Welcoming Justine Billups, Interim Executive Chief Diversity Officer
Justine Billups, Interim Executive Chief Diversity Officer
CUNY School of Law welcomes Justine Billups as Interim Executive Chief Diversity Officer, Title IX Coordinator, and 504 Coordinator. A two-time CUNY graduate, Billups comes to this role with a deep commitment to building pathways for equity and access across public institutions, a through-line that connects every chapter of her career.
At CUNY Law, Billups oversees compliance with equal opportunity, non-discrimination, and accessibility policies, and partners with leadership and community members to strengthen an inclusive campus culture grounded in care and accountability. Her approach, she says, is shaped by both personal experience and professional purpose.
“As a proud two-time CUNY graduate, I’ve experienced firsthand the power of an affordable, accessible, quality CUNY education. This is truly a full-circle moment,” she shared. “CUNY shaped my values, my vision, and my voice. Now, I have the privilege of giving back to the very institution that launched my career in public service.”
That career began in city government, where Billups worked to translate commitments to diversity and inclusion into practical change. At the Bronx District Attorney’s Office, she served as Deputy Chief Diversity Officer, developing continuing education programs on disability rights, structured interviewing, and unconscious bias, equipping attorneys and staff to make equity part of daily practice. Before that, in her role as Program Manager of the NYPD’s Office of Equity and Inclusion, she helped design initiatives that expanded mentorship, leadership development, and launched the Structured Interviewing and Unconscious Bias Training. Those programs, including the Path to Mentorship and the Women’s Institute, helped shift how departments approached professional advancement and representation.
Her work, Billups notes, has always centered on access. “I am passionate about building pipelines for people in underrepresented groups to enter their desired careers, and CUNY Law aligns with that mission,” she said. “Now more than ever we need people in the legal field to challenge systems and advocate for the most vulnerable — and CUNY Law equips its students to do exactly that.”
Outside of her professional roles, she continues that focus through service. She volunteers with iMentor and sits on the New York Urban League’s Project Ready Advisory Board, supporting youth development and leadership programs that prepare young people to lead with purpose.
Billups earned her Master of Public Administration from Baruch College’s Marxe School of Public and International Affairs, where she served as a student ambassador and conducted research on youth unemployment in Poland, and her Bachelor of Arts in Africana/Puerto Rican Latino Studies from Hunter College. Her leadership has been recognized with inclusion in CUNY’s 50 Under 50 alumni list.
What drew her to CUNY Law now, she says, is the opportunity to work in a community that lives its mission every day. “I’m excited to meet the students, faculty, and staff who make this such a mission-driven place,” she said. “Programs like Pipeline to Justice and First Impressions really inspire me; they embody what it means to increase access and opportunity in the legal field and expose young people to careers in law.”
A third-generation New Yorker, Billups grew up in Queens, where she still lives. “New York will always be home,” she said with a smile. “This time of year, I love walking through Central Park, people-watching, and seeing all the fall fashion. The city is always evolving — but its energy, creativity, and heart never change.”