Office of Equity & Inclusion
In light of our Jesuit mission to educate the whole person (cura personalis) and our ongoing commitment to social justice, the Law Center created and launched the Office of Equity and Inclusion (OEI) in 2016 to champion community-wide equity, inclusion, and diversity initiatives.
OEI collaborates with the Law Center community (staff, faculty, students, and alumni), and University partners, to maintain a diverse and inclusive law school environment. We work strategically to develop and support equity and inclusion efforts through community programming, educational and training programs, student advocacy, and advisory and consultancy services.
PROGRAMMING AND SUPPORT
OEI provides institutional support to members of the Law Center community, to examine and explore some of the complex diversity, equity, and inclusion issues facing Georgetown Law, legal academe, and the nation.
The Power of Storytelling Workshop at the 2018 Georgetown University Women's Forum, co-led by Dr. Pérez-Caro and award winning filmmaker and Georgetown University '98 alumna Lacey Schwartz in connection with the Georgetown University Office of Alumni Relations.
Dr. Pérez-Caro took students on a guided tour of the National Museum of the American Indian as part of their 2018-19 Equal Justice Foundation charity auction winnings.
The Power of Storytelling Workshop for the 2018 inaugural RISE fellows, led by Dr. Pérez-Caro and Kendall Spencer (LAW '20).
Dr. Pérez-Caro, Prof. Jill Morrison, and others at the 2018 Women of Color Collective Dinner.
Dr. Pérez-Caro with recent alumnae at the 2018 Students of Color Outreach Day event to inform and attract prospective students of color to attend Georgetown Law.
Law School Diversity and Inclusion Officer networking reception sponsored by the Office of Equity and Inclusion for the 2019 NALSAP conference.
Dr. Pérez-Caro meeting with 2017-18 Women of Color Collective President Ambur Smith (LAW '18) in Cincinnati, OH.
As part of the 2019 Race and Higher Education MLK Initiative, Dr. Andria Wisler (Executive Director of the Center for Social Justice Research, Teaching, and Service and Associate Teaching Professor in the Program on Justice and Peace), Dr. Judith Pérez-Caro, Dr. Adanna Johnson (Senior Associate Dean of Students and Director of Diversity, Equity, & Student Success, Main Campus), Dr. Susan Cheng (Senior Associate Dean for Diversity & Inclusion, School of Medicine), and Rev. Brandon Harris led faculty and staff in a conversation on issues of justice, equity, and inclusion in higher education. The event was hosted by the Center for Social Justice of the Office of the President (LFRI).
"Gender in the Age of Trump" panel co-sponsored by Outlaw and the Office of Equity & Inclusion and facilitated by Profs. Sherally Munshi and Dori Bernstein.
Muslim Law Student Association end of year banquet for students, faculty, and staff, co-sponsored by the Office of Equity & Inclusion
Staff, Faculty, and Student Appreciation Mixer co-sponsored by the Women of Color Collective and the Office of Equity & Inclusion
As part of the 2019 Martin Luther King Jr. Let Freedom Ring! program, the Office of Equity & Inclusion co-sponsored the "Can I Live!? - Black Women's Lives in America" event with the Black Law Student Association. Faculty panelists included Dean Kristen Henning, Professor Jill Morrison, Professor Paul Butler, and Professor Sheryll Cashin.
Judith Pérez-Caro leads a staff facilitation training for the Georgetown Climate Center, in preparation for their drafting of a racial equity statement that supports their state and federal policy work.
Judith Pérez-Caro and Kendall Spencer (LAW '20) facilitate a storytelling workshop as part of the Pyramid Project college exposure and diversity pipeline program.
Dr. Pérez-Caro earned the Thomas F. Field Faculty & Staff Award for commitment to the University LGBTQIA Community in April 2018.
Nitza Escalera (Fordham Law), civil rights pioneer Rep. John Lewis (GA-5), and Judith Pérez-Caro at the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education 2017 Annual Conference.
In 2017, Dr. Pérez-Caro joined in the dedication of the Muslim Prayer Room located on the ground floor of the Gewirz Student Center. Georgetown Law is one of the only law schools in the country with such a dedicated space.
