Our Deans Diversity Leadership Council holds a presentation at 1L orientation, and our affinity group presidents, including OUTLaws & Allies, make introductions and table during 1L Orientation.
On our application, we have the following question with a check box for “yes” or “no”:
The following question is asked to help connect interested candidates with the KU Law LGBTQ student organization. By answering yes, you grant KU Law permission to share your name and e-mail address with the KU Law LGBTQ student organization. Do you self identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or questioning?
My determination that 4 current students identify as trans or non-binary is based upon self-identifying pronouns openly used by these students or individual communications I’ve had with students.
We have a “preferred” name section
At the University of Kansas, including at the law school, In our faculty recruitment specifically, we are guided by KU’s handbook, “Excellence in Diversity: The Handbook for Recruiting and Hiring for a More Socially Diverse KU Faculty,” which addresses inclusive recruitment of LGBTQ+ candidates. KU’s Faculty/Staff Identity Councils are available to support recruitment efforts of diverse candidates, one of which is the Sexuality and Gender Diversity Faculty and Staff Council, which “supports the LGBTQIA+ communities by supporting programs and initiatives focused on growing a culturally rich campus through community building, advocacy, social justice and diversity education, leadership, and the development of informed citizens.” Our recruitment efforts are also informed by KU’s Pronouns Guide. To use our most recent law faculty search process, as an example, the chair of the appointments committee arranged a diversity training session for committee members, facilitated by KU’s Office of Institutional Opportunity and Access, and one of the committee members assumed the formal role of Diversity Advocate on the committee and completed additional training assigned by the Handbook for that role.
The health insurance policy excludes reproductive/infertility services. The policy will not consider benefits for medical leave, parental leave, family planning, in vitro fertilization or adoptive benefits. See the health insurance available to students here (search University of Kansas)
The health insurance policy excludes reproductive/infertility services. The policy will not consider benefits for medical leave, parental leave, family planning, in vitro fertilization or adoptive benefits. See the health insurance available to students here (search University of Kansas)
Benefits are considered the same as any other sickness for transgender/transitioning care. Office visits and counseling will be considered under the physician’s visit benefit of the policy. Oral hormone replacement therapy will be considered under the prescription benefits of the policy. Injectable hormone replacement therapy will be considered under the injection benefits of the policy. Please note, injections must be administered in the physician’s office and billed on the physician’s statement to be payable. Medically necessary surgical treatment will be considered under the surgery benefit of the policy. Medical necessity is established based on the Gender Dysphoria Treatment Guidelines. You may review the guidelines here. The insured may request their provider submit a pre-determination of benefits review for surgical care.
Please note, this does not guarantee payment. We are not able to determine if and what benefits are payable until an actual claim for services is received. Benefit payment shall be subject to all deductible, copayment, coinsurance, exclusions and limitations, or any other provisions of the policy effective at the time of service.
CAPS has an emphasis on diversity and inclusion. Watkins Student Health center provides gender affirming care and general trans support services are available on campus
We have one existing, single-stall, gender neutral bathroom located inside of our Legal Aid Clinic. Because the Clinic office this stall is located within is not always open (apart from normal business hours), we are in the process of renovating 2 existing, fully accessible single sex bathrooms into gender neutral single stall accessible bathrooms. The signage will read “Gender Neutral Bathroom” or “All Gender Bathroom”. Once the renovation is completed, these 2 single stall bathrooms will be shared with the university and listed on the university map of gender neutral, accessible restrooms (likely in March 2021)
LAW 982 Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Questioning (LGBTQ) Seminar
LAW 994: Special Topics: Sexual Orientation and the Law
Student organizations may apply for funds to attend conferences. In recent years, students have attended the Lavender Law conference using such funds
The University of Kansas prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex, national origin, age, ancestry, disability, status as a veteran, sexual orientation, marital status, parental status, gender identity, gender expression, and genetic information in the university’s programs and activities. Retaliation is also prohibited by university policy. The following persons have been designated to handle inquiries regarding the nondiscrimination policies and are the Title IX coordinators for their respective campuses: Director of the Office of Institutional Opportunity & Access, IOA@ku.edu
We have annual University mandated sexual harassment trainings, which are inclusive of same sex harassment training.
Yes, mandatory for all students
We provide mandatory diversity & professionalism training to 1Ls and Upper level students during orientation and 2L/3L orientation and then again during lawyering skills. All upper class clinical students receive cultural competency training as a mandatory part of their clinical experience. The annual faculty/staff retreat features a 90 minute diversity training. Dialogues and panels featuring topics around diversity are offered throughout the year.
We have an active Faculty & Staff DEI committee, along with a student led Diversity Leadership Council, who work together to bring programming that addresses many issues surrounding diversity & inclusion, including LGBTQ concerns. We encourage faculty, administrators, staff and students to develop a practice of sharing and respecting individual’s pronouns. I serve as a board member on the local LGBTQ Bar organization and we work closely with the LGBTQ bar org to build mentorship programs for students.
We attend diversity law fairs and individually speak to prospective students about the welcoming environment at the University of Kansas School of Law. We collaborate with our OUTLaws student group to connect incoming LGBTQ+ students with our LGBTQ+ community. Our Deans Diversity Leadership Council also plays an active role at Admitted Students day.