News from the Office of Equity & Inclusion

Raymond Magsaysay L’22 explores the multifaceted problem of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) being largely left out of recent conversations about overhauling the criminal justice system to address racial injustice.

At Human Rights First, Patricia Stottlemyer L’17 uses impact litigation to fight for more equitable access to the legal system for asylum seekers.

A Personal Journey Toward Racial Awareness is Reflected in Peru’s

Underscoring Inequities in the Criminal Justice System

The Law School condemns antisemitic acts and the hate that motivates them.

Ezekiel Edwards L’02 worked as an investigator for people facing the death penalty before coming to the Law School.

The selection committee wrote that they wanted to recognize Grishow-Schade for their “critical engagement, leadership, and impact on initiatives related to gender identity across the University.”

Provost Wendell E. Pritchett GR’97, Erica V. Rodarte Costa L’22 and Reinvestment Fund’s Ira J. Goldstein and Emily S. Dowdall GCP’09, emphasize that the Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH) provision of the Fair Housing Act (FHA) is an obligation that attaches to all federal agencies.

Providing a Lifeline to Vulnerable People with Healthcare Needs

A Champion for People of Color with Disabilities

The winning essay of Apratim Vidyarthi L’22 explored the question: “Why Should Pennsylvania Focus on Increasing Diversity in its State Appellate Court Judiciary?”

Black Excellence: Journeys of Success by Lynnewood Shafer L’21 will be published by New Degree Press in August 2021.

Working to Bring Sexual Assault and Harassment to the Surface

Fighting for the Rights of Vulnerable Children

With closing arguments today in the trial that seeks justice for the killing of George Floyd, we reach out to acknowledge the pain felt by so many and to remind you of the support offered both by the Law School and the University.

At the SBPC, Kat Welbeck L’14 works with researchers to create reports that help articulate the ways in which racial and economic justice should play into conversations about student loan debt policy.

The Latinx Law Students Association (LALSA) recently held its 24th annual conference, “Fighting an Uphill Battle: Examining the Legal Implications of COVID-19 on the Latinx Community.”

Joining the Battle Against a New Rule Threatening to Deny Health Care to the LGBTQ+ Community

A Child of Immigrants Fights for Other Immigrants

University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School Master in Law (ML) program alumni and current students are leading the way in advancing equity and justice in their respective fields.

Raj Parekh L’06, Acting U.S. Attorney in the Eastern District of Virginia, is the first person of color in the 232 years of district’s history to serve as its chief federal law enforcement official.

With more women entering the legal field than ever, the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School is strengthening its efforts to encourage and support gender equity.

Ross co-led the team in People First of Alabama v. Merrill, which had a direct effect on Alabama voters’ accessibility to absentee voting in 2020.

Soohoo is a professor of law and co-director of the Human Rights and Gender Justice Clinic at the City University of New York (CUNY) School of Law.

The Office of Equity and Inclusion expresses outrage and heartfelt sympathy in the wake of the tragedy that took place in Atlanta, Georgia.

The event brought together scholars and leading experts in the fields of law, sociology, and civil rights to engage in a robust conversation about the roots of mass incarceration and the prison abolition movement.

Rangita de Silva de Alwis’ class on International Women’s Human Rights celebrated International Women’s Day with Justice Rosalie Abella of the Canadian Supreme Court; Martha Minow, the former dean of Harvard Law School and the 300th Anniversary University Professor at Harvard University; and Clara Spera, a fellow at the ACLU’s Ruth Bader Ginsburg Liberty Center and the late U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s granddaughter.

SALSA’s second annual conference focused  on civil rights and the pursuit of solidarity between marginalized communities in the fight for equality.

The Law School community convened a conversation that explored the history of anti-Asian violence, examined its grim escalation, and discussed opportunities to support impacted communities.

Penn Law Lambda’s symposium focused on LGBTQ access to and discrimination within the healthcare system.

Prof. Rangita de Silva de Alwis recently shared her insights on the urgency of women’s rights in this moment with Penn Today.

Law School alumnae serving on the bench reflect upon the pivotal 1995 “Women in Judging” conference and continued efforts toward gender equity in judgeships.

We join the University, Penn Law APALSA and SALSA, and many others in denouncing anti-Asian violence, and we steadfastly support those harmed by racism and violence. As a law school, we have a unique responsibility in shaping how the law can be used as a tool to create a meaningful, anti-racist future, and that action is needed now more than ever.

