Yaseen Eldik is an educator, attorney, and culture strategist whose work connects higher education, public service, and creative storytelling. At Yale University, he serves as executive director of the Institute on Incarceration and Public Safety and previously led Yale Law School’s Legal Academic Pipeline Program, developing leadership trainings and inclusive academic spaces for aspiring lawyers. He also co-chairs the Gucci Changemakers Council, partnering with community organizations to expand opportunity and equity in the fashion industry, and sits on the board of Friends of Thirteen in support of public media.
A dedicated mentor, Yaseen advises Truman Scholars and other students pursuing careers in law and public service. He offers individualized guidance on fellowships, pre-law preparation, and applications, helping students refine personal statements, résumés, and program choices. Drawing on his own experience as a first-generation law student and a national Harry S. Truman Scholar, he has provided academic counseling to students at Harvard, Yale, and institutions across the country.
Yaseen began his career as a corporate attorney at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, where he participated in recruitment and diversity initiatives. He earned his J.D. from Harvard Law School, contributing to the Pan-Harvard LGBTQ Conference and receiving the David Westfall Memorial Award for Community Leadership. A summa cum laude graduate of Stony Brook University and Phi Beta Kappa inductee, he worked in the Obama Administration’s White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships. His commentary and video op-eds have appeared in The New York Times and leading legal publications.
