ÈâÂþÎÝ

Program Overview

ÈâÂþÎÝ School of Law’s Grunin Center for Law and Social Entrepreneurship is piloting a new program for the 2025–2026 academic year: the Legal Changemakers Incubator. 

This initiative is designed to support a select cohort of LLM students as they undertake legal projects that address timely societal/environmental issues in sustainable development, impact investing, or social entrepreneurship – e.g., proposed reforms or analyses of issues (e.g., access to funding) in global health (e.g., vaccines), food security, education, conservation, or infrastructure development. The projects will be developed by teams of LLM students in partnership with seasoned legal professionals who will serve as mentors throughout the academic year.

This pilot program does not provide additional funding or academic credit to participating LLM students but creates opportunities for selected teams of LLM students to engage with seasoned legal professionals, the Grunin Center community, and the broader ÈâÂþÎÝ Law community on projects of personal relevance with the potential to have real-world impact.

Who Should Participate

The program is open to all current ÈâÂþÎÝ LLM students. Approximately four to six students (likely working in teams) are expected to be selected to join the inaugural cohort.

Program Timeline

• August 13, 2025: Zoom info session (see details further below)
• August 14, 2025: Grunin Center Open House (see details further below)
• August 18, 2025: Submission window opens
• August 25, 2025, 5:00 pm ET: Submission deadline
• September 5, 2025: Applicants notified of preliminary selection; project adjustment and mentor pairing process begins
• September–October 2025: Project refinement with input from mentors and Grunin Center staff
• Fall 2025–Spring 2026: Project development and ongoing engagement with mentors (1–2 hours/week during the semesters) and Grunin Center staff (periodic)
• May or June 2026: Final project presentations and public showcase

Mentorship and Community

Each LLM student team will be paired with one or more mentors who are seasoned legal professionals with experience relevant to sustainable development and who are transitioning from careers in the United States federal government. Mentors will provide light-touch guidance throughout the year, helping LLM student teams refine project parameters, sharpen legal analyses, build new networks, and achieve real-world impact. LLM students and mentors will also participate in periodic gatherings with the full cohort and Grunin Center staff to foster peer learning and community.

Expectations – LLM Students

• Submit a thoughtful proposal (see application requirements below)
• Lead project development with guidance from mentors and Grunin Center staff
• Produce a substantive legal deliverable (e.g., proposed regulatory change, proposed structuring for a new transaction type or other intervention, proposed coordination among existing or new institutions, or other written analysis)
• Engage with mentors during check-ins, participate in periodic cohort convenings, and share work at a public event

Expectations – Mentors

• Bring legal expertise relevant to sustainable development
• Dedicate approximately 1–2 hours per week during the fall and spring semesters to mentor LLM student teams
• Participate in periodic cohort convenings

Why Get Involved

• Work on a project that is meaningful and personally relevant
• Develop expertise in a specialized area of law with practical global impact
• Build connections with seasoned legal professionals, the Grunin Center community, and the broader ÈâÂþÎÝ Law community
• Create a deliverable to implement in home jurisdiction

How to Apply

Submit an application to jesse.gero@law.nyu.edu 

Each application must include:

• 500-word (maximum) project proposal describing:
  • the legal issue or challenge to be addressed
  • its relevance to one or more of the following fields: sustainable development, impact investing, or social entrepreneurship
  • the proposed approach to analyzing or addressing the issue
  • the applicant’s or applicants’ experience (if any) with the issue or similar issues, experience (if any) managing similar projects, and other knowledge or skills that would be relevant to completing the proposed project
• Resume(s)
• Name(s), degree program(s), and contact information of the applicant(s)

Applicants are strongly encouraged to identify an issue grounded in their home jurisdiction or regional context. Project proposals can include multiple ideas, each of which can be at an early stage of development. Alternatively, more than one application can be submitted by an applicant.

Applicants also are encouraged to find other applicants among other LLM candidates with similar interests and to submit joint applications, but this is not required. 

Grunin Center staff will review applications, whether from teams or individuals, and may propose adjustments to selected projects and possible combinations or recombinations thereof.

Please note that only two to three projects are expected to be selected for this inaugural pilot.

Learn More

We welcome interest from all current ÈâÂþÎÝ LLM students. To learn more:

• Attend our  on Wednesday, August 13, 2025, from 3:30-4:30 pm ET
• Join us at our Open House on Thursday, August 14, 2025, from 3:30-4:30 pm ET. Location TBA.
• Directly contact Jesse Gero (Senior Legal Fellow of the Grunin Center and Acting Director of the International Transactions Clinic) at jesse.gero@law.nyu.edu

This is your opportunity to design and carry out a project that reflects your values, expands your legal expertise, and contributes to global change.