Diversity and inclusion are central values at Cardozo Law School. We recognize that diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) are critical to legal education and the legal profession.
To help faculty identify relevant materials for inclusion in their syllabi, Cardozo has launched a new hub for Anti-Racist DEI Curricular Resources for its law school faculty and to faculty at all law schools. The resource is organized by common first-year and upper-level law school classes. It is a combination of free materials available on the open web and materials published on subscription databases that many law schools provide.
“Cardozo Law is deeply committed to ensuring that students investigate how structural racism has shaped American law and how the legal profession can address the pernicious inequities that persist today," said Professor Peter Markowitz, Associate Dean of Equity in Curriculum and Teaching. "We created this new curricular resource hub to support faculty in this endeavor. To my knowledge, it is the first comprehensive resource in the country developed for both the 1L and Upper-Level law school curriculum. We are pleased to make this resource available to law professors across the country."
Cardozo has a longstanding commitment to DEI. In spring 2021, the faculty passed a resolution acknowledging that the "history and development of American law are intertwined with race and racism." In addition, the resolution stated that "the faculty has a responsibility to promote equity and justice, to work to eliminate racial and cultural bias in the law school and in the profession and to ensure that Cardozo's curriculum, classroom teaching and culture contribute to these goals."
In the past year, Cardozo implemented this resolution through a series of curricular reforms including:
- An upper-level requirement in race and the law.
- An expansion of class offerings covering issues related to race and the law.
- A new emphasis on racial context and impacts in courses not primarily about race.
- Required training workshops for students and faculty on implicit bias, cultural competency and leading classroom discussions that involve race and racism.
Cardozo Dean Melanie Leslie said: "It is important that law schools take a leadership role in recognizing systemic racism in the law. Law schools need to actively work to develop future lawyers who will identify and work to reverse it when they encounter it in their careers.”
The Hub Includes:
- Recommended readings and other course materials for Civil Procedure, Constitutional Law, Contract Law, Criminal Law, Property Law and Torts.
Resources for Upper-Level Courses
- Recommended readings and other course materials for Upper-Level courses including Administrative Law, Alternative Dispute Resolution & Mediation, Bankruptcy Law, Clinical Education, Contract Drafting, Criminal Procedure, Environmental Law, Evidence, Family Law, Federal Courts, Human Rights Law, Immigration Law, Insurance Law, Intellectual Property Law, New York Law & Courts, Tax Law and Wills, Trusts & Estates.
Professional Development Resources For Professors
The DEI curricular resources can be accessed here.