At a moment when the American people’s trust in government, the courts, and civil society stands at all-time lows, the Center for Law and Public Trust at NYU School of Law strives to reimagine our institutions so that they are more accountable to the public, more resilient to corruption and abuse, and more effective at solving the pressing challenges of our time.
The Challenge
American institutions are facing a crisis of legitimacy.
Amidst rising concerns about corruption, eroding norms, and unequal justice, large numbers of Americans look upon the nation’s institutions with skepticism and frustration.
They see gridlock, ineffectiveness, and cronyism. They doubt whether the institutions that are supposed to improve our common life are equal to the daunting challenges of our time, from racial and economic inequality to accelerating technological and ecological change.
Mistrust of institutions breeds cynicism, which only makes it harder for institutions to act in the public interest, perpetuating the downward spiral of public trust.
The Opportunity
The crisis of institutional trust is a serious challenge. But it is also an enormous opportunity.
Americans are recognizing that the status quo is no longer tenable. They are demanding bold reforms to create more transparent, accountable, and effective institutions.
The Center for Law and Public Trust works to seize this critical moment by generating the ambitious ideas, policies, and strategies that can help break the cycle of suspicion and chart a course toward more open, honest, and responsive institutions—institutions that are equipped to fulfill their missions and regain the public’s trust.
We pursue our mission by:
- Developing concrete blueprints for institutional reform and reconstruction.
- Designing structures, processes, and policies that are more responsive to community needs, more resistent to abuse and corruption, and more transparent and accountable to the public.
- Working with coalition partners to build a critical mass for the revitalization of our democracy.
- Training the next generation of lawyers to lead with humility and integrity and equipping them to navigate polarization, advance justice, and deliver results for the American people.
We cannot rest in a place of deep cynicism in this country. We have to be willing to think about what we need to do to anchor the rule of law and shore up democratic institutions. That’s going to take a combination of leadership and willingness to be bold and think transformatively.
Vanita Gupta