To kick off Women’s History Month, the AI & Bias Lab taught by Professor Rangita de Silva de Alwis is highlighting stories about diverse women who are changing the face of innovation with their extraordinary leadership in the tech industry.

Professor Rangita de Silva de Alwis will be affiliated with the Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security (GIWPS) as a Hillary Rodham Clinton Fellow on Gender Equity 2021-2022.

Omar Gonzalez-Pagan L’10 celebrated a victory with his team of LGBTQ+ and immigrant rights advocates when a federal court enjoined a Trump Administration rule seeking to overhaul U.S. asylum processes.

Tiffany Keung L’22 and Apratim Vidyarthi L’22 are winners of the 13^th Annual First Amendment and Media Law Diversity Moot Court Competition and were also awarded Best Brief.

As we embark on Black History Month, we are pleased to pay tribute to the legacy of Dr. Sadie T.M. Alexander, the first Black woman to graduate from the Law School, by launching three new full tuition scholarships created in her honor. Last semester, Dean Ted Ruger expressed the intention to create these scholarships thanks to the suggestion of Penn’s Black Law Students Association (BLSA).

This virtual event is sponsored by the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School, Annenberg School for Communication, the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Paideia Program, and the Penn Provost’s Office and will be moderated by Benjamin Todd Jealous with featured remarks from Penn President Amy Guttman.

On Monday, January 18, our nation commemorates the life and legacy of civil rights champion, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. His vision of compassion and equality as a moral imperative still remains at the heart of today’s ongoing movements for racial justice, labor rights, economic equality, and fair housing—the same battles Dr. King fought 50 years ago. As legal educators and professionals, MLK Day reaffirms our commitment to service, justice, and equity.

On May 1, 1965 the University of Pennsylvania hosted a panel discussion titled “Rule of Law” in observance of Law Day. The panel speakers included the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. as well as Raymond Pace Alexander, Arthur Dean, Eugene Patterson, and Dr. Sadie T.M. Alexander.

Sarah Best L’21 details her externship experience with the Education Law Center.

Leading scholars address the ways in which racism pervades the modern administrative state and the legal profession 

Three University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School Class of 2010 alumni are challenging a Trump Administration rule that threatens to roll back discrimination protections for LGTBQ+ndividuals seeking health care.

On Wednesday, July 8, 2020, the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School held the second event in its summer series, A Path for Change: Policing in America. The series is part of a yearlong colloquium, Achieving Racial Justice, as one of many initiatives Penn Law will be implementing in the coming months “to work internally and externally against anti-Black violence and racism and to promote meaningful change toward a more just reality.”

Jocelyn A. K. Walcott, a JD/MSEd candidate, has spent the summer as an intern at the United States Department of Education Office for Civil Rights (OCR).

On Wednesday June 24, 2020, the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School held the first event in its summer series, A Path for Change: Policing in America. The series is part of a yearlong colloquium, Achieving Racial Justice. 

With Biddle Library’s OverDrive collection you can download books to read and listen to on a Kindle, tablet, phone, PC or Mac.

You can also place holds on items that are checked out and be notified when they become available. To borrow items, sign in using the 8-middle digits of your PennCard.

Today, I write to share some concrete updates on the coming weeks even as our institutional efforts on many other fronts continue. There is much more we must do, including at the Law School, and we will report regularly on our progress.

Dean Ted Ruger of the University of Pennsylvania Carey School of Law announces effort to help our community grieve together, learn together, and work together to pursue systemic reform.

equity inclusion, national security, Women, Peace, and Security

equity inclusion, terrorism, Women, Peace, and Security

Vivek Kembaiyan L’20 will join Gideon’s Promise’s new partner office, Still She Rises located in Tulsa, Oklahoma this summer as Law School Partnership Project (LSPP) fellow.

equity inclusion, U.S. military, Women, Peace, and Security

equity inclusion, Women, Peace, and Security

The class of 2022 has the distinction of being the first class to have amongst its cohort three First Generation Professionals (FGP) fellows.

ABA exhibit on women’s suffrage visits Penn Law to celebrate the 100^th anniversary of the 19^th amendment

Philly Rising: Lawyering and Organizing for Racial and Economic Justice

Flags remembering transgender victims of violence in 2019 on display in Biddle Library. 

Esther Kang L’21, WG’21 and Bhavin Shah L’21, have been awarded Diversity Scholarships by the Morgan Lewis Foundation.

Divesting From State Violence: Decriminalizing the Social Safety Net