The Path Ahead: Race, Inequality, and the Next Decade

What 10 Years of Impact Looks Like 

Over the past decade, CRIL has hosted, co-hosted, or sponsored 111 public conversations focused on race and inequality; filed, drafted, or joined more than 40 amicus briefs to highlight racial justice concerns in the courts; and issued more than 30 reports and publications to underscore the enduring influence of race and inequality on the law

Race + Tech

CRIL challenges opaque automated systems that reproduce racial bias in policing, hiring, housing, and public benefits. 

• Deployed a racial justice lens to inform the design, use, and implementation of algorithmic tools in the criminal legal system.
• Engaged in municipal efforts to review automated decision systems and algorithmic tools used by cities through a lens of equity, fairness, and accountability.
• Co-authored the Data Justice Act—model legislation protecting personal data and regulating surveillance technologies to reduce racial bias.
• Built the Technology & Racial Justice Collaborative, which tracks more than 2,000 state and federal bills on law enforcement technology, surveillance, and privacy.
• Advanced legislation alongside community partners to ban facial recognition technology in schools, residences, and public accommodations.

Race + Punishment

CRIL works to shrink the scale, scope, and reach of the criminal legal system and center freedom and liberation.

• Developed a five-pillar blueprint challenging the assumption that pretrial incarceration is necessary or just. 
• Filed an amicus brief cited by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court when the court struck down mandatory life without parole for felony murder as unconstitutional.
• Secured the release of eight incarcerated people from New York State prisons. 
• Co-published “Excessive Sentencers,” which identifies patterns of excessive punishment by more than 140 New York judges with more than 1,200 years of sentences reduced on appeal.
• Trained countless criminal legal system actors—including judges, prosecutors, and defenders—to employ a racial justice lens in their work. 
• Served as a steering committee member for the People’s Campaign for Parole Justice to expand opportunities for parole release, shift the composition of New York’s parole board, and improve decision-making.

Race + Place

CRIL challenges the ways structural racism shapes how communities are built and governed.

• Co-launched the Environmental & Climate Justice Initiative, which advocates for environmental protections by advancing state and federal laws in vulnerable communities. 
• Partnered with the Right to Counsel NYC Coalition, a grassroots, tenant-led organization, which guarantees free legal counsel for tenants facing eviction.
•  Conducted extensive research on large-scale data centers in communities of color to evaluate environmental impact while advocating for transparency and community participation in otherwise overlooked communities. 

Race + Culture

CRIL challenges narratives that fuel racial inequality through public conversation, legal education, and movement building. Built the Race and Law Center Network, a nationwide coalition of law school–based centers focused on racial justice to foster collaboration and deepen the impact of members’ research and advocacy efforts.

• Adopted the Appellate Project, which seeks to diversify the appellate justice pool to better reflect the community the judges serve.
• Serves as home to the Initiative for Community Power and its Dismantling Racial Capitalism event series.

Sponsorship Opportunities 

Your support is critical to CRIL’s mission and to the community, programs, and partnerships that advance racial justice. All tiers include recognition in event materials, on the event webpage, and in CRIL’s 10-Year Anniversary Impact Update.

Visionary 

$100,000 Sustains a graduate fellowship supporting racial justice leadership across one of our four focus areas. Premier recognition as a Visionary sponsor in event materials, on the event webpage, and in select pre- and post-event communications; verbal acknowledgment during the program; and recognition at the pre-event reception.

Pathfinder 

$50,000 Underwrites a major research or advocacy project addressing an urgent racial-justice challenge. Recognition as a Pathfinder sponsor in event materials, on the event webpage, and in select pre- and post-event communications; verbal acknowledgment during the program.

Catalyst

$25,000 Produces a major research publication, policy roadmap, or legal resource that equips advocates with the necessary tools to confront racial injustice. Recognition as a Catalyst sponsor in event materials and on the event webpage; verbal acknowledgment during the program. 

Additional Tiers

The following  will receive recognition in event materials and on the event webpage: 

Builder 

$10,000 Funds a coalition strategy session, or rapid-response analysis—connecting legal expertise with community priorities.

Advocate

$5,000 Expands student engagement, public education, and narrative-change work to develop the next generation of racial-justice lawyers and leaders.

Friend 

$2,500 Provides flexible support for fellows, partners, and public programming.

All tiers include recognition in CRIL’s 10-Year Anniversary Impact Update.

Host Committee

• Judy Bartlett ‘95

• Lisa Bonner ‘97 

• Lisa Marie Boykin ‘95

• Richard Rosenthal ‘81

Our 2017 Launch Event

Rewatch our inaugural event with Anthony Thompson, Loretta Lynch, Bryan Stevenson, and Sherrilyn Ifill.