Race + Culture
The laws that govern our society are shaped by stories about race, who belongs, who deserves protection, whose experiences matter, and how we understand harm, accountability, and justice. In turn, laws shape the culture around us and reinforce some narratives while challenging others.
CRIL combats narratives that fuel racial inequality by working at the intersection of storytelling, legal education, and public understanding. We examine how race, law, and power interact, expand the range of voices that contribute to and drive conversations, and cultivate leaders committed to collective liberation.
Meaningful social change requires rigorous engagement with the lived realities of racism and opportunities for impacted communities to tell their own stories and define solutions. We work toward a future where policy and public discourse reflect an honest understanding of racial inequality, as informed by those engaged in the fight for racial justice.
Videos
Watch: Race, Inequality, and the Legal Profession
Watch: Dismantling Racial Capitalism with Ruth Wilson Gilmore - Defining Racial Capitalism
Initiative for Community Power
The Initiative for Community Power creates opportunities for high-impact teaching, learning, and research on power-building and social change. Through fellowships, reading groups, convenings, and field placements, it connects students, scholars, and practitioners working to challenge inequality and advance racial and economic justice. The Initiative partners closely with nonprofit, academic, and government organizations to develop strategies that build community power and strengthen democratic engagement.
A fundamental component of legal education in the United States is understanding the law through the lens of race and inequality.
Legal practitioners, policymakers, teachers, advocates, and the public are catalyzed to combat institutional racism and work to create a fair and equitable legal system.
We provide education and training to actors at all levels—from law students to practicing attorneys to legislators to judges—on the history of racism and its impact on the contemporary legal system. We produce original training materials to support the continuing education of practitioners, and actively support them to become leaders who will advance racial justice. We work with a robust network of partners in universities across the country to share lessons learned, collaborate on curriculum development, and host joint meetings.
The Appellate Project
Too often, appellate courts make high-stakes decisions with little connection to the communities most affected. TAP fosters emerging appellate leaders to ensure our courts better reflect the people, values, and realities of our time.
Through mentorship, resources, and community, TAP equips future appellate lawyers and judges with the tools they need to thrive and lead. TAP opens doors that have historically been closed and reimagines who gets to shape the law at the highest levels.
When appellate courts reflect the perspectives and lived experiences of the full public, the outcomes will be more just, the reasoning more rigorous, and the legal system more credible.