CUNY Law Hosts 3rd Annual Workshop for AAPI-MENA Women in Legal Academia
Participants from across the country came together to build community
On Thursday, October 19, scholars from all over the country arrived at CUNY Law for a kickoff reception that included Asian American Pacific Islander and Middle Eastern and North African (AAPI-MENA) women students from NYC-area law schools, women judges, lawyers, elected officials, law professors, and workshop participants.
“CUNY Law is delighted to host this gathering of scholars and leaders from across the country. We are the nation’s most diverse law school, and being able to welcome, support, and nurture this community aligns incredibly well with our mission,” shared Dean Sudha Setty.
One of the purposes of the Annual Workshop for AAPI-MENA Women in Legal Academia (the Workshop) is to create a sense of community and mentorship among women aspiring to enter or who are in the legal academy. Over the next two days, the Workshop brought nearly 100 participants together to discuss looming questions such as, How should we balance shared governance in efforts to improve diversity, equity, and inclusion? and issues of status and equity within the legal academy, identity and community in relation to academic freedoms, how to respond to hostility, and how to maximize scholarly impact.
The Workshop also included space for workshopping incubators and works-in-progress, exploring shared identities and history, dialoguing about professional development and wellness, and building community. As befits a CUNY Law-hosted event, the weekend included a wellness session to explore the benefits of mindfulness. Through various practices, including breath work, somatic experiencing, and walking meditation, CUNY Law staff member Emily Porter led participants in focusing on both individual well-being and community building.
This year’s workshop was organized by CUNY Law Dean Sudha Setty and Workshop Co-Chairs Catherine Y. Kim, of Brooklyn Law School, and Tanya Piece, Texas A&M University School of Law, along with fourteen additional members of the planning committee.