NYU Legal Changemakers Incubator
Program Overview
NYU School of Law’s Grunin Center for Law and Social Entrepreneurship is piloting a new program for the 2025–26 academic year: the Legal Changemakers Incubator.
This initiative is designed to support a select cohort of LLM students as they undertake legal projects that address timely societal/environmental issues in sustainable development, impact investing, or social entrepreneurship – e.g., proposed reforms or analyses of issues (e.g., access to funding) in global health (e.g., vaccines), food security, education, conservation, or infrastructure development. The projects will be developed by teams of LLM students in partnership with seasoned legal professionals who will serve as mentors throughout the academic year.
This pilot program does not provide additional funding or academic credit to participating LLM students but creates opportunities for selected teams of LLM students to engage with seasoned legal professionals, the Grunin Center community, and the broader NYU Law community on projects of personal relevance with the potential to have real-world impact.
Applications have closed for the 2025-26 Legal Changemakers Incubator. Follow the Grunin Center on LinkedIn and subscribe to our newsletter for updates on the Legal Changemakers Incubator.
Who Should Participate
The program is open to all current NYU LLM students. Approximately four to six students (likely working in teams) are expected to be selected to join the inaugural cohort.
Mentorship and Community
Each LLM student team will be paired with one or more mentors who are seasoned legal professionals with experience relevant to sustainable development and who are transitioning from careers in the United States federal government. Mentors will provide light-touch guidance throughout the year, helping LLM student teams refine project parameters, sharpen legal analyses, build new networks, and achieve real-world impact. LLM students and mentors will also participate in periodic gatherings with the full cohort and Grunin Center staff to foster peer learning and community.
Expectations – LLM Students
- Submit a thoughtful proposal
- Lead project development with guidance from mentors and Grunin Center staff
- Produce a substantive legal deliverable (e.g., proposed regulatory change, proposed structuring for a new transaction type or other intervention, proposed coordination among existing or new institutions, or other written analysis)
- Engage with mentors during check-ins, participate in periodic cohort convenings, and share work at a public event
Expectations – Mentors
- Bring legal expertise relevant to sustainable development
- Dedicate approximately 1–2 hours per week during the fall and spring semesters to mentor LLM student teams
- Participate in periodic cohort convenings
Why Get Involved
- Work on a project that is meaningful and personally relevant
- Develop expertise in a specialized area of law with practical global impact
- Build connections with seasoned legal professionals, the Grunin Center community, and the broader NYU Law community
- Create a deliverable to implement in home jurisdiction