Community at NYU Law

Student Groups and Associations

Student Groups

Student groups are a vibrant and vital part of community life at NYU Law. Groups are overseen by the Office of Student Affairs and host events and programming on a variety of specialized topics. The list of groups is long and diverse, with organizations representing academic interests, identity groups, leisure activities, volunteer opportunities, and more. Any student can join any group, and most students will become involved in at least one student organization during their time at NYU Law. There are opportunities for 1Ls and LLMs to join executive boards of many organizations as 1L or LLM representatives. 

Direct questions about student groups to: Student Affairs at law.studentaffairs@nyu.edu 

Further reading: List of student groups and individual sites

Student Bar Association

The Student Bar Association is the Law School’s student government. They work closely with Student Affairs and the Law School administration and faculty to host events, programming, and initiatives for the student body. These include large events (such as Fall Ball or Spring Fling), recurring events (such as Bar Review or Trivia), or small-group social and mentorship events. 

The SBA is made up of a seven-person executive board and student representatives. There is one representative from each 1L section, elected in mid-fall. All meetings are open and all students are encouraged to attend. 

Direct questions about the SBA to: SBA President Arielle Lipan at ariellelipan@nyu.edu.

Further reading: SBA website

Resources for Pregnant & Parenting Students

Accommodations During Pregnancy and Childbirth

The University prohibits discrimination based on parental status, pregnancy, childbirth, false pregnancy, termination of pregnancy, or recovery from related conditions in all of its educational programs and activities pursuant to Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972.

The Law School works with pregnant students and those who have recently become parents to identify reasonable accommodations that are appropriate to each person’s circumstances. Accommodations are made on a case-by-case basis depending on the needs of the individual, and may include (but are not limited to) exam modifications or deferments, assistance with course load and scheduling, classroom modifications, remote access, and/or taping of classes for absences related to childbirth or pregnancy. You can also visit the U.S. Department of Education’s Know Your Rights - Title IX guide to learn more. Both birthing and non-birthing partners are entitled to reasonable accommodations under Title IX.  

Please contact the Office of Student Affairs (law.studentaffairs@nyu.edu) or reach out directly to Dean Lindsay Kendrick (lindsay.kendrick@nyu.edu) if you would like to discuss accommodations, or to learn more about other supports available to students who are parents. You can reach out at any time during your/your partner’s pregnancy, but it is recommended to do so as early as you feel is appropriate.

Health Insurance—Pregnancy, Fertility & Birth Control

Both the Basic and Comprehensive student health insurance plans have similar provisions for students or students’ dependents who are seeking healthcare, including prenatal care, delivery, physician and midwife costs, postnatal care, infertility care, abortion procedures, contraception drugs or devices, and sterilization procedures. The cost of a breast pump is also covered with pre-authorization. The difference between the plans is the coinsurance percentage (the percent of costs you pay after you have met your deductible). 

The University also maintains the Graduate Financial Medical Hardship Fund which aims to assist full-time graduate students at NYU who have exhausted insurance and other financial resources and have unusually large, unpaid medical expenses that have caused a financial hardship.

Lactation Room

NYU supports nursing parents who return to school/work and continue to breastfeed their child by maintaining private spaces where lactating parents can nurse their child or express milk. Any NYU affiliated nursing parent, including faculty, staff, students, and spouses/partners who are breastfeeding, can register to use this lactation room.

There are two lactation rooms at NYU Law, one in Vanderbilt Hall and one in Furman Hall. Both rooms are equipped with a comfortable chair, an electrical outlet, and a table, as well as paper towels, a refrigerator, a Spectra pumping machine, and a sink.

In order to receive access to the NYU Law lactation room please email law.studentaffairs@nyu.edu. The Office of Student Affairs will then provide you with the code for the room, which will allow you to access the space anytime Vanderbilt and Furman are open, and direct you to a calendar that is used for scheduling. We will also provide you with further instructions, updates about the room throughout the semester and are available for any additional support that you may need. 

A number of other lactation rooms are located across the NYU campus and are accessible to students, staff and faculty affiliated with any school. This resource may be particularly helpful for dual-degree students or those cross-registered in courses at other schools. The public listing and further details are available at NYU Lactation Rooms (login required).

Housing & Financial Aid

Family housing accommodations are available at NYU Law, but in limited quantity. Students interested in living on campus should refer to the Family and Partner Housing webpage for more information on eligibility, offerings, and the housing application process.

NYU School of Law devotes substantial resources to financial aid, including institutional grants, scholarships, the Loan Repayment Assistance Program (LRAP), and the PILC Summer Funding Program.

