CUNY Law Review Hosts Symposium on Direct Democracy and Radical Municipalism
The CUNY Law Review’s Spring 2026 Symposium, The City Is Ours: Law, Direct Democracy, and Radical Municipalism in Practice, brought together more than 100 students, organizers, attorneys, scholars, and community members for a two-day exploration of building power at the local level in New York City. The event was held April 17–18 at CUNY School of Law.
Across five panels, four hands-on workshops, and 18 speakers, the symposium examined how NYC’s neighborhoods, apartment buildings, and workplaces can be democratized toward a radically different conception of municipal life. The keynote address was delivered by Tascha Van Auken, Commissioner of NYC’s Office of Mass Engagement.
Designed as both a learning space and a practical organizing forum, the symposium paired discussion with direct application—reflecting CUNY Law’s public interest mission by centering community-rooted strategies for New Yorkers working together to build a materially secure and democratically thriving city.
See photos from the Symposium in the gallery below and read the latest issue of the CUNY Law Review online.