DIVERSITY, EQUITY & INCLUSION

Students with the Dean outside the Law School.

Villanova Law is deeply committed to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI). We are dedicated to being a school that places values at the core of our legal education and takes action to fulfill our principles and promises. 

We strive to build a community that reflects the diversity of identities, abilities, sexual orientations, religious backgrounds and life experiences of the world we live in, and that truly embraces the mission of Villanova University and our values of Veritas, Unitas, Caritas.

Law schools are not just places where future attorneys learn the ins and outs of the law. They are proven training grounds for future leaders in law, government, non profits and corporations. DEI in law schools can lead to progress in the justice system, as well as within society, allowing for our world to become more equitable and inclusive.

Villanova Law is continuing our commitment to more fully embrace DEI and working to build a vibrant community representative of the profession that we strive to see in the future. We are committed to creating a learning environment where all can thrive.  We know that building a more diverse, inclusive community and enacting systemic change calls for a collective effort between faculty, staff, students and the administration. To that end, Villanova Law will be joining the University in DEI initiatives, as well as following our own Strategic Plan and Racial Justice Action Plan, which both catalogues our ongoing efforts and describes concrete steps for change. This change can and must be permanent, to reflect our values as a University and a Law School, not only in the context of our current times, but for the long-term. We are ever inspired by the words of St. Augustine: “Become what you are not yet.”   

  

Living DEI

Our Augustinian Catholic mission fosters a strong sense of community and helps create a supportive atmosphere both in and out of the classroom. Villanova Law is enriched by more than 40 political, social and cultural organizations that are supported by the Student Bar Association. 

The Villanova Law Alumni Association is dedicated to fostering diversity, equity and inclusion in its members and in the legal field. The VLAA and its Minority Alumni Society and Villanova Law Women's Network regularly host events and mentoring sessions for current students.

   

  

Kent D. Lollis
Director for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
kent.lollis@law.villanova.edu
(610) 519-5230

  

Aequitas: Presidential Task Force on Race

Dean Mark Alexander is a member of the Task Force which has been charged with assessing the racial climate on campus, identifying areas for improvement, and creating a plan for developing the cultural competence for all students, staff and faculty who are members of the Villanova community.