In January 2023, Deborah Archer became the new director of NYU Law’s renowned Clinical and Advocacy Programs when Vice Dean Randy Hertz, who had led the programs since 2002, stepped down from that role. Archer also became associate dean for experiential education and clinical programs.
“From its inception, our clinical program has served as a model emulated at law schools around the country,” says Dean Troy McKenzie ’00. “Under Randy’s leadership, our clinical offerings have continuously evolved, expanding in number, moving into new practice areas, and incorporating innovative pedagogical approaches to experiential learning. Deborah, whose own clinical work and scholarship have been trailblazing, is the perfect person to maintain and advance NYU Law’s premier position in this area.”
Archer, Margaret B. Hoppin Professor of Clinical Law, is a leading expert in civil rights, civil liberties, and racial justice. At NYU Law, in addition to teaching the Civil Rights and Racial Justice Clinic, she is co-director of the Arthur Garfield Hays Civil Liberties Program and faculty director of the Community Equity Lab. She is president of the American Civil Liberties Union. In May, Archer received the Outstanding Advocate for Clinical Teachers Award from the Clinical Legal Education Association.
“Helping our students develop the complex skills needed to advance justice; defend the rule of law; and increase the accessibility of high-quality legal services that are responsive to the needs of individuals, communities, and organizations has always been central to the mission of NYU Law,” says Archer. “Clinical programs are an essential part of that work, which is as important now as it has been at any time in our school’s history.”
A generous gift from the Wilf Family Foundations endowed the directorship of the Law School’s clinical program. The Wilf Family Foundations are also providing support for continued innovation and leadership in clinical education at NYU Law. “NYU Law is a true pioneer in the clinical space,” says Elana Wilf Tanzman ’12. “The work that its clinics do is important not only in teaching students, but in defending the rights of so many.”
Posted September 11, 2023