Issues Facing the International Criminal Court
LAW 658Human Rights and War Crimes Digital Investigations
LAW 668The 8th Amendment Punishments Clause
LAW 697Gun Rights and Regulation
LAW 952Re-envisioning the Lawyer’s Role: Trauma Informed Lawyering and Restorative/ Transformative Justice
LAW 987Business Crime
-
Group C
(Experiential courses are recommended; students must apply and be admitted)
LAW 701Prisoners' Rights Clinic
LAW 705Trial Advocacy
LAW 712Street Law--Youth & Education
LAW 715Criminal Defense Clinic
LAW 725Supreme Court Clinic
LAW 730Veterans Justice Clinic: Poverty, Homelessness & Criminalization
LAW 731Community Lawyering in Education Clinic
LAW 738California Environmental Legislation and Policy Clinic
LAW 786Pretrial Justice Clinic
LAW 789Advanced Criminal Trial Advocacy
LAW 790Advanced Evidence Objections and Arguments
LAW 805Part-Time Externship: Criminal
LAW 977Advanced Trial Advocacy
-
Group D
(Maximum of one course may be counted toward the specialization)
LAW 214Civil Rights
LAW 267Federal Indian Law
LAW 273International Human Rights Law
LAW 331Immigration Law
LAW 541Problem Solving in the Public Interest
LAW 542Race, Sexuality, and the Law
The Williams Institute's 2024 NYC Fall Salon will take place on Thursday, September 12 from 6:00-8:30 PM at the Meta office in Hudson Yards.
We invite you to join our discussion on the current state of LGBTQ+ law and policy and what’s at stake in the upcoming November election and beyond.For tickets to our 2024 NYC Fall Salon, please visit: https://bit.ly/NYCFallSalon24RSVP ends on September 4, 2024.
For more information, please contact Williamsdev@law.ucla.edu.
To be awarded the specialization in Technology Law, students must maintain a B- (2.7) grade average in courses taken for the specialization.
Detailed course descriptions are linked in the listings below. Prospective students should bear in mind that, due to curriculum scheduling and faculty availability, not every class listed is taught each year. This is most often true in the case of seminar courses. A sufficient number of courses will be available to enable those students who choose to specialize to satisfy the specialization requirements.
Curriculum
- Group A
-
Group B
(Sum of courses from Groups A and B must equal four)
LAW 240Antitrust Law I
LAW 402AI and Entertainment Law
LAW 421Cross-Border Intellectual Property Litigation
LAW 437Telecommunications Regulation
LAW 450News Media Law in the Digital Age
LAW 453Lawyering in Administrative Agencies - Current Issues at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
LAW 479Design Law
LAW 489Future Law: Law and Governance under transformative societal trends
LAW 495Artificial Intelligence Law
LAW 504Law, Technology, and Society
LAW 511A/BSocial Media and the Future of Democracy
LAW 525Patent Intensive
LAW 530IP Without IP: Beyond the Borders of Intellectual Property
LAW 538Innovation Theory and Intellectual Property
LAW 544Antitrust and Intellectual Property in the Digital Economy
LAW 573Digital Transformations in the Information Society
LAW 578Digital Wars - Major Current Legal Battles in Information Economies
LAW 582Brands: Constructing Identity
LAW 633Internet Law
LAW 658Human Rights and War Crimes Digital Investigations
LAW 724First Amendment Amicus Brief Clinic
LAW 760A/BPatent Clinic
LAW 766Information Policy Lab
LAW 777Patent Litigation
UCLA School of Law proudly presents the Critical Race Studies Fellowship, first launched in 2011 under the guidance of Professor Kimberlé Crenshaw. Since its inception, the program has provided lawyers and activists, many of whom came from Latin America, with a unique educational and professional experience to assist in their work against racial discrimination at home.
