Applicants are provided the opportunity to self-identify as LGBTQ2IA+ on our application for admission to the law school. Additionally, we revised the gender ID question on our admissions application by expanding the number of options to include 11 non-binary categories along with cis female and male, and also include a question giving applicants the opportunity to specify their pronouns.
Current Gender Options on Application
A Gender Not Listed Cis Male Pangender
Agender Demigender Prefer not to answer
Androgyne Genderfluid Trans Man/Male
Bigender Genderqueer Trans Woman/Female
Cis Female Non-Binary Two-Spirit
Aside from Gender ID and LGBTQ2IA+ identification, we do not systematically collect or record greater detail regarding sexual orientation. However, after 2 more admission cycles we will have greater detail based on the revised Gender ID categories mentioned above that are now included in our admissions application.
The City University of New York School of Law is an Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Institution. The School of Law does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, national origin, ethnicity, ancestry, religion, age, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, and related conditions), sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, partnership status, disability, genetic information, alienage, citizenship, military or veteran status, status as a victim of domestic violence/stalking/sex offenses, unemployment status, or any other legally prohibited basis in accordance with federal, state and city laws. The City University of New York School of Law is an Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Institution. The School of Law does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, transgender, disability, genetic predisposition or carrier status, alienage or citizenship, veteran or marital status in its student admissions, employment, access to programs, and administration of educational policies. With respect to specific recruitment and outreach to LGBT2QIA+ community, CUNY School of Law posts faculty openings to the LGBT Bar listservs.
The Law School is a public institution, committed to fostering respect for the rich diversity of our community, our city, our state, our nation, and, indeed, the world. To that end, the Law School has adopted the following: THE FACULTY AND STAFF OF CUNY SCHOOL OF LAW BELIEVE THAT WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO HELP CREATE A BAR THAT IS MORE DIVERSIFIED, AND MORE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE FULL RANGE OF PEOPLE THAT MAKE UP NEW YORK CITY AND THE UNITED STATES. ACCORDINGLY, WE ACTIVELY SEEK TO RECRUIT, EMPLOY, RETAIN, PROMOTE, AND TRAIN STUDENTS, FACULTY, AND STAFF OF ALL RACES, NATIONAL ORIGINS, CLASSES, AND BELIEF SYSTEMS, WITHOUT REGARD TO SEX OR SEXUAL ORIENTATION, GENDER IDENTITY, GENDER EXPRESSION OR TO AGE OR MARITAL OR PARENTAL STATUS. THIS COMMITMENT IS REFLECTED IN ALL THAT WE DO, BEGINNING WITH OUR ADMISSIONS POLICIES: WE LOOK AT THE WHOLE APPLICANT IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE BROAD AND INCLUSIVE CRITERIA APPROVED BY THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE CITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK.
Staff/faculty/administrators are able to confidentially self-report gender identity and sexual orientation (including the ability to edit and update at any point) through our online employee information management system, and new hires have the opportunity to confidentially self-report gender identity and sexual orientation in the Employment Package on the Personal Data Form (presented during our on-boarding process).
CUNY offers a range of health plans to all employees. The option of several HMOs, PPOs, and POSs is provided through the City of New York. Information about plans and rates are available online at http://www.nyc.gov/html/olr/html/home/home.shtml. Benefits including health insurance, family medical leave, parental leave, and nontraditional family planning such as in vitro fertilization and/or adoptive benefits are available to all employees on equal terms. Same-sex couples who are married or in registered domestic partnerships are provided the same benefits that are provided to different-sex married or registered domestic partner couples.
All health benefits are provided through the City University of New York, and employees have several HMOs, PPOs, and POSs to choose from. Counseling, hormone therapy, and transgender reassignment surgery are covered by our health insurance plans if prescribed by a physician.
Our Social Worker has received training relating to LGBTQ2IA+ specific care at conferences, workshops and through her professional experience. The Professional Registered Nurse Practitioner received training during the course of her professional school students and by way of a variety of training programs and professional conferences.
Single stall restrooms, also accessible for people with disabilities, are identified as “ALL GENDER RESTROOM” and are located throughout the building on each and every one of the law school’s five floors; we have only one law school building.
