Legal empowerment, a growing field of human rights practice, scholarship, and education, strives to reverse this tide of injustice and strengthen the capacity of marginalized individuals to use the law to find solutions to their justice problems. Many view it is a deeper version of democracy, giving voice and agency to those who have been historically powerless.

The Robert L. Bernstein Institute for Human Rights at NYU School of Law is committed to the advancement of legal empowerment through innovative research, education, and advocacy. Our 2018 conference, Reimagining Justice: Realizing Human Rights through Legal Empowerment, leveraged the interdisciplinary strengths of the Robert L. Bernstein Institute for Human Rights and drew together leading activists, lawyers, and academics from around the world to assess the state of the legal empowerment field, identify key research and methodological opportunities, and build a stronger global movement for grassroots justice.