Center on Race, Inequality, and the Law

Faculty Co-Director Deborah Archer is president of the American Civil Liberties Union and a leading expert in civil rights, civil liberties, and racial justice.
Faculty Co-Director Vincent Southerland leads the Criminal Defense and Re-entry Clinic.
Executive Director Jason Williamson co-leads the Racial Justice Clinic.
The Center's public conversation on affirmative action in higher education featured Julie J. Park, Anurima Bhargava, Deborah Archer, and Jin Hee Lee.
One of the Center's public conversations on the Anatomy of Race and Inequality included (from left) Phil Tegeler, Kim Sweet, Dennis Parker, Richard Buery, and Russell Robinson.
At the 2020 Kenneth P. Thompson ‘92 Lecture on Race and Criminal Justice Reform, Vincent Southerland (right) moderated a panel featuring Eric Gonzalez and Danielle Sered.
The Center co-hosts the annual Derrick Bell Lecture on Race in American Society, which honors the life and legacy of the late civil rights lawyer and NYU Law Professor Derrick Bell.

About Us

The Center on Race, Inequality, and the Law confronts the laws, policies, and practices that lead to the oppression and marginalization of people of color. We believe that the racism that permeates our present day legal system has deep roots. By documenting the history of racism in America, elevating the stories of those affected by race-based inequality, and rigorously applying a racial lens to analyze unremitting disparities, we identify actionable, forward-looking solutions to address the injustices caused by racism and then take action. Read our annual report.

Our Work

Race & Narrative

Race & the Criminal Legal System

Race & Community Equity

Race & Technology

Initiative for Community Power

Programs for Students

Apply Now: Inaugural Summer Academy on Law, Organizing, and Power Building

Deadline: June 28th, 2022

We invite rising second- and third-year law students from New York City law schools to apply to The Action Lab (TAL), the Law and Political Economy (LPE) Project and the Initiative for Community Power’s first ever Summer Academy on Law, Organizing, and Power Building.

More information can be found here!

Latest Event

"Racing Religion: A Conversation with Sahar Aziz": Executive Director Jason Williamson and Professor Sahar Aziz discuss Professor Aziz's latest book and the long standing tension between race and religion in the United States.

Media: Deborah Archer on The Daily Show

Listen to Co-Faculty Director Deborah Archer discuss "How Racism is Built into America's Interstate Highways"

Recent Reports

Racial Segregation in Housing Policy (PDF: 20.7 MB) highlights some of the present-day policies and practices that continue to perpetuate a racial caste system in the United States.

Building Safe, Thriving Communities: Research-Based Strategies for Public Safety (PDF: 7.11 MB) lays out a new path for public safety using research-based strategies in policing, prosecution, and sentencing.

The Problem with Parole: New York's Failing System of Release makes policy recommendations to transform the parole system, putting redemption and rehabilitation first.