A variety of student groups unite for a moment to reflect and act upon the ongoing "Black Lives Matter" movement.
Event co-sponsored by the Office of Equity and Inclusion, the International Law Society, and the Student Bar Association, discussing Marie Mercat-Bruns's new book: Discrimination at Work: Comparing European, French, and American Law.
Faculty and students at an APALSA event honoring Judge Kiyo A. Matsumoto (LAW '81).
Students and staff at the OEI/Campus Ministry book club meeting, discussing Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson.
Forum on the Executive Orders on Immigrants and Refugees, sponsored by the Dean's Office and the Office of Equity and Inclusion. February 1, 2017. Profs. Marty Lederman, Andrew Schoenholtz, and Philip Schrag pictured here leading the forum discussion.
Leaving Transgender Students Vulnerable: The Legal Implications of Title IX's Reversal of Guidance, sponsored by OUTLAW and the Office of Equity and Inclusion. Pictured here: Prof. Eloise Pasachoff addressing the attendees.
Diandra Molina (LAW '18), Dr. Pérez-Caro, and Former Dean and Professor Everett Bellamy at the Legal Services Corporation's 2017 Supreme Court Reception
Prof. Jean Koh Peters (Yale Law) co-leading a faculty workshop on teaching about race with Prof. Susan Bryant (CUNY Law).
Panel on racial justice careers in public interest law, sponsored by the Office of Equity and Inclusion and the Dean's Working Group on Racial Justice. Panelists included Prof. Paul Butler (pictured leading discussion) and Professors Alvaro Bedoya and Vida Johnson, along with GULC alumni working in the field.
OEI admitted student open house with student leaders from the Black Law Students Association and the Latin American Law Students Association.
Panelists at the Profiling and Criminalization in Communities of Color event sponsored by The Racial Justice Working Group & The Office of Equity and Inclusion. Pictured here: Deepa Iyer, Abed Ayoub, and Profs. Arjun Sethi, Sherally Munshi, Anthony Cook, and Christy Lopez.
Students attending the Profiling and Criminalization in Communities of Color event sponsored by The Racial Justice Working Group & The Office of Equity and Inclusion
Dr. Pérez-Caro and law student Rachel Lee (LAW '18) celebrating the Georgetown Law Opportunity Scholarship Program. For more information about the program, please visit the Financial Aid section of the website.
Georgetown University's Lavender Graduation event honors LGBTQ and Ally students each year.
FOR STUDENTS
In accordance with the American Bar Association Goal III, to eliminate bias and enhance diversity, OEI offers the following support to students:
- Advise individual students to address concerns as they relate to issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion.
- Serve as a resource to student groups from historically underrepresented backgrounds in the legal academy and profession, including (but not limited to): students of color; low-income students; first-generation students; Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, Asexual, Two-Spirit + (LGBTQIA2S+) students; and allies. OEI also recognizes ability as an important aspect of diversity, equity, and inclusion, and works in close collaboration with the Office of Disability Services to create an environment that is accessible and inclusive for all students.
- Elevate the diverse identities, experiences, and perspectives in the Law Center community to strengthen classroom and other learning environments and to facilitate engagement across differences. OEI believes that amplifying more voices, particularly from underrepresented backgrounds, is important for a robust exchange of ideas and deep respect for the value of different viewpoints.
FOR FACULTY & STAFF
OEI works to develop programs, curriculum, and moderated discussions to enhance inclusion, a sense of belonging, and to promote the discussion of difference. We do this by partnering with faculty and administrators to enhance classroom climate and pedagogy through:
- Identifying, sharing, and supporting innovative pedagogical best practices through continuing education and professional development workshops, seminars, or other fora.
- Coalition building with partners and allieswork to create co-curricular programming related to cultural competency, promoting civil discourse, implicit associations and bias reduction, and exploring the intersections between social justice and various forms of diversity.
In Fall 2021, Dean Treanor appointed the inaugural Associate Dean for Equity and Inclusion. Among other aspects of the position, the Associate Dean works with the OEI to design an approach to inclusive pedagogy for all faculty.