The School of Law at CUNY School of Law

March 2, 2019

Law School Rankings

Law School Admissions

Application

Director of admissions M. Helena Quon
Application deadline March 15
Full-time program application fee $60
Part-time program application fee N/A
Besides the fall semester, can enter in N/A

The School of Law at CUNY School of Law

Admissions & Enrollment (Overall)

Acceptance rate 29.9% – Medium
Median undergraduate GPA for all program entrants 3.29
Median LSAT score for all program entrants 155

Admissions & Enrollment (Full-time)

Acceptance rate 29.9%
LSAT scores (25th-75th percentile) 153-158
Undergraduate GPA (25th-75th percentile) 3.04-3.54
Median undergraduate GPA for full-time program entrants 3.29
Median LSAT score for full-time program entrants 155

Admissions & Enrollment (Part-time)

Applicants N/A
Acceptance rate N/A
LSAT scores (25th-75th percentile) N/A
Undergraduate GPA (25th-75th percentile) N/A
Median undergraduate GPA for part-time program entrants N/A
Median LSAT score for part-time program entrants N/A

Law School Academics

Academic Program Details

Academic calendar Semester
Joint degrees offered N/A
Special programs offered to J.D. students (as provided by the school)
Unlike other law schools, CUNY Law’s nationally-ranked clinical program requires every third year student to fulfill 12-16 credits of supervised live-client representation. In-house clinics and external placements include Criminal Defense, Immigrant and Refugees’ Rights, Family Law,International Women’s Human Rights, Elder Law, Mediation, Equality, and Health Law.
Programs/courses offered in
appellate advocacy health care law
clinical training intellectual property law
dispute resolution international law
environmental law trial advocacy

Curricular Offerings (Overall)

Classroom course titles, beyond the first-year curriculum, offered last year 52
Seminars 28
Positions available in seminars 567
Positions available in simulation courses 624
Positions available in faculty-supervised clinical courses 220
Student activities (as provided by the school)
Our student organizations span a wide range from the Public Interest Law Association to Outlaws, a GLBT organization to the Mississippi Project, in which students investigate wrongful conviction of prisoners in Mississippi. The NYC Law Review reflects CUNY’s public interest orientation, and an active Moot Court program fielded winning teams in local and national competitions again this year.

Curricular Offerings (Full-time)

Typical first-year full-time section size taught by full-time faculty (excludes small sections) 80
Is there typically a full-time “small section” of the first-year class taught by full-time faculty (excluding Legal Writing)? Yes
Typical size of first-year “small section” 20
Positions filled in full-time program seminars 454
Positions filled in full-time program simulation courses 580
Positions filled in faculty-supervised full-time program clinical courses 234
Full-time students involved in field placements 46
Full-time students involved in law journals 51
Full-time students involved in advanced moot court or trial competitions 40
Full-time students enrolled in independent study 111

Curricular Offerings (Part-time)

Typical first-year part-time section size taught by full-time faculty (excludes small sections) N/A
Is there typically a part-time “small section” of the first-year class taught by full-time faculty (excluding Legal Writing)? No
Positions filled in part-time program seminars N/A
Positions filled in part-time program simulation courses N/A
Positions filled in faculty-supervised part-time program clinical courses N/A
Part-time students involved in field placements N/A
Part-time students involved in law journals N/A
Part-time students involved in advanced moot court or trial competitions N/A
Part-time students enrolled in independent study N/A

Faculty Profile (Fall 2011)

Student-faculty ratio 10.9:1 – Low
Full- and part-time faculty 44
Full-time minority faculty 44.1%
Part-time minority faculty 20.0%
Total faculty 58
Total faculty (men) 34.5%
Total faculty (women) 65.5%
Total faculty (minorities) 39.7%

