Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
At the School of Law, we foster a vibrant and dynamic community culture of inclusion that inspires and supports students to become leaders in the field of law and engages faculty, staff, and students to know better, do better, and lead by the best example. The Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion works to ensure all members of our law school community feel valued and supported. It’s not just caring for the whole person. It’s caring for every person by embracing and celebrating the rich identities—racial, ethnic, spiritual, income level, gender identity, and sexual orientation, among others—that are a part of our community.
The Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion supports students and upholds the law school’s mission by prioritizing the following:
Community and Sense of Belonging
We intentionally create spaces large and small for marginalized and underrepresented students to be valued, seen, and heard. Opportunities include:
- Sip and Snack, a time to grab snacks and comfort food during finals
- Welcome Lunch for Diverse Students, which is held during the fall and spring semesters to welcome students back to campus; and
- Spring Congratulatory, a graduation celebration for students of color.
Programming and Initiatives
We provide programming to support, celebrate, and value each member of our learning community. Some of our strategic programs include:
- Community Circles and Wellness Events
- Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity Awards and Fellowship Program
- Lunch and Learn Workshops
- Pipeline and First-Generation Programs
Cultural and Learning Events
We host events that represent a range of voices and communities in our law school. Let us know how we can help you explore your interests. Past events include Black History Month programming, a Bronzeville Walking Tour, Diversity Week, Diwali, Robes in the Law School, and Transgender Day of Remembrance.
Collaborations
Our office works in partnership with the School of Law’s academic and administrative departments to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion both in and out of the classroom. Whether we are partnering with one of Loyola’s many student organizations to develop programs to explore student interests, recognizing law school alumni for their contributions, or helping students explore Chicago’s rich and diverse culture, our collaborations make our community stronger. Let us know how we can help you explore your interests.
It’s important to engage early with Chicago’s strong network of lawyers and legal professionals who support Loyola students with their time, talents, and valuable resources. The School of Law’s Offices of Admissions and Career Services can assist you with information about scholarships offered by bar associations and other organizations. The Office of Career Services can also provide information about diversity-related job fairs, summer associate positions, networking receptions, workshops and seminars, and other career-related programming.
Academic Support
The Office works to ensure that historically marginalized students are high performing while in law school so they can enter the legal market in a stronger position. The ODEI offers advising and academic support sessions throughout the semester as well as these programs:
- Jumpstart: Jumpstart is a free program that brings together incoming first-year students from all nine law schools in Illinois and scholars from the Marshall-Motley Scholars Program. The Jumpstart program helps students confront the challenges that all students face during their first year of law school. Jumpstart provides a general overview of what to expect from law school, engages participants in a comprehensive discussion of the key components of academic success, including class preparation, note taking, outlining, and exam writing, and hosts a Federal Court Day where students hear from federal judges and law clerks. During the program, students also can ask questions about summer jobs and externships, student organizations, time and stress management, budgets and scholarships, and well-being.
- Loyola Law School 101:This free summer program provides incoming JD students with an opportunity to learn more about their first year of law school at Loyola, legal skills, and our law school community. The program includes an introduction to law school and commonly used vocabulary/legal jargon, U.S. court structure and how that applies to daily coursework, reading and briefing cases, Q&A sessions with faculty, alumni and current students, and much more.
Leadership Development
The Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion supports student leaders by providing tools to manage groups and organizations as well as develop leadership practices. Past workshop sessions include:
- Individual and Team Strengths:Leaders learned how to understand and appreciate their own talents and strengths, as well as understand and appreciate the talents and strengths of the members of their teams. The training addressed talents and strengths using the StrengthsFinder model.
- Effective Communication Skills:Radical Candor is a communication model that emphasizes both caring personally and challenging directly to build solid and effective relationships with your team. A culture of candor is essential for fostering open and honest communication, improved performance and productivity, personal growth and development, and preventing toxic workspaces.
The Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion is also developing a Lawyers as Leaders course for spring 2024.
For more information on the work of the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, please see the 2022-23 Annual Summary
LGBTQIA+ Inclusion Project
In Spring 2024, the School of Law partnered with the Equality Institute to better support the LGBTQIA+ individuals in our community. The Equality Institute analyzed the law school’s existing DEI strategy and its programs, policies, processes, and partnerships. They talked with current and former law school faculty, staff, and students. They also met with several university staff members. In the Fall of 2024, the Equality Institute provided several recommendations. You can track progress on the inclusion project goals here.
