For Students

Watch: Hadiya Williams ’22 describes the experience of working closely with the faculty directors of the Meltzer Center

The Meltzer Center seeks to engage students at NYU School of Law with critical issues of diversity, inclusion, and belonging through coursework, directed research opportunities, orientation programming, a student fellows program, and an annual speaker series.

Coursework

The Meltzer Center offers an innovative year-long simulation course for upper-level students, Leadership, Diversity, and Inclusion. The course aims to impart the knowledge and tools to shape inclusive workplaces of the future, as well as the skills to thrive in workplaces as they are today. It examines the conceptual underpinning of diversity and inclusion ideals and concepts such as “implicit bias,” “stereotype threat,” and “covering.” It also includes a practicum on topics such as written communication, negotiation, public speaking, time management, and professional etiquette, taught through a combination of traditional classroom instruction, guest presentations by leading practitioners, and skill-based exercises with feedback and opportunities for improvement. Read the course description.

NYU Law also offers many other courses relevant to diversity and inclusion. Browse the full list of available courses.

Directed Research

The Meltzer Center offers supervision for student projects on diversity and inclusion for directed research credit. Contact the Meltzer Center’s executive director, David Glasgow, if you are interested in conducting directed research at david.glasgow@nyu.edu.

Orientation Program

The Meltzer Center facilitates an innovative theater-based diversity and inclusion program as part of the orientation schedule for all incoming JD classes, featuring acted scenarios developed specifically for the Law School.

Student Fellows

Student fellows have the opportunity to get involved in all aspects of the Meltzer Center's work. Fellows may execute projects to make the Law School environment more diverse and inclusive; conduct research into topics of diversity, inclusion, and belonging under the guidance and supervision of center leadership; contribute to the Meltzer Center's sharing of expertise with external organizations; and assist with the Meltzer Center's speaker series. Learn more about our current fellows. Apply to be a 2024 fall fellow.

Speaker Series

The Meltzer Center offers an annual speaker series featuring leaders from academia and the public and private sectors on a range of topics relating to diversity and inclusion.

Avenues for Addressing Diversity and Inclusion Concerns

If you are experiencing an issue or have a concern relating to diversity and inclusion in the classroom, consider the following options:

  1. Consider raising the issue directly with the Professor. Consult the Inclusion and Diversity Committee's Creating an Inclusive Classroom tip sheet.
  2. Write anonymous feedback in the course evaluation.
  3. Contact the Assistant Dean for Diversity and Inclusion (lindsay.kendrick@nyu.edu) or the Inclusion and Diversity Committee (diversity@mercury.law.nyu.edu).

Inclusive Classrooms

The Law School's Inclusion and Diversity Committee produced a tip sheet on approaches faculty might use to create an inclusive classroom. Read the tip sheet.

We Want Your Input 

To suggest speakers for our annual speaker series or readings for our reading group, or to make any general suggestions regarding the work of the Center, please complete a short survey.