Class Size

Law School Ranking

#113 Best Law Schools

(1) Ranking by Specialties

#4 in Clinical Training

Law Ranking Scores

Score 37
Peer assessment score (out of 5) 2.0
Assessment score by lawyers/judges (out of 5) 2.3
GPA (25th-75th percentile) 3.04-3.54
Median undergraduate GPA for all program entrants 3.29
LSAT scores (25th-75th percentile) 153-158
Median LSAT score for all program entrants 155
Acceptance rate 29.9% – Medium
Student-faculty ratio 10.9:1 – Low
Graduates known to be employed at graduation N/A
Graduates known to be employed nine months after graduation 81.0% – Medium
Bar passage rate (first-time test takers) 72.5% – Low
State where the greatest number of first-time test takers took the bar NY
Statewide bar passage rate (first-time test takers) 76.4%

Law School Student Body

Student Body (Overall)

Total Enrolled 480

Student Body (Full-time)

Enrollment (full-time) 478

Student Body (Part-time)

Enrollment (part-time) 2

Attrition Rates for Full- and Part-time Students (2010-2011)

First-year students discontinuing law school 9.6%
Second-year students discontinuing law school 4.0%
Third-year students discontinuing law school 0.8%
Fourth-year students discontinuing law school N/A
Male students discontinuing law school 7.5%
Female students discontinuing law school 3.9%

Law School Cost

Financial Aid Contact Information

Financial aid director Angela Joseph
Financial aid phone (718) 340-4284
Financial aid application deadline May 1

Expenses

Tuition and fees
Full-time: $12,207 per year (in-state)
Full-time: $19,157 per year (out-of-state)
Part-time: $425 per credit (in-state)
Part-time: $750 per credit (out-of-state)
Room and board $7,425
Books N/A
Miscellaneous expenses $8,806
Is the tuition the same for first-, second-, and third-year students? Yes
Does the university offer housing restricted to law students? No
Does the university offer graduate student housing for which law students are eligible? No
Does the university offer a public-interest scholarship program to current J.D. students? Yes

Grants (Full-time students)

Students receiving grants of less than one-half tuition 16.7%
Students receiving grants of one-half tuition or more but less than full 2.1%
Students receiving grants of full tuition 7.5%
Students receiving grants of more than full tuition 0.0%
Median grant amount $940
Grant range (25th–75th percentile) $590–$10,495
Full-time students receiving grants 26.4%

Grants (Part-time students)

Students receiving grants of less than one-half tuition N/A
Students receiving grants of one-half tuition or more but less than full N/A
Students receiving grants of full tuition N/A
Students receiving grants of more than full tuition N/A
Median grant amount N/A
Grant range (25th–75th percentile) N/A
Part-time students receiving grants N/A

Indebtedness

Average indebtedness of 2011 graduates who incurred law school debt $72,749
Proportion who borrowed 82.9%
Does the school offer a loan repayment assistance program for 2011 J.D. graduates? Yes

Law School Library

Library Information Resources

Print titles (excluding nonbook titles) 40,003
Microform titles 6,745
Electronic titles 2,600
Other non-book titles 267
Total titles 49,615
Volumes (excluding microforms) 119,442
Volume equivalent microforms 181,110
Total volumes and volume equivalents 300,552
Number of volumes in the collection that are stored off site and are systematically retrievable 0
Library’s online catalog or website includes links to electronic titles or databases made available by another campus library or consortia Yes

Library Schedule of Operation

Number of hours per week library is open on a regular schedule 61
Number of hours per week professional staff are on duty on a regular schedule 61
Number of hours per week only full-time support staff are on duty on a regular schedule 0
Number of hours per week only students or other part-time staff are on duty on a regular schedule 0
Number of hours of reference service provided per week on a regular schedule 54
Number of weeks per year library operates on an abbreviated schedule 17
Number of hours per week library is open on an abbreviated schedule 40
Number of hours per week professional staff are on duty are on an abbreviated schedule 40
Number of hours per week only full-time support staff are on duty on an abbreviated schedule 0
Number of hours per week only students or other part-time staff are on duty on an abbreviated schedule 0
Number of hours of reference service provided per week on an abbreviated schedule 35
Number of weeks per year library operates on expanded schedule 0