Fellowship Information
-
Details of the Fellowship
The fellowship offers a full-tuition grant to enroll in UCLA Law’s LL.M. (Master of Laws) Program. This includes the full cost of tuition, health insurance, and mandatory health facilities fees. Applicants should note that the fellowship does not include assistance for living expenses, and they should be prepared to secure additional funding to cover the remaining costs of attendance.
Fellows will earn a specialization in Critical Race Studies, as well as the possibility of additional specializations in Public Interest Law and Policy, Human Rights, Law and Sexuality, or International and Comparative Law. Students will learn the fundamentals of the discipline in Civil Rights Law and Critical Race Theory courses and will take additional coursework that creates opportunities to apply the rigorous analysis arising from the fundamentals to legal areas such as immigration, incarceration, labor, or international law.
The fellowship is housed under UCLA Law’s renowned Critical Race Studies Program (CRS). CRS’s mission is to “Think. Teach. Transform.” by working at the intersection of race and the law to train advocates, leaders, and scholars committed to challenging injustice in all its forms. Founded in 2000, CRS became the first law school program dedicated to incorporating Critical Race Theory (CRT) into legal scholarship and teaching, enabling law students to graduate with a formal CRS specialization. The program remains unique in legal education. CRS faculty include authors of pathbreaking works in CRT that have introduced widely influential ideas and concepts to scholars across the academy, legal practitioners, and the general public, as well as emergent and more recently established scholars who are expanding the field in important ways, including by incorporating new empirical methods and by integrating CRT with clinical teaching and practice, and with international human rights and migration.
CRS is a preeminent training program for the next generation of legal advocates and scholars committed to racial justice. The diverse student body includes many first-generation college graduates and those from communities traditionally underrepresented in legal and academic fields. The program supplements a rigorous academic curriculum with clinical experiences grounded in community partnerships that integrate theory and practice. CRS alumni include racial justice leaders in legal practice, academia, and government around the country and the globe. The program also directly serves the broader public through widely-accessed webinars, symposia that include and collaborate with community organizations, and through our faculty’s frequent appearance in national media and public fora. More information on CRS can be found here.
-
Eligibility & Award Conditions
The UCLA Law Critical Race Studies Fellowship is open to law graduates holding J.D. or LL.B. degrees with a B average or higher from their law school programs. Competitive applicants will also have a demonstrated commitment to race discrimination law and intersectional analyses, through work, volunteer or internship experience, and/or scholarship published in these areas.
As a condition of the award, fellows will be asked to certify that they will return to their home country upon completion of their LL.M. degree and commit to a legal career in related fields.
Although successful candidates initially came predominantly from Latin America, any applicant who demonstrates a background and commitment to the purpose and vision of the fellowship will be considered upon receipt of their application.
-
Application Instructions
To apply for admission, prospective students must submit an online application to UCLA Law's LL.M. Program, a separate supplemental application form for the UCLA Critical Race Studies Fellowship, and supporting documentation.
- UCLA Law LL.M. Program Application
To create an account and complete the online LL.M. program application, click the link above and follow the instructions to submit your application and supporting documentation via the LSAC platform no later than February 1. - UCLA Law Critical Race Studies Fellowship Supplemental Application Form [PDF]
Click the link above to download the supplemental application for the Critical Race Studies Fellowship. After completing this form, include it as part of the "personal statement" file uploaded as a supporting document through the LSAC platform.
Applicants for whom the LSAC fees present a barrier to application may email llm@law.ucla.edu to request consideration for a waiver of the LSAC process.
Please direct questions about the fellowship to vanzyl@law.ucla.edu, and questions about UCLA Law's online LL.M. application procedure to llm@law.ucla.edu.
Please note that UCLA is not able to reimburse any amounts paid to LSAC in the process of applying to the fellowship. Be sure to contact the address above before paying any LSAC fees.
- UCLA Law LL.M. Program Application
Fellows
-
Current Fellows
Current fellows are to be announced.
