Climate Survey 2020

Yes. We seek to enroll an excellent and diverse class each year, which begins first with a wide range of outreach efforts. This includes creating and disseminating print and electronic materials that include information about student organizations, experiential education, course offerings, faculty, and the student body, among other things, and ensuring that these materials present images and information that is representative of our school’s inclusivity. We also created and maintain a diversity-specific web page featuring a section on opportunities for LGBTQ+ students. We also send targeted emails to student who self-report (through LSAC) that they are interested in LGBTQ+ student organizations using the Candidate Referral Service. In addition, we partner with our student organizations and other organizations to attend or organize events that are designed to reach diverse students, including LGBTQ+ students. For example, we participated in a law school event organized by LSAC at Lavender Law. Our admitted students guide (admit packet) identifies student organizations such as Queer Caucus and Queers United in Revolutionary Subversion. We also identify other affinity groups (e.g., Womxn of Color Collective, Law Students of African Descent, Native American Law Student Association, etc.), and the First Generation Professional student group. Student organizations like the ones above, as well as others such trans@berkeley, have the opportunity to receive logistical and financial support to do outreach to admitted students, and to hold events during Admitted Students’ Weekend. (Note: These opportunities are available to any registered group at the law school.)

Yes, in several ways/places:

Under “Prefix” in the Biographical section of the application (the very first question) we include both the the “Mx.” and “Ind.” options. (Ind. stand for “Individual” and is intended to be entirely free of gender, thus an option for agender individuals or others who prefer not to use Mx. for any number of reasons.)

Under “Biographical” we ask the following questions:

What sex were you assigned at birth, such as on an original birth certificate?

___ Female

___ Male

The following three questions in this section are optional. Your answer, or your decision not to answer, will have no bearing on our admission decision. In addition, your response will be suppressed from your application during the review process.

How do you describe yourself?

___ Male

___ Female

___ Trans Male/Trans Man

___ Trans Female/Trans Woman

___Genderqueer/Gender Non-Conforming

___Different Identity

We understand that gender identity may be expressed in a variety of ways. Should you wish to elaborate on your response or non-response to the previous questions, you are invited to complete the section below.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Do you consider yourself to be:

___ Heterosexual or Straight

___ Gay or Lesbian

___ Bisexual

___ Other not listed above

We also allow applicants to submit an optional “Diversity Statement” (in addition to the Personal Statement) with the following prompt: “How will you (your perspective, experience, Voice) contribute diversity in our classrooms and community?”

Berkeley Law requires all faculty candidates to submit a statement of contribution to diversity, which is an important element in the consideration of candidates. In addition, during Berkeley Law’s hiring process for lateral faculty candidates, a reading group of Berkeley Law faculty performs a check to verify that LGBTQ+ candidates are properly represented in the long list of candidates to be considered for lateral positions.

UC Berkeley’s health plans, and family/parental leave benefits, nontraditional family planning and adoptive benefits, are available to all married or registered-partnership couples. UC benefits are available to an employee’s:

-Spouse
-Domestic partner
-Children (biological or adopted, stepchildren, domestic partner’s children)
-Grandchildren, step-grandchildren, domestic partner’s grandchildren
-Legal ward

https://ucnet.universityofcalifornia.edu/compensation-and-benefits/health-plans/index.html

https://ucnet.universityofcalifornia.edu/forms/pdf/transgender-health-benefits-fact-sheet.pdf

UC Berkeley’s student health insurance plan provides equal benefits to same-sex couples and different-sex couples. UC Berkeley’s University Health Center was recognized in 2017 as a “Leader in LGBTQ Healthcare Equality” by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation.

https://uhs.berkeley.edu/insurance/ship-benefits

UC Berkeley’s student health insurance plan covers students and their same-sex spouses/partners at equivalent levels. Transgender benefits include: gender reassignment surgery, hysterectomy, hormone therapy, top surgery, electrolysis of the face and neck, tracheal shave, laser hair removal of the face and neck, fertility preservation, vocal training, and limited travel costs.

https://uhs.berkeley.edu/insurance/ship-benefits/insurance-benefits-transgender-students

We have two psychologists that offer counseling appointments at the law school, typically with availability 5 days a week. There is also counseling available to students through University Health Services on the main campus. University Health Services (UHS) gives students the option to meet with a queer-identifying counselor if they choose. Additionally, the UHS has a Trans Care Team specifically to support transgender students.

https://uhs.berkeley.edu/counseling
https://uhs.berkeley.edu/pride
https://uhs.berkeley.edu/trans

In keeping with UC Berkeley campus policy, the Law School Complex has 12 gender-inclusive, single-use restrooms. They are identified on building maps. The signage, which is standard on all of the Berkeley campus, is a dark blue circle with a white triangle inside of it, which has the word “restroom” on it.

https://restrooms.berkeley.edu/home

There is no policy that prohibits the use of a gender-segregated facility that aligns with an individual’s gender identity. The policy applicable to the creation of gender-inclusive restrooms is as follows: https://www.ucop.edu/construction-services/facilities-manual/resource-directories-rds /rd4-project-programmatic-guidelines/rd-4-1.html

Courses vary year to year, and are updated annually in our Prospectus. Recent Courses include:
-Race, Sexuality, and the Law
-Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity & the Law
-Reproduction & Sexuality Seminar

Berkeley Law’s student organization Queer Caucus, founded in 1978, is comprised of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, gender variant, queer law students and allies. In addition, Berkeley Law is home to the LGBTQ+ student organizations Trans @ Berkeley Law and Queers United in Revolutionary Subversion (QUIRS). All registered student organizations are eligible to receive funding from the student government, to participate in the student activities fair, to utilize law school facilities for their events, and to be listed on the Berkeley Law website. Every student is eligible to apply for up to $200 to attend a law-related conference each academic year. This funding has been used, for example, to support students attending Lavender Law.

Berkeley Law’s Queer Caucus offers two annual summer fellowships of $1000 to Berkeley Law students pursuing specific types of public interest work affecting the LGBTQ community. The Ken Bryan Fund was established in memory of a student who died of complications from AIDS in his second year at Berkeley Law. The fund provides grants for Berkeley students doing AIDS/HIV-related legal work over the summer. The Mary C. Dunlap Fellowship was established in honor of Mary Dunlap, a Berkeley Law alum who made significant contributions as a civil rights attorney. The fellowship supports student work targeting underserved LGBT communities.