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UCLA Law Executive Education · Cohort 3

Pathways to HR Executive

A four-month certificate program from UCLA School of Law, curated with the knowledge, skills and connections needed to advance your career towards HR executive. Four courses taught live online, one optional weekend on campus.

Registration is open. Cohort 3 begins Monday 29 March 2027 with orientation, and runs to Thursday 1 July.

Register for Cohort 3 See the Program Schedule

The program

Built around a working week, not around a campus.

Pathways is for HR professionals who want to elevate their careers, and whose work runs into employment law every week without their job ever having formally taught it to them.

Four courses, taught live by UCLA Law faculty and leading practitioners, two evenings a week. One optional weekend on campus. A UCLA Law Certificate of Completion at the end.

  • Four months, four courses

    29 March to 1 July 2027, plus an optional two-day workshop on campus in June.

  • Live online, Tuesdays and Thursdays

    6pm to 8pm Pacific, over Zoom. Taught live, not from a recording made years ago.

  • Every session is recorded

    Participants receive the recordings for the duration of the program, so a missed evening is not a missed course.

  • Registration is open to everyone

    There is no admissions process, no essay to pass and no screening. If the cohort is open, you can register.

  • A UCLA Law certificate

    A Certificate of Completion from UCLA School of Law. It is a certificate, not a degree, and it asks for none of the years a J.D. does.

  • HRCI and MCLE credit

    HRCI recertification hours are available for the courses. UCLA School of Law is a State Bar of California approved MCLE provider, and the Negotiation workshop is approved for 14 hours.

Expect one to two hours of work outside each live session.

What you study

Four courses, plus one optional.

Cohort 3 opens with an online orientation and mixer on Monday 29 March 2027, 6pm to 8pm Pacific, so the group meets before the first class rather than during it.

Each course is six sessions over three weeks, live on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6pm to 8pm Pacific, taught by the person who practises it. They run back to back, in the order below, and you take all four. A fifth is optional and runs on campus in June.

Course One

Fundamentals of Employment Law: Solid Foundations for Practitioners

30 March to 15 April 2027
Six sessions, Tuesdays and Thursdays, 6–8pm PT
Andrew J. Hoag, J.D., M.P.A.

Employment law is complex and dynamic, and most of what goes wrong traces back to a foundational concept somebody never had the chance to learn properly. This course revisits those foundations so you can recognise an issue early, give sound advice, and keep your organisation out of litigation.

What you take away

  • Who counts as an employee, and how contractors, interns and volunteers differ in law
  • The documents and trainings the law requires at hiring, and the ones practitioners add anyway
  • Whether your organisation should use mandatory arbitration agreements, and what Armendariz decided
  • Leave, end to end: FMLA, CFRA, pregnancy disability, paid sick leave, vacation and PTO — coverage, eligibility, duration and recordkeeping
  • How the social safety nets actually interact — SDI, Paid Family Leave, unemployment and workers’ compensation
  • Disciplining and terminating safely, including employees on leave, and the federal and state WARN acts

Course Two

Introduction to Employment Discrimination Law

20 April to 10 May 2027
Six sessions, Tuesdays and Thursdays, 6–8pm PT
Joseph Fishkin, D.Phil., J.D.

Employment discrimination law changed how employers behave towards their employees, and the rise of this body of law is intertwined with the rise of the HR profession itself. You will learn what the federal statutes prohibit, how courts decide whether they were violated, and what employers can do to avoid violating them.

What you take away

  • Title VII, the ADEA, the ADA and the state laws that operate alongside them
  • The difference between disparate treatment and disparate impact, and how to avoid both
  • Who is entitled to reasonable accommodation for disability or religion, and which accommodations are reasonable
  • What counts as harassment, when an employer is liable, and what the law expects you to have done beforehand
  • When an employee is protected from retaliation for complaining, and how to prevent it
  • Which forms of affirmative action and diversity programs the law currently allows, and where that law is heading

Course Three

Wage and Hour Law: Essential Compliance for Employers

18 May to 3 June 2027
Six sessions, Tuesdays and Thursdays, 6–8pm PT
Ireneo A. Reus III, J.D.

Every year California employers pay multi-million-dollar damages awards for wage and hour violations — laws that are easily broken by an unwary employer and easily prosecuted, often as a class action. This course covers the claims that settle for the most money and the compliance steps that prevent them.

What you take away

  • The four categories of California wage and hour law and where each one comes from
  • Why these cases settle for so much, including the compounding effect of the pay stub and waiting time laws
  • How the FLSA applies to California employees, and what happens where federal and state law conflict
  • The seventeen Wage Orders, and how to work out which one governs your organisation and each job in it
  • Exempt versus non-exempt: why the distinction matters and how to classify a position defensibly
  • Minimum wage in practice — who sets it, how it is calculated, tipping, and what a shortfall costs

Course Four

Advanced Topics in HR Leadership

15 June to 1 July 2027
Six sessions, Tuesdays and Thursdays, 6–8pm PT
A guest panel series led by Jamie Bovshow, M.L.S.

The closing course is a series of guest lectures on the topics that separate an HR manager from an HR executive. Each session is led by a practitioner who does that part of the job, and the subject is the work itself rather than the law behind it.