-
Past Fellows & Affiliated Practitioners
Allyne Andrade e Silva, 2018-19
Julieth Balanta Zuñiga, 2015-16
Maryluz Barragan, 2013-14
Dayana Blanco, 2017-18
Andres Caicedo Berdugo, 2014-15
Andres Caicedo Sanchez, 2022-23
Thiame Carabali Hinestroza, 2016-17
Lina Cordoba Moreno, 2022-23
Marina de Oliveira Reis, 2019-20
Daniel Gomez Mazo, 2013-14
Ana Gonzalez, 2011-12
Diego Grueso, 2012-13
Angelica Mayolo Obregon, 2016-17
Sindis Meza Pineda, 2015-16
Kelis Moreno, 2017-18
Charquia Wright, 2019-20
The Native Nations Law JD Specialization comprises courses focusing on tribal legal systems, federal Indian law, and international advocacy for Indigenous rights. A renowned resource in support of Native Nations, UCLA Law’s Native Nations Law & Policy Center advances Indian nations’ laws and institutions in furtherance of tribal sovereignty and rights of self-determination.
Coursework Requirement
J.D. students are required to complete five courses with a grade of B- or better in each course to complete the program.
- Mandatory Course
-
Group A: Indian Law Electives
Students are required to take at least two courses from this list.
LAW 287Federal Indian Law II
LAW 301Art and Cultural Property Law
LAW 444Indigenous Peoples in International Law
LAW 728Tribal Legal Development Clinic
Federal Indian Law I is a prerequisite for Federal Indian Law II. Exceptions to this policy are at the discretion of the Native Nations Law Specialization Committee.
Priority enrollment for the Tribal Legal Development Clinic is given to Indian Law specialization candidates.
Advanced Tribal Legal Development Clinic satisfies Law 799 as a course.
-
Group B
The sum of Groups A and B must equal four or more courses.
Students must take at least two courses or two additional courses from Group A.
One-unit courses will count as only half a course for this requirement.
LAW 209Real Estate Finance
LAW 212Federal Courts
LAW 214Civil Rights
LAW 216Administrative Law
LAW 228Mergers & Acquisitions
LAW 249Tax Aspects of Mergers & Acquisitions
LAW 250Secured Transactions
LAW 251Business Strategy and Corporate Governance
LAW 261Employment Law
LAW 266Critical Race Theory
LAW 270Public International Law
LAW 273International Human Rights Law
LAW 274Trademark Law
LAW 286Land Use
LAW 290Environmental Law and Policy
LAW 291Taxation of Business Enterprises
LAW 293Public Natural Resources Law and Policy
LAW 302Copyright Law
LAW 305Entertainment Law
LAW 307Intellectual Property
LAW 317Family Law
LAW 319Election Law
LAW 326Health Law and Policy
LAW 350Energy Law and Regulation
LAW 419Real Estate Transactions
LAW 443Comparative Environmental Law
LAW 463Regional Human Rights Protection: The Inter-American System
LAW 490Renewable Energy Project Finance
LAW 527Natural Resources Law
LAW 542Race, Sexuality, and the Law
LAW 582Brands: Constructing Identity
LAW 584Human Rights and Sexual Politics
LAW 612Reproductive Rights and Justice
LAW 617Special Topics in Family Law
LAW 692Water Law
LAW 717International Human Rights Clinic
LAW 728Tribal Legal Development Clinic
LAW 738California Environmental Legislation and Policy Clinic
LAW 739Community Economic Development Clinic
LAW 741Environmental Aspects of Business Transactions
LAW 832Voting Rights Policy and Practice
LAW 837Domestic Violence Prevention Practicum
LAW 838Civil Rights Litigation Practicum
A seminar, course or Independent Study may be taken with the approval of a Native Nations Law Specialization Committee.
A Part-time or Full-time Externship may be taken with the approval of the Native Nations Law Specialization Committee.
Law 728 - Tribal Legal Development Clinic cannot count twice in fulfilling the five course requirement.
