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It's a Good Time to Look Into Anti-Discrimination Law Career Options

By William Vogeler, Esq. on April 24, 2018 | Last updated on March 21, 2019

If a new law dean is any indication, it may be a good time to consider anti-discrimination law.

Kimbery Yuracko, a scholar in anti-discrimination law, has been appointed dean of Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law. She joined the faculty there in 2011, and gained national renown for her work in anti-discrimination, gender equity and employment law.

With Yuracko at the helm, Pritzker may be the place to go for training in those fields. Meanwhile, the courts are opening up the law business for cases based on sexual orientation discrimination.

Anti-Discrimination

In February, the U.S. Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act applies to discrimination against gays in the workplace. Following the lead of the Seventh Circuit last year, the Second Circuit is the second federal appeals court to open up to such cases.

Congress adopted Title VII more than 50 years ago, but times have changed. In a 10-3 decision, the Second Circuit said even though the law did not address gay bias in 1964, laws "often go beyond the principal evil to cover reasonably comparable evils."

Yuracko, who holds doctorates in law and political science from Stanford University, has advocated for gay rights in her writings. Her books include "Gender Noncomformity and the Law" and "Perfectionism and Contemporary Feminist Values."

"Her talents as a legal scholar focusing on anti-discrimination law in employment and gender equity in education are well suited for leading our great law school, and she has excelled in a number of administrative roles at Northwestern Law," Provost Jonathan Holloway said.

Anti-Discrimination, Plus

Pritzker School of Law is also opening its doors to more students. Last year, it became one of the first law schools to accept the Graduate Record Examination for admissions.

The law school also added incentives for students to decide early to attend there. Early admission applicants generally have an advantage, as schools review their applications against a smaller pool of applicants.

But Pritzker offered them a $150,000 merit scholarship, paid over three years. "That's a pretty fantastic sum," wrote Jonathan Tung for FindLaw.

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