Additionally, the law school’s entire third floor contains only gender inclusive restrooms. Specifically, in addition to single stall, accessible all gender restrooms with signage reading “ALL GENDER RESTROOM,” also referenced above, third as well as other floor restroom signage says:
“W Gender diversity is welcomed here: please use the restroom that best fits your gender identify or expression.”
“M Gender diversity is welcomed here: please use the restroom that best fits your gender identify or expression.”
“Restroom: This is a gender-neutral restroom”
“W Gender diversity is welcomed here: please use the restroom that best fits your gender identify or expression.”
“M Gender diversity is welcomed here: please use the restroom that best fits your gender identify or expression.”
Liberty, Equality and Due Process
Sexuality and the Law
Gender Based Violence
Law and Family Relations
NY Domestic Relations Law
Health Law (LGBTQ2IA+ related issues are integrated into this course)
Immigration and Citizenship Law (LGBTQ2IA+ related issues are integrated into this course)
The New York City Council provides an annual $30,000 grant to the Sorensen Center at CUNY School of Law through the Center’s partnership with the LaGuardia and Wagner Archives (4 students in 2019 and 4 students in 2020). This grant funds Fellowships for students focused on LGBTQ+ issues and other LGBTQ+-focused initiatives. The Center’s Fellows participate in the annual Queens Pride Parade and contribute oral histories and written reports to the Archives.
We strive for inclusivity and diversity, as CUNY Law School is recognized nationally as a gender inclusive law school. At least 26% of our fall 2020 incoming 1L class as well as 25% of our current student body overall identify as members of the LGBTQ2IA+ community. The Law School regularly hosts the OutSummit, which is an annual conference on the human rights of LGBTQ2IA+ community. Our capstone clinical programs (ranked #3 in the Country) include examination of the impact of legal representations and systems on the LGBTQ2IA+ community. One of our twelve clinical offerings, the Human Rights and Gender Justice Clinic, centers professional school experiential learning practice in the rights of people to determine their gender expression and gender identity. Other clinical offerings where work regularly involve gender and LGBTQ2IA+ organizations and issues are Equality and Justice Clinic and Immigration & Non-Citizen Rights Clinic. Student organizations of all kinds at CUNY Law are inclusive and embrace our large diversity mission including our LBGTQ2IA+ student organization, OUTLAWS, which continues to be active on campus. Some examples of recent LGBTQ2IA+ community engagement activities include:
• Community Day Feb 2021: Two (2) workshops entitled Poly, Black & Creative Queerness facilitated by Je Hooper, PhD candidate
• The Sorensen Center and Human Rights and Gender Justice Clinic partner with OutRight Action International for OutSummit, an annual global summit focused on the human rights LGBTQ2IA+ people. CUNY Law has hosted OutSummit for the last five years.
• The Sorensen Center’s “Critical Voices: From Local to Global” speaker series featured LGBTQ+ lawyers and activists in the United States, such as Darnell Moore, queer Black activist and author of No Ashes in the Fire, and addressed global issues impacting LGBTQ+ people.
• From our New Student Orientation August 2020: Two (2) workshops entitled Between 2 Pandemics: A Ballroom Protocol of Becoming, Resistance Discourse, & Reckoning facilitated by Michael Roberson, POSE Consultant & Leader in the Ballroom Community
• CUNY Law students were invited to participate in various programs including a discussion on LGBTQ+ asylum seekers and legal barriers with Congresswoman Deb Haaland, queer refugee Subhi Nahas, and Sorensen Center Executive Director Camille Massey.
• The Sorensen Center’s Open Houses each semester include breakout rooms focused on LGBTQ+ justice.
• Presentations at staff meeting on gender diversity terminology and basic practices we can adopt to be more inclusive of our school’s trans community
We seek to recruit a wide diversity of students in our entering classes including students from the LGBTQ2IA+ community. We participate in Lavender Law events and help lead the country by staff participation in LGBTQ2IA+ events with the LSAC on how to manage enrollment thoughtfully such that gender non-conforming, non-binary and all who identify as part of a sexual orientation minority feel welcomed to our school. Additionally, we actively participate and have an ongoing leadership role in LSAC’s Equality Conference.