Participation in the National NALSA Moot Court Competitions will satisfy Law 762 as a course.
Course or Independent Research with non-NNLPC Core or Affiliated Faculty Members
For courses or independent research with non-NNLPC Core or Affiliated Faculty, you may petition for pre-approval by submitting a description of the course or independent research to a member of the Specialization Committee. You should note that it may not always be possible to pre-approve independent research, in which case a decision will be made once the student submits a completed project.
Students may petition the Specialization Committee to have other relevant courses or independent studies counted toward the specialization. The Center faculty may also approve, on a case-by-case basis, specialization credit for appropriate courses taken either abroad as part of Foreign Legal Studies, or as a transfer or visiting student. The list of courses (including seminars and clinics) that satisfy the specialization will be reviewed annually and revised as appropriate by the Specialization Committee, in coordination with the Records Office. Students are encouraged to look into the specifics of the syllabi of each course and to meet with the faculty advisors to ensure they select courses that best achieve their personal educational goals.
Students may petition the Specialization Committee for permission to take Federal Indian Law I and Federal Indian Law II concurrently, or for permission for the Tribal Legal Development Clinic to serve as a pre-requisite to Federal Indian Law II, requests which may be granted, but only in exceptional circumstances.
Students pursuing the J.D. Specialization in Native Nations Law do not receive priority enrollment for any course except the Tribal Legal Development Clinic. However, ultimate enrollment decisions remain at the discretion of the Clinic director. Students are encouraged to enroll for other courses as early as possible in the enrollment period for maximum flexibility.
Please note that not all courses will be offered every year.
Externships
Students pursuing the Specialization in Native Nations Law may pursue full- or part-time externships relating to Indian law for credit towards the specialization’s Group B coursework requirement. A student wishing to use an externship as a qualifying course must receive the prior consent of the Native Nations Law Specialization Committee. Consent will require a demonstration that the externship will provide exposure to relevant substantive areas of law. Regardless of the number of externships or externship units a student completes, a student may use externships to count, at most, as one course.
To be awarded the specialization in Native Nations Law, students must maintain a B- (2.7) grade average in courses taken for the specialization.
Detailed course descriptions are linked in the listings below. Prospective students should bear in mind that, due to curriculum scheduling and faculty availability, not every class listed is taught each year. This is most often true in the case of seminar courses. A sufficient number of courses will be available to enable those students who choose to specialize to satisfy the specialization requirements.
Curriculum
- Required Course
-
Group A: Indian Law Elective
(At least one course is required)
LAW 287Federal Indian Law II
LAW 301Art and Cultural Property Law
LAW 444Indigenous Peoples in International Law
LAW 505A/BMajor Problems in Environment & Sustainability
LAW 728Tribal Legal Development Clinic
The prerequisite for Law - 287 Federal Indian Law II is Law 267 - Federal Indian Law I, though this prerequisite may be waived at the instructor's discretion.
-
Group B: Elective in Law
(Sum of courses from Groups A and B must equal at least three)
(Students must take at least one Group B course, or take three courses from Group A)
(One-unit courses will count as only half a course for this requirement)
LAW 212Federal Courts
LAW 214Civil Rights
LAW 216Administrative Law
LAW 266Critical Race Theory
LAW 270Public International Law
LAW 273International Human Rights Law
LAW 286Land Use
LAW 290Environmental Law and Policy
LAW 293Public Natural Resources Law and Policy
LAW 317Family Law
LAW 350Energy Law and Regulation
LAW 463Regional Human Rights Protection: The Inter-American System
LAW 692Water Law
LAW 927Human Rights in Action Clinic - International Field Experience
LAW 951Human Rights Challenge
A seminar or other course not listed above may be applied toward the specialization with the approval of a Native Nations Law & Policy Center faculty member.
