“Through the networks I developed and the skills I acquired from Professor Kathy Heller’s filmmakers clinic, I was able to step right into film and commercial producing while continuing to have the day-to-day interaction in business and legal affairs that I was trained for,” says Chapman Law School alumnus Christian McGuigan ('10). As the Manager of Social Action Film Campaigns for Participant Media, a Los Angeles-based global entertainment company specializing in socially-relevant media with films including The Kite Runner, An Inconvenient Truth, and The Help, McGuigan has the opportunity to work with individuals “who are all dedicated to the belief that a well told story can change the world.”

McGuigan was first made aware of Participant Media through his externship in Business and Legal Affairs at MTV Networks, which Chapman Law Professor Kathy Heller helped orchestrate. McGuigan tracked Participant Media’s progress as he worked as an independent film producer after graduation and seized the opportunity to work for Participant Media when the chance arose. According to McGuigan, “When push comes to shove, having a legal background gives you a great leg up in anything you do in the entertainment industry.”