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 lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or intersexual?”
Students are given the opportunity to identify as a member of the LGBTQ+ community. However, they are not asked more specific questions about sexual orientation or gender identity. We also have a process for students to change their name and/or identify their gender after they are enrolled.
The student’s formal name, previous name, and preferred name are separate responses on the application. Once enrolled, students can identify which name they prefer be used for internal and external school records where permitted by the requesting entity.
Yes, 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 full-time and adjunct faculty members, 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 Indeed, Glass Door, LinkedIn and Zip Recruiter.
Our recruitment process has followed the same general process over the past three years. 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 encourages 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.
As part of the onboarding process for new hires we provide employees with the option to identify their gender identity and identify their pronouns. We do not ask about sexual orientation but staff/faculty/administrators may voluntarily and confidentially self-identify
Parental Leave
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. Further details can be provided upon request.
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 with 1 stall and is accessible for people with disabilities, five are single-use restrooms that are gender neutral, five are men’s restrooms, with 8 stalls collectively which are accessible for people with disabilities and five are women’s restrooms, with 13 stalls collectively, 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, with 3 stalls collectively, which are accessible for people with disabilities and three are women’s restrooms, with 6 stalls collectively, 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.
Gender and the Law and Sexual Orientation Law
Albany Law has a very active OUTLaw student organization.
Student organizations may submit proposals to the Student Bar Association for funding. We also have a process where students can seek funding from the administration for conferences and other 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.
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.