This week, University Law students are being asked to sign a pledge promoting increased diversity at the Law School in response to a reported incident of prejudice earlier this fall.
Several student organizations, including the Lambda Law Alliance, Student Bar Association and North Grounds Softball League, have worked together to form this "Pledge to Diversity" in response to a recent act of intolerance against two gay Law students.
Sept. 24, at the fall Foxfield Races, two Law students reported they were verbally and physically abused because of their sexual orientation. After questioning the couple about their relationship, the attacker, another Law student, proceeded to throw a beer at one and verbally harass both.
After the incident Lambda, a gay and lesbian student resource within the Law School, decided to take action and raise awareness.
"We were able to work to put together a campaign to have a pledge drive," said Robin Cook, vice president of Lambda. "We are asking students to sign this pledge, and in turn, they are getting a free T-shirt."
By signing the pledge, students are promising to "treat all people with dignity and respect, discourage others' prejudice in all its forms and strive to maintain a climate for work and learning based on mutual respect and understanding," according to the wording of the pledge.
Students are also asked to wear a shirt to show their support for diversity and tolerance on a designated day in early November .
Besides raising awareness about diversity concerns within the Law School, the students involved in the campaign say they hope to change the way the school is perceived.
"U.Va. Law has a reputation of not being friendly to minorities, and we hope to show prospective students that it's a friendly place, we want people to feel welcome," said Chu Hwang, events coordinator for Lambda.
Support for the two assaulted students and diversity efforts has been expressed not only by the Law School, but also by national law firms and other student organizations through the financial aid for the T-shirts.
The pledge and overall effort to promote tolerance at the Law school is supported by Martha Ballenger, assistant dean for student affairs at the Law School, who sent an e-mail to the Law School student body encouraging them to sign the pledge.
Despite the action taken by Lambda in response to this event, students have expressed that this kind of incident is not normal in the School of Law.
"Obviously we are lawyers in training, and the nature of law is that you have to represent all groups, popular and unpopular, rich and poor," Cook said. "The people attracted to law school in the first place are the least likely to approve of or engage in this behavior. It was an absolutely isolated event."
Law students are able to sign the pledge today at Scott Commons between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. So far, Lambda has received over 200 signatures supporting the cause.
"I could not be prouder to go to U.Va. Law," Cook said. "Although we wish it had not happened, it has unified the Law School in many ways and shown that the school is a community."
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