Yale Law School is committed to supporting diversity, inclusion, and equity along a number of dimensions. In accordance with our core values, the Law School and its student organizations host programs that address the role that historical oppression and movements to defend the rights of marginalized groups have played in shaping our legal framework. We also aim to highlight the progress that has been made in the justice system and identify ways in which we still need to move the needle forward, as well as celebrate those who have been pioneers in crafting successful strategies and securing key victories. 

Our student organizations play a pivotal role in providing strong social networks, forums for community-building, and welcoming and supportive environments for our diverse student body. The student groups that host programming and events focused on racial and ethnic diversity include:  

Asian Pacific Law Students Association - APALSA

APALSA serves the interests of its membership by fostering a community within the law school and strengthening ties in the broader Asian Pacific American legal community.

Black Law Students Association - BLSA

BLSA is a group of students committed to the advancement of African Americans inside and outside of YLS.

Latinx Law Students Association - LLSA

LLSA supports Latinx students at YLS primarily by providing professional and academic mentorship, organizing speaker events with Latinx alumni and practitioners, and holding social events.

Middle East North African Law Students Association - MENALSA

MENALSA provides a forum for engaging the Yale Law School community on the legal, political, social and cultural realities of the peoples of North Africa and the Middle East.

Native American Law Students Association - NALSA

NALSA is dedicated to providing personal, professional, and cultural support to Yale’s Native American law students and fostering a community among all law students who are interested in Indian legal issues.

South Asian Law Students Association - SALSA

SALSA provides those interested in South Asian culture at Yale Law School a space to gather, create support networks, and form communities. We hope to instill awareness of the role of law students as future leaders who understand, care about, and support the history and concerns of the South Asian community.

 

Diversity More Broadly

“Diversity is a broad term that encompasses many forms of difference, including race, ethnicity, class, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, and ideology. To acknowledge this truth is not to equate them. The most daunting and important challenges we face, both as a society and as a school, stem from the powerful effects of past and present racial discrimination. We care deeply about our first-generation professionals, who have overcome income inequality and so many other obstacles to arrive here. Religious discrimination endures in this country and continues to demand our attention. Intellectual diversity is the lifeblood of any academic institution, especially in these highly polarized times, and we are delighted to have students and faculty with a wide array of political commitments. As a law school, we seek to address the core problem of inequality, while upholding and advancing these other important values.” —Dean Heather Gerken

Diversability

Gender Diversity

International Students

LGBTQ+ Diversity

Political Ideology

Religious Diversity

Socioeconomic Diversity

Veterans