We direct outreach with relevant content to prospective students and applicants that self-identify as LGBTQ+ and include these contacts in other diversity outreach as well.
We provide a comprehensive virtual acceptance packet. Included in this are specific links to student life, Diversity & Inclusion, and Student Organizations with more relevant and detailed content as the students engage with the institution.
The application includes a yes/no optional question: “Do you wish to identify as LGBTQ+?”
The student’s formal name, previous name, preferred name, and preferred pronouns are separate responses on the application. Once enrolled, students can identify which name they prefer be used for internal records, and external school records where permitted by the requesting entity.
Albany Law offers an Equality and Justice Scholarship to an individual with a commitment to the LGBTQ+ community.
Albany Law School is committed to seeking diversity in the recruitment of faculty and staff. This commitment centers on, but is not restricted to, racial, ethnic, and gender diversity and extends to sexual orientation and other protected traits as well. Our job postings appear on the NYS Job Bank, Indeed, Glass Door, LinkedIn, Zip Recruiter, and a career niche network that serves disability, diversity, and veteran applicants.
When hiring for faculty, the Dean appoints a diverse committee of existing full-time faculty members and advertises the position, including targeted advertising aimed at reaching diverse potential applicants. The committee solicits and amasses applications from three primary sources: the AALS recruitment process, direct applications, and referrals from existing faculty members. The committee is charged with considering–and consistently does consider diversity–at every stage of the process, as the amassed applicant pools, pools of candidates offered call-back interviews, and class of ultimate hires over the past three years indicates. Diversity is always a factor given explicit and significant consideration in faculty hiring meetings.
The Law School has taken concrete steps to identify and recruit diverse adjunct faculty. We post specific adjunct position openings on our website that encourage diverse candidates to apply. We additionally post adjunct openings with the New York State Bar Association, the Albany County Bar Association as well as ethnic and minority bar associations. In addition, the law school has reached out to local and state-wide affinity bar associations, like the Capital District Black & Hispanic Bar Association (CDBHBA), the Asian American Bar Association of New York, the LGBT Bar Association of Greater New York, and the Capital District Women’s Bar Association to encourage their members, many of whom are our alums, to become more involved in the life of the school. We have plans to share a similar survey with members of the other local affinity bar associations.
As part of the onboarding process for new hires we provide employees with the option to identify their gender identity and their pronouns. We do not ask about sexual orientation but staff/faculty/administrators may voluntarily and confidentially self-identify.
Full-time employees, who have completed at least one full year of service at Albany Law School and have worked a minimum of 1,250 hours in the preceding 12-month period, may take as much as six weeks off, with salary and benefits continuation, at any time during the first year after the birth or adoption of a child to bond with the child. This Parental Leave is intended to be a 100% wage replacement benefit. If both parents of the child are full-time employees, they may divide the six weeks between themselves as they see fit. This paid parental leave is in addition to any paid disability leave granted on account of childbirth.
Mammography is covered for all genders. Other exams/procedures are covered if specified for the individual’s anatomy. Assisted reproductive benefits are available to females with the anatomy to conceive and who have been diagnosed as infertile. See attached document labeled Fertility.pdf for further details about reproductive benefits.
Our counselor has attended workshops offered by the Pride Center of Albany, Ally events, workshops at national conferences, and weekly conversations focused on social justice, which address many issues, including challenges faced by LGBTQ students.
Albany Law School has two buildings. One building has sixteen restrooms. One restroom is designated as a “Gender Neutral” restroom and is accessible for people with disabilities, five are single-use restrooms that are gender neutral, five are men’s restrooms, which are accessible for people with disabilities and five are women’s restrooms, which are accessible for people with disabilities.
The second building has seven restrooms. One is a single-use restroom that is gender neutral and accessible to people with disabilities, three are men’s restrooms, which are accessible for people with disabilities and three are women’s restrooms, which are accessible for people with disabilities.
All restrooms are identified on the law school’s floor plan, which is accessible on the law school’s internal portal.