Eligible students are packaged with federal student loans based on the Standard Student Expense Budget. Students with dependents who have additional expenses, such as childcare, may be eligible for a budget adjustment through the budget appeal process. Budget appeals are reviewed through a central, university-wide system. For more information and support with this process, students are encouraged to reach out to NYU Law’s Office of Student Financial Services at law.finaid@nyu.edu or (212) 998-6050 to discuss their personal circumstances and receive individualized advising. 

The Loan Repayment Assistance Program (LRAP) supports NYU Law graduates who are committed to careers in public service. Qualifying dependents are accounted for by the program. LRAP deducts $10,000 per qualifying dependent from a participant’s income in considering whether the person has a contribution to make toward their loans. In addition, LRAP coverage continues if a participant is on parental leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and offers 24 months of deferment should a participant opt to take a longer leave from employment, during which time the participant retains their eligibility and does not lose those months in their repayment timeline. While LRAP requires full-time employment of 35 hours per week, the program allows part-time work for participants who are caring for dependents and continues to treat them as full-time employees in order to maintain eligibility. For questions about LRAP eligibility or policies, email law.lrap@nyu.edu or call (212) 998-6050.

Parenting & Caregiver Support 

Students who are parents at NYU Law should feel free to utilize Law School resources to handle issues that may arise. 

For short-term absence from classes due to unforeseen circumstances, such as a child becoming ill or childcare falling through, students should work with their professors as you would for any other short-term absence such as for appointments or illness. The professor will provide guidance on how to catch up in a way that makes sense for the course (such as access to recording, remote attendance, getting notes from a classmate, extended office hours, etc.). If a student is facing issues in coordinating these short-term arrangements with their faculty member(s), they may reach out to Dean Lindsay Kendrick (lindsay.kendrick@nyu.edu) for assistance.

For more long-term issues, such as a child’s ongoing health issue which requires a student to miss an extensive amount of course meetings, the student should reach out to the Office of Student Affairs (law.studentaffairs@nyu.edu) to determine the best course of action. 

For assistance with scheduling required courses and planning your academic progress as a parenting student, the Office of Academic Services (law.acadservices@nyu.edu) is able to assist and advise. 

University-Wide Caregiver Resources

The University maintains a Students With Children resource page with many resources for seeking childcare, connecting with other parents around the NYU community, and finding fun events to do with children in New York City. Highlights of this page include: 

• The application for the $300/semester Childcare Subsidy, which all NYU Law student parents are eligible to apply for as long as they are enrolled full-time.
• Work Life is pleased to sponsor membership to the Carefully app for the NYU parenting community. Through Carefully, families can easily build a network of parents you know and trust to share care.
• A Google Group that serves as a dedicated closed community where parents can communicate about childcare needs.
• A list of Child Care, After-School and Camp Programs located near campus developed by the Work Life Office.

Community

NYU Law facilitates a listserv for pregnant and parenting students who would like to connect, build community and share resources with one another. To request to be added to the group, please sign up here. 

The Counseling and Wellness Center also runs (depending on interest) a Care for Caregivers counseling group.  

Greenwich Village

The neighborhood in which the Law School’s campus resides is Greenwich Village. Rich with history and culture, there are countless areas of intrigue to explore within a short walking distance of campus. As the Village is a hub for excellent food and drink, it would take pages to list every option—but here are a few that are popular with NYU Law students. 

Coffee:

• Third Rail Coffee—Just around the corner from campus. Not much seating. 
• Irving Farm—A block away from Furman Hall. Quite a bit of seating. Chain with many locations across NYC. 
• Caffè Reggio—A historic spot packed with Renaissance art and a cappuccino machine from the early 1900s. Ample seating, and serves Italian pastries and sandwiches along with a coffee and bar menu. 
• Sullivan Street Tea & Spice Company—A block away from Furman Hall, this shop sells loose-leaf tea and bulk spices. You can get delicious iced and hot teas at the counter. No seating.
• Saltwater Coffee—On Waverly Place near 6th Ave. Gourmet lattes, matcha, and baked goods. They also sell their own roasts! Limited seating. 
• Heavenly Finest Deli—The closest bodega (small market) to campus, across the street from Furman and Vanderbilt and on the same block as D’Agostino Hall. Menu of sandwiches, wraps, and salads, grab-and-go snacks, and bottled beverages, smoothie and juice bar. No seating. 