Reporting Discrimination or Sexual Misconduct
The School of Law encourages anyone who experiences discrimination or sexual misconduct to submit a report so that the University may take appropriate steps to promptly stop, prevent, and remedy any substantiated violation. The University recognizes the privacy and sensitivity of such reports, and only shares information internally on a need-to-know basis when necessary to effectively respond to the report. The University also understands that for various reasons an affected party may prefer to report anonymously or to share only limited information. If you have experienced discrimination or sexual misconduct, please submit a report through the Office of Equity and Compliance.
Loyola's Land Acknowledgment Statement
Loyola University Chicago has a deepened awareness of and respect for the people and history that long preceded us on the lands where our campuses now sit. We are grateful and humbled to share with the community the University’s approved Land Acknowledgement Statement (LAS):
The Loyola University Chicago community acknowledges its location on the ancestral homelands of the Council of the Three Fires (the Ojibwa, Ottawa, and Potawatomi tribes) and a place of trade with other tribes, including the Ho-Chunk, Miami, Menominee, Sauk, and Meskwaki. We recognize that descendants of these and other North American tribes continue to live and work on this land with us. We recognize the tragic legacy of colonization, genocide, and oppression that still impacts Native American lives today. As a Jesuit university, we affirm our commitment to issues of social responsibility and justice. We further recognize our responsibility to understand, teach, and respect the past and present realities of local Native Americans and their continued connection to this land.
The LAS is a formal statement recognizing Indigenous People as immemorial stewards of the land on which our campuses are located. The LAS pays respect to the enduring relationship that exists between Indigenous Peoples and their traditional lands. The intent is not just to acknowledge this bond but also to deepen awareness of our connection to history and our current understanding of our place, roles, and responsibilities given that history. This acknowledgment may be painful, but it is an important development within our efforts to move Loyola in the direction of greater inclusivity, deeper anti-racist action, and commitment to stewardship of our planet.
At the School of Law, we foster a vibrant and dynamic community culture of inclusion that inspires and supports students to become leaders in the field of law and engages faculty, staff, and students to know better, do better, and lead by the best example. The Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion works to ensure all members of our law school community feel valued and supported. It’s not just caring for the whole person. It’s caring for every person by embracing and celebrating the rich identities—racial, ethnic, spiritual, income level, gender identity, and sexual orientation, among others—that are a part of our community.
The Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion supports students and upholds the law school’s mission by prioritizing the following:
LGBTQIA+ Inclusion Project
In Spring 2024, the School of Law partnered with the Equality Institute to better support the LGBTQIA+ individuals in our community. The Equality Institute analyzed the law school’s existing DEI strategy and its programs, policies, processes, and partnerships. They talked with current and former law school faculty, staff, and students. They also met with several university staff members. In the Fall of 2024, the Equality Institute provided several recommendations. You can track progress on the inclusion project goals here.
Reporting Discrimination or Sexual Misconduct
The School of Law encourages anyone who experiences discrimination or sexual misconduct to submit a report so that the University may take appropriate steps to promptly stop, prevent, and remedy any substantiated violation. The University recognizes the privacy and sensitivity of such reports, and only shares information internally on a need-to-know basis when necessary to effectively respond to the report. The University also understands that for various reasons an affected party may prefer to report anonymously or to share only limited information. If you have experienced discrimination or sexual misconduct, please submit a report through the Office of Equity and Compliance.
Loyola's Land Acknowledgment Statement
Loyola University Chicago has a deepened awareness of and respect for the people and history that long preceded us on the lands where our campuses now sit. We are grateful and humbled to share with the community the University’s approved Land Acknowledgement Statement (LAS):
The Loyola University Chicago community acknowledges its location on the ancestral homelands of the Council of the Three Fires (the Ojibwa, Ottawa, and Potawatomi tribes) and a place of trade with other tribes, including the Ho-Chunk, Miami, Menominee, Sauk, and Meskwaki. We recognize that descendants of these and other North American tribes continue to live and work on this land with us. We recognize the tragic legacy of colonization, genocide, and oppression that still impacts Native American lives today. As a Jesuit university, we affirm our commitment to issues of social responsibility and justice. We further recognize our responsibility to understand, teach, and respect the past and present realities of local Native Americans and their continued connection to this land.
The LAS is a formal statement recognizing Indigenous People as immemorial stewards of the land on which our campuses are located. The LAS pays respect to the enduring relationship that exists between Indigenous Peoples and their traditional lands. The intent is not just to acknowledge this bond but also to deepen awareness of our connection to history and our current understanding of our place, roles, and responsibilities given that history. This acknowledgment may be painful, but it is an important development within our efforts to move Loyola in the direction of greater inclusivity, deeper anti-racist action, and commitment to stewardship of our planet.