Where law, international development, music, and education meet.
A Diwan is traditionally a gathering place — a council, a collection of poetry, a room where ideas are exchanged. We borrowed the name because that's what we do: bring together disciplines that don't usually share a room, in service of a more humane and connected world.
Who We Are
The Diwan Institute for Humanity is an independent institute working across four fields that shape how people understand each other and the world: law, international development, music, and education. We teach, we write, and we build community — for students preparing for the LSAT or Bar exam, for Arabic learners at every level, for musicians studying percussion and theory, and for anyone trying to make sense of a complicated world through honest writing on law, conflict, and humanitarian work.
We believe these fields aren't as separate as they look. A lawyer who understands Arabic poetry argues differently. A development worker who has studied music understands rhythm, patience, and listening differently. This Diwan Institute exists in that overlap.
What We Do
Education Private Arabic lessons, study groups, and a weekly Arabic Circle — taught in Modern Standard Arabic and regional dialects, for learners who want real conversational fluency, not just textbook grammar.
Law LSAT prep, law school coursework support, and Bar exam tutoring — alongside essays and book reviews on law, conflict, and the Middle East, written for readers who want more than headlines.
Development Reporting and analysis on humanitarian work, written from [years of] experience on the ground — starting with our ongoing look at the politics and logistics of aid in Syria.
Whether you're prepping for the Bar exam, learning your first Arabic verb forms, or picking up a darbuka for the first time, lessons start with a conversation.
