Leading the Charge in Transforming the Criminal Legal System ALEXANDER A. REINERT Max Freund Professor of Litigation & Advocacy
Grounded in our core Torah values, YU students continue to experience the long-term power of a YU education: a 92% admissions rate to medical school—double the national average; employment in world-class companies such as Amazon, Meta, Goldman Sachs, J.P. Morgan and Google; and a 98% rate of admission to grad school or acceptance of employment offers within six months of graduation. As we fulfill our mission as the world’s flagship Jewish universi- ty, I am especially pleased to announce YU’s new Lieberman- Mitzner Center for Public Service and Advocacy, inspired by the legacy of Senator Joseph Lieberman as a model of faith and civility across the political aisle. Deeply rooted in Jewish values and tradition, the center will prepare the next generation of public servants and advocates, empowering students to improve the world through leadership on a national and international scale. As I complete my 16th year on the Yeshiva University Board and my third as Chair, I have never been prouder to be a part of this exceptional institution. Our many achievements, built on your generous support, will continue to propel us forward to even greater successes in the months and years ahead. Notwithstanding our success, the inflationary pressures on the university, particularly the additional expenses incurred over the last several months, have created an environment where we grant $45 million annually of scholarships to over 80% of our undergraduate population. More than ever, we look to our alumni and friends to help us grow and diversify our global impact as we build our University—particularly through these challenging times as we provide a safe haven for more students and the opportunity to experience a YU education through scholarship programs. Our students have shown immense growth and strength of character amid the challenges facing our people, and they continue to show the world the values our institution stands for. It is here that students from around the world not only learn and prepare for their chosen careers, but also stand as proud Jews dedicated to our Torah and the truth when much of the world seems bereft of moral clarity. The University needs additional scholarship philanthropy to support these amazing young men and women and to support our University as we go from strength to strength. Please consider donating a generous one-time gift as well as making YU part of your annual communal philanthropy. Now is the time to honor the past and invest in our future and the future of the Jewish people. With appreciation,
Director, Center for Rights and Justice Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law
tions have firmly established his place within the legal field. In ad- dition to his legal work and research on the rights of the incarcerat- ed, Reinert has produced the most comprehensive study to date on how the courts of appeal have handled the controversial doctrine of qualified immunity, which shields government officials from per- sonal liability for constitutional violations. His academic work and articles have appeared in top law jour- nals and the national press and have been cited by state and federal courts throughout the U.S. In 2023, he was elected a member of the prestigious American Law Institute, an independent organization producing scholarly work to clarify, modernize and otherwise im- prove the law. Recognizing that the law fails more often than it succeeds in building a just world, Reinert remains hopeful for change: “I see ways in which the law can break through structural inequality … and treat everyone as having worth and humanity. But mostly I see ways in which it has to do better.”
L egal scholar, litigator, advocate, educator—Alexander Reinert approaches his groundbreaking work with a rare depth of commitment and insight. As the Max Freund Professor of Litigation & Advoca- cy and director of the Center for Rights and Justice at the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, Reinert’s expertise in civil procedure, constitutional law and the complexities of the criminal legal system place him among the nation’s leading litigators fighting to limit the use of solitary confinement in prisons. In a landmark moment in April 2023, Reinert achieved a signifi- cant victory in his career defending the rights of incarcerated indi- viduals in Miller v. City of New York, a federal class-action lawsuit. The case resulted in New York City agreeing to pay a settlement of $53 million to more than 4,000 pretrial detainees over the misuse of restrictive conditions at the Rikers Island jail complex and other Manhattan jails. The historic settlement builds on Reinert’s scholarship and ad- vocacy challenging the use of harsh treatment like solitary confine- ment, which current research deems ineffective, inhumane and tantamount to torture. Reflecting on the case and other pro bono legal work he has done on this contentious issue, Reinert notes that “although we have far to go to get to true elimination of solitary confinement, I feel that I have helped to break new ground in obtaining relief for many of my clients.” Reinert, who graduated magna cum laude from New York Uni- versity School of Law in 1999, had the distinction of clerking for U.S. Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer before working as a civil rights lawyer and has argued before the U.S. Supreme Court as counsel for the plaintiff in Ashcroft v. Iqbal . But despite his notable accomplishments, a career in law wasn’t always part of his game plan. “I wasn’t brought up with the aspira- tion to become a lawyer,” says Reinert. “However, I was raised to care deeply about the impact I could mke in the world.” This ingrained sense of mission, inspired by his activist grand- parents, led him to engage in social justice efforts during his high school and college years, ultimately guiding him to see how his ded- ication to equality and justice could align with a legal career. The inflection point came when he attended the Rebellious Lawyering Conference, the nation’s largest student-run public in- terest conference, held annually at Yale Law School. Reinert real- ized then and there that there was a place for him in the world of law, where his passion would resonate and find its purpose. Now, nearly three decades later, his headline-making contribu-
A Letter from our Chairman I am very proud to recognize the ongoing success of Yeshiva University—in our historic enrollment numbers, our ground-breaking programs and initiatives, and our heightened presence as the flagship Jewish university on the world stage. This success is due in large part to the support of our friends and alumni—support that is vital on many levels: providing scholarships for our talented and ever-growing student body; new opportunities to strengthen our students as they become the next generation of leaders; and ongoing measures to ensure the continued safety of our students and staff. Confidence in Yeshiva University has never been stronger. In stark contrast to a country-wide crisis in college enrollment, Yeshiva University’s Spring 2024 enrollment alone is up nearly 25% from Spring 2023, a record-breaking increase that illustrates the university’s continued phenomenal growth. This increase puts the Class of 2027, already the largest on record, in a true class by itself. YU’s tremendous performance has also extended to its graduate programs, which boast a 97% increase from 2016 to 2023. In fact, the Katz School of Science and Health alone has seen a remarkable tenfold increase since 2016. Indeed, as we witness an unprecedented wave of antisemitism and anti-Israel hostility on campuses across the country, students and their parents are recognizing the unique value of Yeshiva University: a safe and supportive institution that combines a world-class yeshiva with a world-class university, successfully educating and empowering the next generation of global leaders.
Ira M. Mitzner Chairman, Board of Trustees
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