Syracuse Law is committed to fostering a campus community that is free from discrimination and that celebrates the diversity of its community members within a supportive and inclusive learning environment. This commitment is rooted in the belief that multiple points of view and different life experiences, ethnicities, cultures, and belief systems are essential to academic excellence.
Our goal is that diversity be a core value not just in vision, but in practice. Our students join a community motivated by the values of respect and inclusion and by embracing the diversity of our community, we positively enrich the learning experience. We expect that law school will challenge belief systems and preconceptions, and encourage our students to be open to this challenge.
“We continue the fight for justice and equity because we must. Together we must use the law unremittingly to achieve a greater measure of justice in our own lifetimes, and we must raise an army of new lawyers to wage legal warfare against racial injustice.”
Dean Craig M. Boise
Opening Remarks, College of Law 2020 Alumni of Color Reception
Check out the demographics for our incoming class, one of the most diverse in the history of Syracuse Law.
Comprised of faculty, staff, and, students, the Inclusion Council meets regularly to evaluate the climate of inclusivity and to make recommendations to the Dean for actions that can create and sustain an inclusive learning community.
The mission of the SULAA Inclusion Network is to promote professional and personal friendship, association, and affiliation among alumni to support future generations of Syracuse Law students.
The Office of Diversity and Inclusion sets priorities and promotes an equity commitment for students, faculty, and staff across campus. Check out the list of campus-wide services and resources.
Syracuse Law is devoted to the inclusion and success of students with disabilities and those in need of special accommodations.
Syracuse University is just minutes from the heartland of Onondaga Nation, the fire keepers of the Haudenosaunee, the indigenous peoples on whose ancestral land the University now stands.
Syracuse Law seeks to foster an inclusive campus community where all members feel welcomed and supported. We are committed to responding quickly and thoughtfully to bias incidents on campus.
Orange Advance
In 2019, we launched our Orange Advance program with three HBCU institutions that are part of the Atlanta University Center: Clark Atlanta University, Morehouse College, and Spelman College. Orange Advance provides interested students with pre-law programming across their four years of undergraduate education, as well as connections with Syracuse College of Law alumni for networking, mentoring, and internships. Orange Advance students are exposed to hot topics in law, training in skills necessary to succeed in law school, exploration of the many potential career paths available to law graduates, and a capstone, week-long Summer Residency visit to Syracuse Law.
Diversity in Our Academic Curriculum
Pertinent Courses
Professional Responsibility Law and Sexuality Family Law Veterans Law Professional Responsibility Employment Discrimination Disability Law Voting Rights Asian Americans & the Law Investigating and Reopening Civil Rights Murder Cases Criminal Justice Reform | Elder Law International Human Rights Seminar Political Advocacy in Disability Rights Immigration Law Constitutional Civil Rights Litigation Constitutional Law II: Bill of Rights Refugee and Asylum Law Seminar | Feminist Jurisprudence Race and the Law International Human Rights and Comparative Disability Law Seminar Advanced Interdisciplinary Disability Law Seminar Elder Law Clinic Low Income Taxpayer Clinic Disability Rights Clinic Social and Economic Justice in South Africa Veterans Legal Clinic |
All Course Descriptions Cultural Competency Curriculum
Degree & Certificate Programs
- J.D./Master of Science in Cultural Foundations of Education with an Optional Certificate in Disability Studies
- Disability Law and Policy Curricular Program
- Family Law and Social Policy Curricular Program
Centers & Institutes
- Burton Blatt Institute
- Disability Law and Policy Program
- Syracuse University Intelligence Community Center for Academic Excellence (a program to diversify the US intelligence workforce, led by the Institute for Security Policy and Law)
Clinical, Pro Bono, and Other Experiential Programs
- Betty and Michael D. Wohl Veterans Legal Clinic
- Cold Case Justice Initiative
- Disability Rights Clinic
- Pro Bono Programs
Student Groups
We encourage students to engage in extracurricular activities. Engaging with a student organization or professional association connects you with other students and provides an opportunity to both celebrate diversity and have fun!