Restaurants and Bars

• Miss Lily’s—A celebrated Carribean spot with two downtown locations.
• Jane—Casual-chic American bistro with happy hour specials.
• Red Bamboo—Vegan comfort food restaurant close to Washington Square Park. 
• Top Thai Greenwich—Homemade Thai cooking with halal options and full bar.
• Mahmoun’s Falafel—Famous and affordable falafel spot right around the corner from campus. This is the flagship location and is the oldest falafel restaurant in New York. 
• Karakatta—Ramen spot on Thompson St. with an extensive menu and customizable ramen bowls.
• Two Boots Pizza—NYC mainstay with a bright style and creative pizza options, including vegan and gluten-free choices. 
• Saigon Shack—A favorite among students, Saigon Shack serves Vietnamese sandwiches, noodles, and coffee.
• Marie’s Crisis Café—Historic and eclectic Broadway piano dive bar in the basement of the building where Thomas Payne died. Buy drinks cash-only and sing along to your favorite show tunes with a live pianist every night. 
• The Stonewall Inn—Perhaps the most famous gay bar in the United States, the Stonewall Inn was the site of the 1969 riot which is regarded as an important milestone in the movement for LGBTQ liberation. Stonewall is still going strong, with dance parties, drag shows, and a piano bar.
• The Spaniard—Upscale cocktail bar in the Village with bar food and an extensive whiskey selection. 
• Amity Hall—Gastropub right around the corner from campus with happy hour specials and a full menu.
• Groove Bar—Corner pub with live music seven nights a week, with happy hour specials. 

Arts & Culture: 

• Smalls—A tiny, in-demand jazz club. Many shows have a student pricing option—$10 with valid student ID. 
• Blue Note Jazz Club—Considered one of the premier jazz clubs in the world, Blue Note has been in operation since 1981. Shows every night at 8 p.m. and 10:30 p.m.
• Comedy Cellar—Voted best comedy club in NYC, with extensive lineups featuring local up-and-comers and comedy legends alike. 
• The Uncommons—The first board game café in NYC; patrons can play a huge selection of board games while enjoying snacks, coffee, beer, and wine. 
• Generation Records—Long-standing record store selling vinyl LPs, CDs, cassette tapes, and more.
• Le Poisson Rouge —A well-known music venue and nightlife staple since 2008, hosting concerts, art exhibitions, comedy shows, and more.
• Angelika Film Center & Café—Movie theater for independent films.

Greenspace

• Washington Square Park—World-famous park right next to campus, with the classic arch and fountain, two dog runs, and a playground. Site for busking, local vendors, people-watching, skateboarding, and spectating. Also home of the famous NYC Dosa cart, serving delicious Indian street food. 
• Jefferson Market Garden—A small garden under the care of community volunteers, with a few benches.
• Minetta Green—Small garden and part of NYC Parks’ Historical Signs Project.
• Father Demo Square—A piazza with fountain and gathering space.
• Union Square Park—A brief walk from campus, bustling with greenmarkets, performers and street vendors, community events and music, and more. 

Direct questions about local history and culture to: 

Residential Life at law.reslife@nyu.edu 

Student Affairs at law.studentaffairs@nyu.edu 

Local Grocery Stores

There are several options for shopping nearby campus. 

• Gristedes—Location on University Place.
• Morton Williams—Location on Bleecker St.
• Trader Joe’s—Two nearby locations; one on Spring Street and one by Union Square. 
• Union Square Greenmarket—Farmers market hosted in Union Square and open Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday. Local produce and vendors. 

If you are interested in grocery delivery, the most common services are Instacart and FreshDirect. Some local grocery stores may also deliver an order that you shopped for in-store for a small fee.

Direct questions about grocery stores and options to: 

Student Affairs at law.studentaffairs@nyu.edu

Residential Life at law.reslife@nyu.edu 

Travel

There are many ways to get to and from campus, including the subway, bus system, and bike rentals. Google Maps is equipped with public transit information, so if you are curious about how to get somewhere, you can input the address and look at travel options. 

The nearest subway station is West 4th St., which is an accessible station served by the A, C, E, B, D, F, and M lines. Slightly farther away but still a brief distance to campus are Christopher Street Station (served by the 1 line), 8th St. - NYU Station (served by the R and W lines), and Astor Place (served by the 6 line). Each subway ride costs $2.75, though you can also get unlimited monthly or weekly passes, which may be more economical, depending on how often you ride. 

Several bus lines stop near campus, including the M1, M2, M3, M8, M55, and M21. New York City buses take the same MetroCards as the subways. Certain buses may require you to use your MetroCard to get a ticket at the bus stop before boarding, but this will usually be communicated clearly on signs near the bus stop. 

There is a Citibike station directly across the street from Furman Hall; you can pick up and return bikes at any Citibike station in the city for a daily, monthly, or annual membership fee. 

NYC has three major airports; JFK, LaGuardia, and Newark. JFK and LaGuardia are accessible from campus via the MTA buses and subway. Newark is accessible via NJ Transit lines which run through Penn Station.

Direct questions about travel to and from campus to: Student Affairs at law.studentaffairs@nyu.edu 

Further reading: NYU Transportation website