What you take away

  • Strategic HR leadership — turning an executive team’s vision into a workable people strategy, and positioning HR as both adviser and cultural architect
  • Organizational management — measurable goals, deliberate management structures and communication frameworks that hold
  • Advising the C-suite — translating people data into business guidance, and preparing for high-stakes executive conversations
  • Working with legal counsel — HR’s real role in internal investigations and litigation, and how to collaborate with attorneys well
  • HR technology, AI and people analytics — governance, compliance and ethics, and mitigating the risk in the tools
  • Hiring and retention — building resilient organisations, strengthening culture and improving workforce stability

Optional add-on · On campus

Negotiation Theory and Strategy

9 and 10 June 2027
Two days, 8am–5pm PT, at UCLA School of Law
Russell Korobkin, J.D.

Vice Dean Russell Korobkin teaches the analytical approach to negotiation he developed and has taught at UCLA for 23 years, to law and business students and to professionals around the world. It is two days of lecture and live simulation, and the approach applies to any negotiation you will ever be in.

Free$2,000

when you register for Pathways by 1 February 2027. Approved for 14 hours of MCLE credit.

What you take away

  • The Five Tool Negotiator framework, Professor Korobkin’s own: bargaining zone analysis, persuasion, deal design, power and fairness norms
  • Six live negotiation simulations, each followed by a full class debrief
  • A method that transfers directly to salary conversations, vendor contracts, union dealings and internal disputes
  • Two days on campus with your cohort, which is the only time the whole group is in one room

About two hours of preparation is required before the workshop. Room details are emailed to registered participants.

What previous participants are saying

  • “The program offered practical tools in negotiation and compliance that are directly applicable to managing teams and leading with confidence.”

    Mel BonillaMel BonillaProgram Manager, UCLA Health

  • “It was fascinating to see just how much legal complexity sits behind the decisions we make every day in HR. I'm definitely walking away with a deeper appreciation for the balance between people, policy, risk, and business.”

    Juliana WoberJuliana WoberHuman Resources Generalist, 4S Bay Partners LLC

  • “The program exceeded my expectations. I gained both foundational knowledge and practical perspectives.”

    Norikazu (Kazu) YamaguchiNorikazu (Kazu) YamaguchiHR Consultant

Who teaches here

The same faculty who teach the degree programs.

Full-time UCLA Law faculty and leading experts in the legal industry. Each one teaches one subject, and each teaches it live. These are the contributors to Cohort 3.

  • Andrew J. Hoag

    Andrew J. Hoag, J.D., M.P.A.

    Employment Law

    Lecturer in Law; Partner, Fisher & Phillips LLP

  • Joseph Fishkin

    Joseph Fishkin, D.Phil., J.D.

    Employment Discrimination

    Professor of Law; Employment, Election and Constitutional Law

  • Ireneo A. Reus III

    Ireneo A. Reus III, J.D.

    Wage and Hour Law

    Lecturer in Law; Managing Attorney, Reus Law Firm

  • Russell Korobkin

    Russell Korobkin, J.D.

    Negotiation

    Vice Dean and Richard C. Maxwell Distinguished Professor of Law

Advanced Topics in HR Leadership is led by Jamie Bovshow, M.L.S., Director of Executive Education, as a series of guest lectures from senior practitioners.

What is included

The courses are half of it.

  1. Monday 29 March 2027

    Orientation and mixer

    Online, 6pm to 8pm Pacific. The cohort meets before the first class rather than during it.

  2. Through the program

    Special lectures

    Sessions outside the syllabus on strategic leadership, organizational management, advising the C-suite, hiring and retention, collaborating with legal counsel, and HR technology, AI and people analytics.

  3. Through the program

    Mentorship and career advising

    Networking, mentorship and career advising with HR industry experts, alongside the teaching rather than after it.

  4. Wednesday 12 May 2027

    Career Advising Event

    A dedicated session with HR industry experts, halfway through the program.

  5. Wednesday 9 June 2027

    Happy Hour Mentorship & Networking Event

    The same day the optional Negotiation workshop opens on campus, so the cohort is already in one place.

  6. Every session

    Recorded and provided

    Recordings are available to participants for the duration of the program. If you miss a session, ask the instructor whether anything needs making up for the certificate.

  7. On completion

    A UCLA Law Certificate of Completion

    Awarded on completion of the required elements of all four courses.

  8. Afterwards

    Past participant status

    Graduates join the UCLA Law Executive Education past participant list, which carries priority registration windows, program previews and discounts on future programming.

Advisory board

Shaped by the people who do this job.

Guided by an advisory board of CHROs and senior HR executives across entertainment, healthcare, nonprofit, government, transportation and beyond, Pathways to HR Executive brings industry insight to HR leadership development. Their diverse perspectives help shape a program grounded in the challenges leaders face today.

