Diversity, Equity, and Social Justice Team
What Is DESJ?
Team Diversity, Equity, and Social Justice (DESJ) was created in 2021 through an amendment to the CULR Constitution. The Director of Diversity, Equity, and Social Justice and the DESJ liaisons aim to represent a wide range of identities and backgrounds, especially those that have historically been excluded from the legal profession. Team DESJ provides independent oversight of the CULR Executive Board and club operations, plans community building, mentorship, and workshops for CULR members, and handles general accessibility measures and specific accommodations requests.
Additionally, Team DESJ conducts oversight of the CULR admissions process, ensuring that applications are being evaluated equitably—especially considering backgrounds, identities, and experiences that have been historically excluded from the legal profession.
The Team
Yunseo Chung
Director of DESJ
Office Hours: 11AM-12 PM on Tuesdays
yc3901@columbia.edu
Yunseo Chung (she/her) is a junior in Columbia College double majoring in English and Women's and Gender Studies. Outside of her school, she works for organizations like the Innocence Project and the Urban Justice Center using law and policy to ensure equality for marginalized communities in NYC and across the country. Having worked in both the Business and Online Divisions of CULR, she now serves as the DESJ Director.
Belén González
Race and Ethnicity Liaison
Office Hours: 12-1 PM on Tuesdays
obg2104@barnard.edu
Belén González (she/her) is currently a sophomore at Barnard College studying History with a concentration in Rights, Law, and the State. She is originally from San Diego and is passionate about understanding how governmental policies protect and infringe people's rights. She is excited to not only serve CULR as a Print Editor, but also as a Race and Ethnicity Liaison as well.
Reese Taylor
Race and Ethnicity Liaison
Office Hours: 1-3 PM on Tuesdays and Thursdays
rkt2123@barnard.edu
Reese Taylor is a sophomore at Barnard College of Columbia University, where she is a Laidlaw Scholar majoring in Philosophy, History, and Human Rights. She serves as a Co-Instructor at The Roger Lehecka Double Discovery Center, teaching an Introduction to Legal Writing course sponsored by the Columbia Undergraduate Law Review, and also contributes to the Cross-Racial Solidarity Research Team as a Research Assistant at Columbia’s School of Social Work. In addition to these academic and professional roles, she is an Online Writer for CULR.
Lahari Siddabathula
Disability Liaison
Office Hours: 8-9 PM on Mondays
ss7337@barnard.edu
Lahari is a Barnard freshman prospectively studying Cognitive Science and Human Rights.
Ananya Bhatia
Gender and Sexuality Liaison
Office Hours: By appointment
ab5685@columbia.edu
Ananya Bhatia is a sophomore at Columbia University studying Political Science and Urban Studies. Originally from Louisiana, she has been involved with Online Initiatives since her first semester on campus, serving as a writer, editor, Current Events Coordinator, and now as Executive Editor. Her interests include criminal justice reform, urban policy, and immigration law. On campus, she serves on the Board of the Columbia Democrats and works as a research assistant at the Center for Poverty and Social Policy.
DESJ Services
Team DESJ is CULR’s hub for accessibility requests. If you have an accessibility request or related feedback, please contact Yunseo at yc3901@columbia.edu.
Accommodations Currently Provided:
Live Transcripts Enabled on all Zoom Meetings
Alt Text Available on all CULR Social Media Posts
Flexible Meeting Attendance (by request)
Mailing List for Zoom Recordings of Meetings (by request)
Mailing List for Powerpoints of CULR Events with Alt Text (by request)
Our goal is to destigmatize and humanize the process of requesting disability accommodations. If an accommodation you need is not on the list above, just get in touch!
Why Team DESJ
Both the legal profession and Columbia’s academic community have histories of elitism and exclusion of those who hold marginalized identities. Team DESJ was created to combat this trend. Through community-building, general accessibility measures, and recruitment reform, Team DESJ aims to create a welcoming environment within the club and assist CULR in achieving its primary goal: educating and empowering students interested in the legal field.