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Climate Survey 2019

Seton Hall University School of Law

Seton Hall University School of Law

January 18, 2019

1. Does your law school intentionally seek out LGBTQ+ prospective students?
Yes
a. If so, how and where are your efforts directed?

SHUL seeks out diverse prospective students by attending diversity law fairs for the purpose of recruiting students of color and LGBTQ+ students.

2. Does your law school's welcome packet for admitted students include mention of identity group support for LGBTQ+ students, as well as for students of color or other minorities?
Yes

Students are provided information regarding SHUL’s student organizations, including Lambda Law Alliance. This information is readily available in our literature and in our online presence.  In addition, Lambda Law Alliance participates in our student organization fair held during orientation.

3. Does your school offer students the option to self-identify as LGBTQ+ in admissions applications or post-enrollment forms?
No

The Law School does not currently offer this option for admissions applications.  Students are able to identify themselves by their preferred name for admission tours, events, email communications and name plates.

4. Does your law school offer transgender students who have not legally changed their names the ability to have their name of choice on admission applications or post enrollment forms?
No

Please see the response above.

5. Does your law school provide any annual scholarships specifically for LGBTQ+ students?
No

SHUL does not specifically offer a scholarship for LGBTQ+ students.  However, outside scholarship opportunities, including scholarships offered to LGBTQ+ students,  are shared with the entire law school student body.

6. Does your law school provide funding, including travel support, for LGBTQ+ students to participate in LGBTQ+-focused learning and career services opportunities?
Yes
a. If so, please provide details and examples of when and how those opportunities have been utilized.

SHUL maintains a diversity fund to assist members of diversity-related student organizations who wish to attend affinity-related conferences and programs. Lambda Law Alliance is one of five organizations with access to this funding.  As an example, members of Lambda Law Alliance were provided funding to attend the 2018 Annual Lavender Law Conference and Career Fair in NYC.

In addition, Lambda Law Alliance receives funding from SHUL via the Student Bar Association. Finally, an alumna recently left a significant estate gift to LAMBDA which is in a restricted account administered by the LAMBDA faculty advisor.

7. Does your law school actively seek to employ diverse staff/faculty/administrators, including visible, out LGBTQ+ individuals?
Yes
a. If so, please detail how and where recruitment efforts are directed

SHUL advertises openings broadly in traditional and affinity-related venues with the goal of recruiting diverse staff/faculty/administrators.

8. Please identify, to your knowledge, how many out LGBTQ+ faculty your law school employs (if any)
SHUL employs LGBTQ+ faculty, including faculty of color. We do not require identification or track numbers.
a. If you answered 'yes' or 'unsure,' please describe your school's process for collecting this data
9. Please identify, to your knowledge, how many out LGBTQ+ staff/administrators?
SHUL employs LGBTQ+ staff and administrators. We do not require identification or track numbers.
10. Does your law school provide benefits such as health insurance, family medical leave, parental leave, and nontraditional family planning such as in vitro fertilization and/or adoptive benefits on equal terms to same-sex couples who are married or in registered domestic partnerships as are provided to different-sex married or registered domestic partner couples?
Yes
a. If so, please summarize or reproduce your policy here

Benefits are provided on equal terms per the following excerpt from the SHU Employee Handbook  Section 2.1, which states as follows:

“No person may be denied employment or related benefits, or admission to the University or any of its programs or activities, either academic or nonacademic, curricular or extracurricular, because of race, color, religion, age, national origin, ancestry, gender, pregnancy, marital status, domestic partnership or civil union status, affectional or sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, handicap and disability, atypical hereditary cellular or blood trait, AIDS and/or HIV status, genetic information, service in the Armed Forces of the United States, or status as a disabled veteran or as a veteran of the Vietnam era. All executives, administrators, faculty and staff are responsible for supporting Seton Hall’s EEO/AA policies and programs. EEO/AA policies are to be applied in all decisions regarding recruitment, hiring, promotion, transfer, retention, tenure, termination, compensation, benefits, layoffs, union membership, academic programs, and social and recreational programs.”

11. Does your law school offer the aforementioned health benefits to students and their same-sex spouses/partners?
No
a. If so, please summarize or reproduce your policy here

Student health benefits are offered to all students equally. Coverage and benefits are offered on equal terms. Dependent care is not covered by the student health insurance program.

12. Does your law school offer transition-related health benefits to transgender and/or transitioning employees?
No
a. If so, please summarize or reproduce your policy here
13. Does your school offer the same transition-related healthcare benefits to students and their partners/spouses?
No
a. If so, please summarize or reproduce your policy here (or you may email a copy of your policy to rishell@lgbtbar.org):
14. Do all students at your law school have access to counseling and/or therapy services either through the law school or the larger University?
Yes
15. Does your law school provide at least bi-annual mandatory diversity and inclusion training that incorporates robust LGBTQ+ curriculum, for all staff/faculty/administrators?
No

In-person Diversity and Inclusion training and Implicit Bias training has been offered to all faculty and administrators.  All students receive mandatory implicit bias training during one L orientation, which is then built upon in the Introduction to Lawyering course.

16. Does your law school provide a gender-inclusive restroom in any and/or all law school buildings?
Yes
a. How is that restroom identified (i.e., what does the signage say, is it identified on building maps, is there a gender-inclusive restroom policy that applies to all restrooms and where is that statement published, etc.)?

Yes, SHUL offers a gender inclusive bathroom.   The restroom is designated with a sign that says “RESTROOM.”   We are adding two additional gender inclusive restrooms this semester

17. Does your law school have one or more annual LGBTQ+ course offerings (e.g., LGBT Law and Policy, Sexual Orientation and the Law, Gender and the Law (taught with trans-inclusive and focused materials), etc.)?
Yes
a. If so, please list course names

Gender and the Law
Gender, Race and the Law
Law and Sexuality

18. Does your law school have an active, visible LGBTQ+ law student group that is supported by the institution?
Yes
19. Does your law school have a hate/bias incident policy that students are required to follow?
Yes
a. If so, does that process specifically identify sexual orientation, gender identity, or both as protected categories?

Yes.  SHUL has a policy regarding hate/bias incidents that all students are required to follow.  The policy specifically identifies sexual orientation and gender identity as protected categories.

b. is there a clear hate bias/incident reporting process for students/faculty/staff to utilize if necessary?
Yes
20. Please describe all additional ways, not identified through your responses, that your law school works to be safe, inclusive, and welcoming to LGBTQ+ students, faculty, and administrators:

SHUL has a fulltime Assistant Dean for Diversity and Inclusion.  The Assistant Dean works with the Dean, Faculty, students, administrators and staff to create a welcoming and inclusive environment for the law school community.  SHUL leadership is engaged in ongoing and active discussions regarding ways to create a true sense of belonging for all students. The leadership encourages students and community members to make suggestions to improve our community and is open to the ideas that come from this honest dialogue.