Information Technology

Department(s) responsible for the law school information technology operations law school information technology department
Approximate number of full-time-equivalent information technology staff (excluding hourly students and other temporary staff) 8
Number of open, wired network connections available to students in the law library (excluding computer labs) 0
Number of open, wired network connections available to students in classrooms 20
Number of open, wired network connections available to students in computer labs 6
Number of open, wired network connections available to students elsewhere in the law school 36
Does the law school have a wireless network? Yes
Wireless network is available in the law library, in classrooms, in computer labs, in administrative/faculty offices and work areas, elsewhere in the law school
Does the school require entering students to own a computer? No

Physical Library Facilities

Net square feet of space assigned for library purposes 26,718
Total seats available for library users 223
Details about the library and other facilities (as provided by the school) In May, 2012, CUNY Law will move to a state of the art building in Long Island City, NY, which will greatly enhance our mission to diversify the legal profession and to train the next generation of public interest lawyers. With this better, more accessible location, our mission will be enhanced by our closer proximity to the public interest community and to our clients.

Law School Careers

Bar Statistics (Winter and Summer 2010 administrations)

State where the greatest number of first-time test takers took the bar NY
Bar passage rate (first-time test takers) 72.5% – Low
Statewide bar passage rate (first-time test takers) 76.4%

Class of 2010 Graduates

Total graduates 126
Graduates known to be employed at graduation N/A
Graduates known to be employed nine months after graduation 81.0%

Class of 2010 Graduates-Class Breakdown at Graduation

Graduates whose employment status is unknown N/A
Graduates whose employment status is known N/A
Graduates known to be employed at graduation N/A
Graduates known to be enrolled in a full-time degree program N/A
Graduates known to be unemployed and seeking work N/A
Graduates known to be unemployed and not seeking work N/A

Class of 2010 Graduates-Class Breakdown at Nine Months

Graduates whose employment status is unknown 0.8%
Graduates whose employment status is known 99.2%
Graduates known to be employed nine months after graduation 81.0%
Graduates known to be enrolled in a full-time degree program 0.8%
Graduates known to be unemployed and seeking work 17.5%
Graduates known to be unemployed and not seeking work 0.0%

Starting Salaries of Graduates Employed Full-time (Class of 2010)

25th percentile private sector starting salary $36,400
Median private sector starting salary $52,500
75th percentile private sector starting salary $63,700
Percent in the private sector who reported salary information 36%
Median public service starting salary $43,000

Areas of Legal Practice (Class of 2010)

Employment Location (Class of 2010)

Graduates employed in-state 76%
Graduates employed out-of-state 24.5%
Graduates employed in foreign countries 0%
Number of states where graduates are employed 8
New England (CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT) 0.0%
Middle Atlantic (NY, NJ, PA) 84.0%
East North Central (IL, IN, MI, OH, WI) 1.0%
West North Central (IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD) 1.0%
South Atlantic (DE, DC, FL, GA, MD, NC, SC, VA, WV) 10.0%
East South Central (AL, KY, MS, TN) 0.0%
West South Central (AR, LA, OK, TX) 2.0%
Pacific (AK, CA, HI, OR, WA) 1.0%
Mountain (AZ, CO, ID, MT, NV, NM, UT, WY) 1.0%
Employment location unknown 0.0%

Career Services

(Data appear as originally submitted by this school)

Career services operations Through internships, coursework, and guidance, career planning is a priority. As a result, we place a greater percentage of graduates in public interest jobs than any other law school nationwide. Through peer support, technology and an incubator project, our national Community Legal Resource Network also plays a vital role in supporting our graduates in small community-based and solo practices.

Job Type

Bar admission required/anticipated (e.g., attorney and corporate counsel positions, law clerks, judicial clerks) 78.4%
Bar admission required/anticipated – percent employed in full-time positions 78.8%
J.D. preferred, law degree enhances position (e.g., corporate contracts administrator, alternative dispute resolution specialist, government regulatory analyst, FBI special agent) 15.7%
J.D. preferred – percent employed in full-time positions 43.8%
Professional other (jobs that require professional skills or training but for which a J.D. is neither preferred nor particularly applicable; e.g., accountant, teacher, business manager, nurse) 4.9%
Professional other – percent employed in full-time positions 60.0%
Non-professional other (job that does not require any professional skills or training or is taken on a temporary basis and not viewed as part of a career path) 0.9%
Non-professional other – percent employed in full-time positions 0.0%

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