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.

Areas of Focus

Indian Law

From addressing public policy concerns for Native peoples to repatriation and cultural resource protection, Indian law covers a wide range of legal subjects.

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Centers of Excellence

Native Nations Law & Policy Center

This center advances Indian nations’ laws and institutions while promoting cultural resource protections.

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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.

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

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.

October 17, 2023 5:30 PM - 9:00 PM

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

October 18, 2023 12:15 PM - 1:15 PM
Interested in a career in the Entertainment industry? Join us for a special Zoom Q&A session with recent UCLA graduates!

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). 
Arkadi De Proft '22 - Belgium
    • 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.  
Tamara Habayeb '22 - UK
    • 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.  

Adrian Jungblut '23 - Germany
    • 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. 
Anson Lyu '22 - China
    • 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.  
Emma Wilson '22 - UK
    • 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. 

October 17, 2023 5:30 PM - 9:00 PM

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

September 12, 2023 12:10 PM - 1:30 PM

Event Description:  Join leading entertainment attorneys Elsa Ramo and Camrin Agin for this year’s first Supplemental Practical Legal Education (SPLE) event.  Elsa and Camrin will teach students about the business and legal issues that arise in the motion picture development and distribution process. Their workshop, titled “From Script to Screen,” will cover the following: development (rights acquisition), pre-production (department heads, director, writer, producer deals), production (production issues, actor deals), post-production, distribution and marketing. *Lunch will be provided for attendees only

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
August 28, 2023 12:10 PM - 1:35 PM
The Ziffren Institute invites all students to the Welcome Lunch Event—an exciting opportunity to discover what the Media, Entertainment, Technology & Sports Law specialization offers. Lunch will be provided to those who RSVP!

RSVP HERE: https://forms.gle/ZvWn3c3dLhJrwQj99

Date: Mon. August 28, 2023
Time: 12:10-1:35pm 
Location: Law Room 1347


June 7, 2023 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM

Tickets Available Now

Students and UCLA Faculty/Staff are eligible for FREE webinar access and the on-demand recordings! Please fill out the Webinar Verification Form to recieve admission details.

  • May 31 Wed – Webinar, 5:00PM to 7:00PM Pacific Time
  • June 7 Wed – Webinar, 5:00PM to 7:00PM Pacific Time
  • June 9 Fri – Only Available On-Demand After the Session | Keynote Speaker, Bela Bajaria, Chief Content Officer, Netflix

Webinar Verification Form for Students & UCLA Faculty/Staff: https://forms.gle/omR6gva2MgarKPQn7

Questions: EntertainmentSymposium@law.ucla.edu

Website: law.ucla.edu/entertainmentsymposium 

Please note that the promo code does not include access to the in-person keynote session on 6/9. But, all three sessions will be on-demand until Sept 1. UCLA School of Law is a State Bar of California approved MCLE provider.

May 31, 2023 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM

Tickets Available Now

Students and UCLA Faculty/Staff are eligible for FREE webinar access! Please fill out the Webinar Verification Form to recieve admission details.

  • May 31 Wed – Webinar, 5:00PM to 7:00PM Pacific Time
  • June 7 Wed – Webinar, 5:00PM to 7:00PM Pacific Time
  • June 9 Fri – Only Available On-Demand After the Session | Keynote Speaker, Bela Bajaria, Chief Content Officer, Netflix 

Webinar Verification Form for Students & UCLA Faculty/Staff: https://forms.gle/omR6gva2MgarKPQn7

Questions: EntertainmentSymposium@law.ucla.edu

Website: https://law.ucla.edu/academics/centers/ziffren-institute-media-entertainment-technology-and-sports-law/ucla-entertainment-symposium

Please note that the promo code does not include access to the in-person keynote session on 6/9. But, all three sessions will be on-demand until Sept 1. UCLA School of Law is a State Bar of California approved MCLE provider.

February 21, 2023 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM

We are pleased to invite you to the 2023 Melville B. Nimmer Memorial Lecture, Free Speech Versus The First Amendment, given by Professor Jack Balkin, Knight Professor of Constitutional Law and the First Amendment at Yale Law School.

Please Register Here: https://forms.gle/twxMAcwwon95gAqc8

Event Date: Tues. February 21, 2023
Event Time: 6:00-7:00PM With Reception to Follow
Event Location: UCLA School of Law Room 1347 | Click Here for Live Stream link
Reception Location: UCLA School of Law Shapiro Courtyard

UCLA School of Law is a State Bar of California approved MCLE provider. To receive 1 hour of CLE credit, please fill out the following Google Form CLE Verification Form after the lecture with the code word that will be announced.


MCLE Readings

Free Speech is a Triangle
How to Regulate (and Not Regulate) Social Media

For Questions Email: ziffreninstitute@law.ucla.edu

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05 21
6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
King & Spalding Office - Washington, DC
Williams Institute DC Spring Reception

Join us for cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, and a discussion on the current slate of LGBTQ+ legislation.

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