Nondiscrimination Policy
Since 1911, Southwestern Law School has served the public as a nonprofit, nonsectarian educational institution. Southwestern does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, age, religion, national origin, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, medical condition, pregnancy, marital status, veteran/military status, or any other characteristic protected by state or federal law in connection with admission to the school, or in the administration of any of its educational, employment, housing, financial aid, scholarship, or student activity programs. Nondiscrimination has been the policy of Southwestern since its founding. The law school also requires employers using its placement services and facilities to abide by these standards and to ensure that no such discrimination occurs in hiring, promotion, or compensation for work assignments.
Student Organization Contact Information
It is the mission of OUTlaw to
- PROMOTE the visibility of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (LGBTI) community to, and the unity of the LGBTI community with, the community at large;
- EDUCATE the community at large about legal and social conflicts and issues that affect LGBTI individuals and the LGBTI community; and
- PROVIDE LGBTI students at Southwestern with a network of support and opportunities for positive socialization with other LGBTI and LGBTI-friendly individuals.
The organization is affiliated with both the National Lesbian and Gay Lawyers Association and the Lesbian and Gay Lawyers Association of Los Angeles. These affiliations provide opportunities for students to network with practicing attorneys and members of the judiciary in the Los Angeles legal community, meet other LGBT students from area law schools, and participate in programs concerning LGBT rights issues. Each year, Southwestern sends up to four members of OUTlaw to Lavender Law—the National LGBT Conference and Career Fair in Washington, DC—to participate in seminars, workshops, and a career fair with some of the nation's top law firms and advocacy groups.
E-mail: studentaffairs@swlaw.edu
Faculty Contact Information
Kelly Strader
Professor
E-mail: kstrader@swlaw.edu
Administrator Contact Information
Robert Mena
Assistant Dean for Student Affairs
E-mail: rmena@swlaw.edu
Faculty Contact Information
Kelly Strader
Professor
E-mail: kstrader@swlaw.edu
Administrator Contact Information
Gary Greener
Senior Associate Dean
E-mail: ggreener@swlaw.edu
Course Titles and/or Descriptions
- Employment Discrimination Law:
Employment Discrimination Law studies the history, doctrine, and practice of law outlawing discrimination in the workplace based on race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, sexual orientation, and membership in other protected classifications. Although the course focuses on California's Fair Employment and Housing Act, together with Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, it also covers the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Civil Rights Act of 1991, and other federal and state antidiscrimination statutes.
- Law and Sexual Orientation Seminar:
The law has always attempted to control human sexuality. This seminar will therefore examine the challenges posed in law and society by sexuality in general and sexual orientation in particular. It will also explore some of the intersections, or even hierarchies, between sexuality (which is defined to include gender as well as sexual orientation), race, and class. Of particular import will be an examination of domestic and foreign case law, including some of the US Supreme Court's gay/lesbian jurisprudence, and other decisional law (e.g., statutes, treaties, etc., where necessary or implicated) in which different decision-making bodies have analyzed and resolved claims of sexuality. The doctrinal material, i.e., the cases and statutes, will provide a starting point for discussion. But discussion will focus primarily on the pressing philosophical, theoretical, and legal questions presented by the different challenges, intersections, and hierarchies under consideration. In lieu of an exam, students will write a paper (which satisfies the writing requirement) on a topic approved by the professor.
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Comparative Sexual Orientation Law:
This course examines issues in the field of sexual orientation law from a comparative law perspective. The course will explore ways in which different legal systems regulate sexuality, sexual identity, and expressions of identity. With a focus on approaches in Canada and the United States (while, at times, reflecting on experiences in other jurisdictions and on international norms), this course will address selected issues involving sexual orientation, such as nontraditional family (e.g., marriage, domestic partnership, and gay and lesbian parenting), government and sexuality (e.g., criminalization of sodomy; hate crime law; and issues of health, education, and immigration), and the different approaches to protecting sexual minorities through constitutional and statutory law (e.g., public employment, exclusion from the military or security positions, and private sector discrimination). The course will also look at the resolution of competing claims for constitutional and statutory protection (e.g., sexual orientation claims in competition with religion claims) and at the particular complications for individuals and groups in a multiple-minority position. This course is offered occasionally through the Southwestern Summer Abroad program.
Domestic Partnership Benefits
Full domestic partner benefits are available for Southwestern faculty and staff. Students covered by Southwestern's student health insurance policy can purchase coverage for eligible dependents, including a domestic partner.
Additional Information
Southwestern's culture of diversity and inclusion, which originated with its founding over 100 years ago, welcomes and
supports LGBT students. Southwestern has several LGBT faculty and senior administrators who serve as mentors and student
organization advisors. Southwestern hosts an annual Diversity Week as well as National Coming Out Day celebrations.
Scholarships and grants designated for LGBT students and others working for LGBT-cause-related nonprofits include the Gay,
Lesbian, and Bisexual Law Students Association Scholarship Fund and the Greener/McAllister Public Interest Grant. The law
school sends several students every year to the Lavender Law Conference. Southwestern sponsored a Law Review
Symposium on "Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgendered Issues and the Civil Rights Agenda" a few years ago, and another
symposium on the 40th anniversary of the Gay Law Students Association is being planned for 2013.
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