The list of courses (including seminars and clinics) that satisfy the Indian Law Elective and the Elective in Law will be reviewed annually and revised as appropriate by the Native Nations Law Specialization Committee, in coordination with the Records Office. Students are encouraged to look into the specifics of the syllabi of each course and to meet with the faculty advisors to ensure they select courses that best achieve their personal educational goals.
Students may petition the Native Nations Law Specialization Committee to have other relevant courses or independent studies counted toward the specialization.
We are pleased to join the Documentary Film Legal Clinic for a special screening and celebration: they will present Ricochet (https://www.ricochetfilm.com/), a multiple award-winning documentary about a tragic death in San Francisco that set off a political furor and the public defenders who fought to defend an innocent, undocumented immigrant. The event will also serve as an opportunity to honor Dan Mayeda, who will be retiring from his position with the DFLC at the end of 2023. We have invited former DFLC clients (independent filmmakers), DFLC alums and UCLAW faculty and staff. If you are a current student interested in our DFLC program, do not miss this event!
DATE: Tues. October 17, 2023
RECEPTION LOCATION: Coral Tree Walk (Macgowan Hall) - 245 Charles E Young Dr E, Los Angeles, CA 90024 (UCLA School of Theater, Film, & Television)
FILM SCREENING LOCATION: James Bridges Theater - 235 Charles E Young Dr E, Los Angeles, CA 90095 (UCLA School of Theater, Film, & Television)
RSVP: https://forms.gle/zPTLicUzvxZPab9e9
SCHEDULE:
Check-In & Reception ........................ 5:30p
Film Screening .................................... 7:00p
Dan Mayeda Retirement Program.... 8:30p
Questions? Contact: sundra@law.ucla.edu
Date: Oct 18, 2023Time: 12:15pm-1:15pm
Register & Submit Questions: https://forms.gle/khwiDrqqippcBj6C6
PANELISTS
Carlos Araya Paz '23 - Chile- Law Clerk, Sheppard Mullin
- Carlos is a graduate of the UCLA LLM class of 2023, specializing in Media, Entertainment and Technology. Prior to this, Carlos worked as an attorney and was the Director of the Intellectual Property, Media & Entertainment group of the Chilean law firm Magliona Abogados for 9 years. In this capacity, Carlos advised clients such as Amazon Prime Video, Google, Airbnb, Netflix, and Microsoft, among others. Carlos is now currently working as Law Clerk in the Entertainment Law group at Sheppard Mullin (Century City office).
- Attorney - New Technology Jurisprudence Specialist, PLF (Pacitti Law Firm)
- Arkadi De Proft has felt a burning passion for gaming ever since receiving a Gameboy Advance SP at seven years old. Having pursued his love of video games as a video game journalist throughout his extensive academic legal career, he now vigorously fights for the hopes and dreams of creatives in the interactive media space. Arkadi obtained multiple advanced degrees in law throughout the world, including from UCLA, the number one university in the world for entertainment law. Arkadi is a published author and has won an award from Google for his research into the challenges for the esports industry under existing copyright laws. He has advised a broad variety of organizations in the video games industry, ranging from grassroots esports organizations such as PROJEKT GAP to international conglomerates such as Activision Blizzard and Nintendo. Arkadi is a member of the Executive Committee of the Beverly Hills Bar Association’s Entertainment Law Section, the largest of its kind in the world, as well as a member of the Esports Bar Association. He is also an advising member of the American Bar Association’s Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Task Force on Intellectual Property.
- Manager - Business and Legal Affairs, Gaumont
Tamara is a Manager in the Business Affairs and Legal team at Gaumont, an independent film and TV production company that produced shows like Narcos, Hannibal and Lupin. She works in the development, production and distribution of original scripted TV shows, features and animation projects. She is involved in negotiating, drafting and handling talent agreements, option agreements, distribution matters and overall helping creatives bring shows and movies to life. Prior to her LL.M., Tamara worked as a private equity attorney at Sidley Austin LLP in London, and during her LL.M. she interned with a talent-side lawyer, at an IP management company and participated in the UCLA Doc Film Clinic. Tamara is dual qualified in England & Wales and New York.
