Diversity in Law School

Nondiscrimination Policy

Albany Law School admits students of any sex, race, color, national or ethnic origin, religious belief, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, marital or parental status, military or veteran status, political affiliation, age, or other category protected by federal, state, or local laws, to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, color, national or ethnic origin, religious belief, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, marital or parental status, military or veteran status, political affiliation, age, or other category protected by federal, state, or local laws, in administration of its educational policies, admission policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs.

Student Health Insurance is available to both same-sex and opposite-sex domestic partners.

Student Organization Contact Information

OUTLaw Student Organization
Phone: 518.445.3302
E-mail: outlaw-org@albanylaw.edu

Alicia Ouellette
Associate Dean for Student Affairs
Professor of Law
Phone: 518.445.3376
Fax: 518.445.3333
E-mail: aouele@albanylaw.edu

Pershia M. Wilkins
Assistant Director of Admissions (Recruitment) and Director of Multicultural Initiatives, Office of Admissions
Phone: 518.445.3284
E-mail: pwilk@albanylaw.edu

Faculty Contact Information

Nancy Ota
Professor
Phone: 518.445.2362
E-mail: nota@albanylaw.edu

J. Stephen Clark
Professor
Phone: 518.445.2368
E-mail: sclar@albanylaw.edu

Elizabeth Renuart
Professor
Phone: 518.445.3358
E-mail: erenu@albanylaw.edu

Administrator Contact Information

None

Course Titles and/or Descriptions

Albany Law School integrates LGBT issues into many courses, including:

• Family Law
• Children and the Law
• Immigration Law
• Constitutional Law
• Property
• Employment Discrimination
• Criminal Law
• Contracts
• Health Law Clinic
• Economic Justice
• Law, Lawyers, and Social Change
• International Human Rights
• Introduction to Lawyering

In addition, the following courses specifically cover LGBT issues:

• Human Sexuality and the Law (seminar)—This seminar explores the response of the legal system to issues of human sexuality and the influence of legal norms on the perception and understanding of human sexuality. It focuses on the availability and limitations of constitutional and statutory protection for sexual privacy, expression, and equality. It also surveys approaches of feminist and gay legal theorists to such questions as identity representation and performance, and uses legal and theoretical frameworks to examine issues in particular contexts, including the family, the workplace, public schools, the media, the US military, and criminal law.
• Gender and Work (seminar)—This seminar examines the theoretical and legal treatment of men's and women's labor in the public and private spheres, informal and formal sectors, unionized and nonunionized sectors, and the international arena. It is designed for students who are interested in examining the law's impact on the work that women and men do. It will draw on materials from labor history and theory, feminist legal theory, critical race theory, and domestic and international labor and human rights law.
• Human Reproduction: Legal and Moral Issues (seminar)—This seminar discusses the moral and legal issues concerning both ordinary and assisted reproduction. It covers constitutional and common law doctrine on reproductive liberty, government regulation, and medical control over procreative choice, the reproductive autonomy of minors, the effects of advances in cell biology on reproductive issues, and the rights and responsibilities of gamete contributors.

Domestic Partnership Benefits

Albany Law School Student Health Insurance

Students enrolling for coverage in the Albany Law School-Sponsored Student Health Insurance Plan may also enroll their eligible dependents. An eligible dependent is a spouse (or domestic partner) and/or any child(ren) under the age of 26. Students must also enroll their dependents for coverage within 30 days of their initial eligibility.

Additional Information

Albany Law School has a long tradition of creating an inclusive community for LGBT students, faculty, and staff. The Diversity Office coordinates a broad range of workshops and informational sessions designed to address the unique concerns of LGBT students.

During the 2011–2012 academic year, Albany Law School hosted the symposium "LGBT Rights: Toward a More Perfect Union," during which the student-run Albany Government Law Review brought together national experts to discuss Don't Ask Don't Tell, the Defense of Marriage Act, family and workplace rights, and the legalization of same-sex marriage.

OUTLaw is the law school's active LGBT student organization, sponsoring conferences and panel discussions throughout the year on issues concerning the LGBT community. OUTLaw also participates in law-related pro bono projects that impact the LGBT community locally and nationally, including writing an amicus brief to the Supreme Court for a same-sex adoption case for the ACLU and partnering with the ACLU of Mississippi on a wide range of research projects.

Albany Law School's Career Services Office helps students identify LGBT-friendly employers; the office also supports the Lavender Law Conference and Career Fair, held annually by the National LGBT Bar Association.

LGBT issues are addressed throughout the law school curriculum in first-year classes including Property, Contracts, and Constitutional Law, as well as in numerous upper-level seminars such as Family Law.

The Albany Law School application form includes the question: "Do you wish to identify yourself as a lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender person?"

Albany Law School's nondiscrimination policy prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation.

Off campus in the community, the Capital District Gay and Lesbian Community Council has provided cultural events, workshops, and seminars for LGBT individuals in health, personal, finance, and family matters for the past 30 years. Albany is also home to Empire State Pride Agenda, New York's statewide civil rights and advocacy organization; Marriage Equality New York, an all-inclusive organization whose mission is to educate the public about the importance of same-sex marriage; and the Human Rights Campaign.

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