  • Sonia Coleman

    Sonia Coleman

    Senior Executive Vice President and Chief People Officer, The Walt Disney Company

  • Mamoon Syed

    Mamoon Syed

    Senior Vice President and Chief People Officer, Children's Hospital Los Angeles

  • Malaika Billups

    Malaika Billups

    General Manager, City of Los Angeles Department of Personnel

  • Shawn Kang

    Shawn Kang

    Chief Human Resources Officer, UCLA Health

  • Ellen Exum

    Ellen Exum

    Executive Vice President of Total Rewards, Warner Bros. Discovery

  • Louis Gutierrez

    Louis Gutierrez

    Chief Human Resources Consultant

  • Amy Steadman

    Amy Steadman

    Chief People Officer, MidPen Housing Corporation

  • Nancy Antoniou

    Nancy Antoniou

    Chief Human Resources Officer, Los Angeles Times Media Group

  • Natasha Milatovich

    Natasha Milatovich

    Chief Human Resources Officer, AltaMed Health Services

“Since then, I have been promoted.”

  • “Completing the program was a pivotal step in my professional journey. It deepened my legal knowledge, sharpened my strategic thinking, and positioned me for the next level of leadership in HR.”

    Kristine Marie FisherKristine Marie FisherAcademic & Faculty Affairs Manager, UCLA Medical School

  • “The course was both challenging and invaluable. The instructors were knowledgeable, engaging, and exceptionally supportive. I entered the program as an HR manager with limited confidence about taking the next step in my career. Since then, I have been promoted.”

    Trudy BigelowTrudy BigelowHuman Resources Acting Director, Housing Authority of the County of Santa Barbara

  • “For Human Resources professionals, this program is a wonderful career development resource to leverage your expertise and your ability to advance your career.”

    Florence GilliamFlorence GilliamDirector of Human Resources, McKay Productions

Cost

Early bird registration open now.

Early bird registration closes Monday February 1, 2027. Registering at the early rate also includes the two-day Negotiation workshop on campus, which is $2,000 on its own.

After that the standard rate is $5,500 and the workshop is a $1,000 add-on. General registration closes Tuesday 2 March 2027.

Early registration closes
Monday 1 February 2027

  • Early bird rate

    $5,000 $5,500

    Paid in full at registration. Save $500.

    Register

  • Early bird rate, payment plan

    $2,000 then 2 × $1,500

    $2,000 at registration, then two monthly payments. $5,000 in total. Save $500.

    Register

  • Public service rate

    $4,000 $5,000

    For people employed full time by a government, non-profit or educational institution. Paid in full at registration.

    Eligibility is confirmed by Executive Education. Email [email protected] and we will send you a registration link.

  • Public service, payment plan

    $2,000 then 2 × $1,000

    $2,000 at registration, then two monthly payments. $4,000 in total.

    Eligibility is confirmed by Executive Education. Email [email protected] and we will send you a registration link.

Employer sponsorship

If your employer funds professional development, it is worth asking them to cover some or all of this. Sign and download a template letter to send them.

Template Letter

UC department recharge

UC employees can have the program billed to their department. That one is arranged directly rather than through checkout.

[email protected]

Several people, one invoice

Sending two or three people from the same organisation? They can go on a single invoice, and we will set it up for you.

[email protected]

All payments are non-refundable. If you have to withdraw, we will work with you on an extended plan of completion.

Questions

You may have questions.

  • Is there an admissions process?

    No. It is an open enrollment program.

  • How much time does it take outside the live sessions?

    For every hour in a live session, expect one to two hours a week outside it.

  • What if I miss a session?

    All sessions are recorded and provided. Ask the instructor whether there is anything you need to do to make up the work and still earn the Certificate of Completion.

  • Are continuing education credits provided?

    Yes. HRCI recertification hours are available for the courses, and UCLA School of Law is a State Bar of California approved MCLE provider. The Negotiation workshop is approved for 14 hours of MCLE credit.

  • Is it right for me if I am not in HR?

    The program is designed for working professionals. Many executives who are affected by employment-related issues have found it very beneficial.

  • Are there scholarships?

    There are not. There is a government, university and non-profit rate, and there are payment plans and employer sponsorship.

  • Can my employer pay?

    Yes. We work with employer reimbursement plans. Contact [email protected] to discuss.

  • What happens if I have to withdraw?

    We would work with you to come up with an extended plan of completion for the course. There are no refunds.

  • Am I a UCLA alum after this program?

    No. UCLA alumni status is reserved for degree programs. You will receive past participant status for UCLA Law Executive Education, which provides priority registration windows, special program previews and discounts on future programming.

  • Should I do this or the Master of Legal Studies?

    UCLA Law's Master of Legal Studies is an extensive master's degree where you gain a sophisticated understanding of the law and learn to think like a lawyer without becoming one. Pathways is a certificate program laser focused on starting you on an HR executive path. Many participants go on to do the MLS, and receive partial credit for the cost of this program towards it.

Join the next cohort starting March 2027

Register by 1 February for the early rate and the Negotiation workshop at no charge. General registration closes 2 March.

Register for Cohort 3

Questions? Ask us about Pathways. Contact Us