- Intern, Gaumont
- Adrian is a recent UCLA graduate, specializing in entertainment law. He currently works in Business & Legal Affairs at the LA office of the French film and television studio Gaumont, handling all kinds of production related agreements for US and LATAM shows. Prior to coming to Los Angeles, he got his law degree in Germany and worked in two entertainment law boutiques, as well as in the TMT/IP practice group of big law firm McDermott, Will & Emery. He also has in-house experience at NDR, one of the biggest German radio and television broadcasters.
- Manager - Business and Legal Affairs, VMI Worldwide
- Anson is a Manager in the Business & Legal Affairs Department at VMI Worldwide, an independent movie company specializing in movie sales, distribution, and production. He is responsible for handling legal matters in relation to movie acquisition and production, and managing delivery of legal materials. Prior to attending the LL.M. Program at UCLA, he earned his LL.B. degree from Durham University in the U.K., and worked in dispute resolution thereafter in Shenzhen, China. During his free time, he reads album reviews, records covers of musical theatres, and practices singing with his a cappella group.
- Entertainment Associate Attorney, Sacker Entertainment Law PC
- Emma works at Sacker Entertainment Law, which is a boutique entertainment law firm based in LA, where she drafts, negotiates and reviews agreements for rights, writers, directors, producers, actors and department heads in connection with the development and production of motion pictures and television series on behalf of financiers and independent production companies.
Emma graduated from Durham University Law School and received her LL.M. from BPP University in the UK. She then started her career in entertainment at Warner Bros. in London where she split her time between the International TV and Local Theatrical Production departments, working closely with outside counsel, producers, and in-house lawyers across 16 territories. Emma then graduated from UCLA with an LL.M., specializing in Media & Entertainment Law where she completed an externship at NuMedia before doing a full-time internship at Sheppard Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP in the Entertainment department after sitting for the California Bar. At Sheppard Mullin, Emma represented clients ranging from high-profile talent to production companies and streamers and provided advice to clients on guild issues, including the WGA, SAG-AFTRA, and DGA.
We are pleased to join the Documentary Film Legal Clinic for a special screening and celebration: they will present Ricochet (https://www.ricochetfilm.com/), a multiple award-winning documentary about a tragic death in San Francisco that set off a political furor and the public defenders who fought to defend an innocent, undocumented immigrant. The event will also serve as an opportunity to honor Dan Mayeda, who will be retiring from his position with the DFLC at the end of 2023. We have invited former DFLC clients (independent filmmakers), DFLC alums and UCLAW faculty and staff. If you are a current student interested in our DFLC program, do not miss this event!
DATE: Tues. October 17, 2023
RECEPTION LOCATION: Coral Tree Walk (Macgowan Hall) - 245 Charles E Young Dr E, Los Angeles, CA 90024 (UCLA School of Theater, Film, & Television)
FILM SCREENING LOCATION: James Bridges Theater - 235 Charles E Young Dr E, Los Angeles, CA 90095 (UCLA School of Theater, Film, & Television)
RSVP: https://forms.gle/zPTLicUzvxZPab9e9
SCHEDULE:
Check-In & Reception ........................ 5:30p
Film Screening .................................... 7:00p
Dan Mayeda Retirement Program.... 8:30p
Questions? Contact: sundra@law.ucla.edu
Please RSVP by 2pm on Friday, Sept 8. Due to space limitations, the Ziffren Institute will randomly select 55 students from the RSVP list (with the rest on a waitlist) and will send out an email to all the students who registered for this event on 9/8 at 3pm to inform them of their admission status.
Date: Tues. September 12, 2023
Time: 12:10-1:30pmLocation: Law Room 1337
RSVP Link: https://forms.gle/LQaEb5Xmp5uYG3VV9