Michael Grinthal

Michael Grinthal serves as an Adjunct Professor of Law at Brooklyn Law School and as a Supervising Attorney at TakeRoot Justice, a nonprofit dedicated to advancing social, racial, and economic justice through community-driven legal strategies. His dual roles bridge academic scholarship with on-the-ground advocacy in marginalized communities.

His educational background includes:

• A.B. from Brown University
• M.P.A. from John F. Kennedy School of Government
• J.D. from Harvard Law School

Professor Grinthal's research and teaching focus on social justice lawyering, emphasizing collaborative models where legal professionals partner with grassroots movements. He teaches "Lawyering & Organizing for Social Change," which trains students in integrating legal advocacy with community organizing to dismantle systemic barriers in housing, labor, and immigrant rights. His work prioritizes co-creating strategies with directly affected communities to build collective power against structural inequities.

At TakeRoot Justice, he supervises attorneys providing direct legal support to community organizations fighting for housing justice, fair labor practices, and immigrant rights. This movement-centered approach rejects traditional top-down legal services, instead fostering reciprocal relationships where community knowledge shapes legal strategy. His practice exemplifies how academic theory and frontline activism mutually inform transformative social change.