Bathrooms
Building Floor women Stalls ADA men Stalls Urinals ADA single use ADA Gender neutal ADA Notes
1928 Fifth 0 0 1 N Single use is for Faculty
1928 Forth 1 2 Y 1 1 2 Y 1 N Single use is for Faculty
1928 Third 1 2 N 1 2 2 N
1928 Second 0 0 1 N Single use is for Dean
1928 First 1 5 Y 1 3 6 Y 1 Y
Library Upper 1 2 Y 1 1 1 Y
Library Main 0 0 2 N Staff Only
Library Lower 1 2 Y 1 1 1 Y
2000 Third 1 2 Y 1 1 1 Y
2000 Second 1 2 Y 1 1 1 Y
2000 First 1 2 Y 1 1 1 Y 1 Y Single Use in Career Center. Not easily accessed by entire building
8 19 7 8 11 15 7 6 1 1
We offer Sexual Orientation Law, a three-credit course, every other year.
In addition we offer:
Multicultural Lawyering – Professor Lynch
Approximately 50% of the assigned reading focus on role identity and being an LGBTQ activist while representing LGBTQ civil disobedience activists, implicit Bias, and explicit Bias.
Health Law Clinic – Professor Joe Connors
15% of the content addresses LGBTQ+ issues
Criminal Law— Professor Bonventre
15% of the cases and discussion are related to LGBTQ+ issues. For example, Supreme Court cases on criminal sodomy statutes are assigned and discussed—and then referenced throughout the course—not only to demonstrate the shameful use of criminal law historically, but more generally to illuminate what governments have and may criminalize and, specifically, the requirement that government have some legitimate reasons for doing so that outweigh important personal liberty.
Constitutional Law I— Professor Bonventre
Approximately 30% of the content addresses LGBTQ+ issues. These issues are included in all discussions about the different levels of judicial scrutiny when rights are abridged or equal treatment denied, and as a major component of the Equal Protection portion of the course.
Constitutional Law II— Professor Bonventre
15% of the content addresses GBTQ+ issues. These issues are addressed whenever different levels of judicial scrutiny are discussed in fundamental rights and equality cases.
Domestic Violence Seminar – Professor Lynch
25%-35% – Use of inclusive terminology when discussing intimate partner violence with specific attention to people of color and LGBTQ people as victims intimate partner violence. Once class devoted to multicultural lawyering including gender identity and sexual orientation.
Supreme Court Watch Seminar—Professor Bonventre
20 – 30% — These issues are raised as a major component in analyzing avowed methods judicial interpretation and the actual voting patterns of the individual justices, and the Court’s continuing treatment of LGBTQ+ rights and protections in recent cases.
Court of Appeals Intensive Seminar—Professor Bonventre
15% of the content addresses LGBTQ+ issues. Included as a major component in analyzing methods of judicial interpretation, including the court’s erratic treatment of LGBTQ+ rights.
International Law of War & Crime— Professor Bonventre
Approximately 20% of the content is focused on LGBTQ+ issues
Gender and the Law – Professor Breger
33% – 40% of the content is related to LGBTQ+ issues
Family Law – Professor Breger
Approximately 15% related to LGBTQ+ issues.
Lawyering – Professor Dodds
Approximately 10% of the content of the course is focused on LGBTQ+ issues.
Student organizations may submit proposals to the Student Bar Association for funding. We have a process which allows students to seek funding from the administration for conferences and other educational opportunities.
Yes, mandatory for all students
Albany Law School is committed to providing a supportive environment for its LGBTQ+ students, faculty and administrators. Several years ago, the law school created a new position of Assistant Dean for Diversity and Inclusion and also created four committees focused on diversity, equity and inclusion, including an institution-wide diversity committee consisting of faculty, staff and students, as well as three additional committees the Law School has created, which focus separately on faculty, staff, and students. These committees work with each other and members of the administration to further the institution’s goal of providing a supportive and inclusive environment. The institution also supports a robust wellness program that provides education and programming around wellness and well-being, including programs around diversity and inclusion. The Student Affairs Office also works with the student affinity groups, including OUTLaw, to provide support for its programming and events and is committed to creating a culture of inclusion by displaying exhibits and displays celebrating racial, ethnic, gender, LGBTQ+ and other forms of diversity.