Deborah N. Archer
A Pioneering Civil Rights Lawyer and Educator
Family and Early Life Deborah N. Archer, a prominent American civil rights lawyer and law professor, was born to Jamaican immigrants and raised in Windsor, Connecticut. She hails from a diverse cultural background, which has influenced her passion for civil rights and social justice.
Education Archer’s educational journey began at Smith College, where she earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in government in 1993. She then pursued a Juris Doctor degree at Yale Law School, where she excelled and even won the Charles G. Albom Prize.
Career After graduating from Yale, Archer embarked on an impactful career in law and civil rights. She started as a law clerk for Judge Alvin Thompson at the United States District Court for the District of Connecticut. In 1997-1998, she served as a Marvin M. Karpatkin legal fellow at the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). Her dedication to justice led her to become an assistant counsel at the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund from 1998 to 2000.
From 2000 to 2003, Archer worked as an associate at the prestigious law firm Simpson Thacher & Bartlett. In 2003, she joined the faculty of New York Law School (NYLS), where she held multiple leadership roles. Notably, she was the first dean of diversity and inclusion and chief diversity officer, along with being an associate dean for academic affairs and student engagement. At NYLS, she played pivotal roles in initiatives like the Racial Justice Project and the Impact Center for Public Interest Law, which she co-founded.
Her dedication to civil rights extended to her involvement on various boards, including the ACLU, New York Civil Liberties Union, Legal Aid Society, and the National Center for Law and Economic Justice. In 2016 and 2017, she even served as the acting chair of the New York City Civilian Complaint Review Board, which investigates allegations of police misconduct.
In July 2018, after a successful 15-year tenure at NYLS, Archer made a significant move to New York University. There, she holds the prestigious titles of Jacob K. Javits Professor and Professor of Clinical Law. Additionally, she serves as the Co-Faculty Director of the Center on Race, Inequality, and the Law, and directs the Civil Rights Clinic at New York University School of Law.
Pioneering Achievements One of the most groundbreaking moments in Archer’s career occurred in January 2021 when she was elected as the president of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). This historic appointment made her the first African American to hold this position in the organization’s 101-year history. As the eighth president of the ACLU, she leads the board of directors, shaping the organization’s path in civil litigation policies. Her tenure follows Susan N. Herman, who oversaw significant growth in the organization’s donations and extensive litigation during her presidency.
Archer’s expertise in civil rights and racial justice has been recognized through various honors and awards. She was named one of the “Top Women in Law” by the New York Law Journal in 2016. In 2021, the Law and Society Association awarded her the John Hope Franklin Prize, Honorable Mention for her impactful article titled “‘White Men’s Roads Through Black Men’s Homes’: Advancing Racial Equity Through Highway Reconstruction,” published in the Vanderbilt Law Review. She also received the 2021 Stephen Ellmann Memorial Clinical Scholarship Award from the American Association of Law Schools and the Haywood Burns/Shanara Guilbert Award from the Northeast People of Color Legal Scholarship Conference.
Personal Life Deborah N. Archer’s dedication to social justice is mirrored in her personal life. She is married to Richard Buery, a former deputy mayor of New York City, and together they reside in Brooklyn with their two sons. Her commitment to civil rights extends beyond her professional endeavors and influences her everyday life.
Deborah N. Archer has received several honors and awards in recognition of her contributions to the fields of law, civil rights, and academia. Here are some of the notable honors and awards she has received:
- John Hope Franklin Prize, Honorable Mention (2021): The Law and Society Association awarded Deborah Archer the John Hope Franklin Prize, Honorable Mention, for her article titled “‘White Men’s Roads Through Black Men’s Homes’: Advancing Racial Equity Through Highway Reconstruction,” which was published in the Vanderbilt Law Review. This prestigious award recognizes her scholarly contributions to the understanding of law and society.
- Stephen Ellmann Memorial Clinical Scholarship Award (2021): Archer received the 2021 Stephen Ellmann Memorial Clinical Scholarship Award from the American Association of Law Schools. This award acknowledges her outstanding work and achievements in the clinical scholarship domain within legal education.
- Haywood Burns/Shanara Guilbert Award (2021): She was also honored with the Haywood Burns/Shanara Guilbert Award from the Northeast People of Color Legal Scholarship Conference. This award recognizes her contributions to legal scholarship, particularly in advancing social justice and racial equity.