Law School

Overview

Cornell Law School combines inspired teaching with cutting-edge scholarship in a close-knit and collegial intellectual community.

Our faculty have long upheld the principle that law must be studied within the context of its ultimate humanity. As part of a great American research university, they recognize that this principle demands the same dedication, enthusiasm, and critical spirit that infuses all liberal study.

Our students thrive in a diverse and resource-rich atmosphere that is intellectually invigorating, professionally supportive, and forward-thinking. This is precisely why we are known for producing well-rounded lawyers and accomplished practitioners cut from a different cloth – "lawyers in the best sense."

Website: www.lawschool.cornell.edu

General Information

Administration

  • Jens D. Ohlin, Dean and Professor of Law
  • Chantal Thomas, Vice Dean and Radice Family Professor of Law
  • Jed Stiglitz, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Professor of Law
  • Beth Lyon, Associate Dean for Experiential Education and Clinical Professor of Law
  • Ofer Leshed, Associate Dean for Administration and Finance
  • Akua Akyea, Associate Dean for Career Development
  •  Aimée Houghton, Assistant Dean for Graduate Legal Studies
  • Fouad Saleet, Assistant Dean for External Education

About the Law School

The Law School prepares attorneys for both public and private practice. Graduates are trained to provide the highest quality professional services to their clients and to contribute to the development and reform of law and legal institutions. The curriculum is designed to prepare students for admission to the bar in all American states and territories. Students who pursue the three-year Doctor of Law degree (J.D.) must have a bachelor's degree or equivalent. Students wishing to concentrate in international law may be admitted to a program leading to the J.D. "with specialization in international legal affairs." The Law School also offers a limited number of students an opportunity to earn both a J.D. degree and an LL.M. (Master of Laws) degree in international and comparative law.

Students may pursue combined graduate degree programs with the Johnson Graduate School of Management; the Department of City and Regional Planning of the College of Architecture, Art, and Planning; the School of Industrial and Labor Relations; the graduate divisions in economics, history, and philosophy of the College of Arts and Sciences; the Université de Paris I (Pantheon Sorbonne); L'Institut d'Etudes Politiques de Paris; and Humboldt University.

Each year students from abroad pursue the LL.M. degree (Master of Laws) and the J.S.D. degree (Doctor of the Science of Law). Additionally, the Law School offers the Tech LL.M. degree to a limited number of students enrolled on the Cornell Tech campus (Master of Laws in Law, Technology, and Entrepreneurship). A small number of law graduates also may be admitted as special students, to pursue advanced legal studies without seeking a degree. Students in other graduate programs and qualified undergraduate students registered with the university are welcome in many classes with the permission of the instructor. In addition, highly qualified undergraduates in the College of Arts and Sciences may register in the Law School during their senior year.

For further information, refer to the Law School website, or contact the Office of the Registrar, Myron Taylor Hall.

The professional curriculum at Cornell Law School conforms to American Bar Association Standard 302 for Approval of Law Schools. We offer a rigorous program of legal education designed to prepare students, upon graduation, for admission to the bar and for effective, ethical and responsible participation in the legal profession at the highest levels. Upon completion of the program of legal education, Cornell Law School graduates will:

  1. possess knowledge of the substantive and procedural law required for effective participation in the legal profession;
  2. engage in legal research, analysis, and problem-solving;
  3. communicate effectively in both oral and written form as counselors and advocates;
  4. possess the practical skills fundamental to exceptional lawyering and client representation; and
  5. conduct themselves with the highest moral and ethical standards.

It also offers substantial opportunities for:

  1. live-client or other real-life practice experiences, appropriately supervised and designed to encourage reflection by students on their experiences and on the values and responsibilities of the legal profession, and the development of one's ability to assess his or her performance and level of competence;
  2. student participation in pro bono activities; and
  3. small group work through seminars, directed research, small classes, or collaborative work.

Special Academic Opportunities

Joint Degrees

The Law School offers the following joint degree programs with other Cornell University graduate divisions:

  • Juris Doctor/ Master of Business Administration (J.D./M.B.A.)
  • Juris Doctor/ Master of Industrial and Labor Relations (J.D./M.I.L.R)
  • Juris Doctor/ Master of Public Administration (J.D./M.P.A.)
  • Juris Doctor/ Doctor of Philosophy in Developmental Psychology (J.D./Ph.D.)
  • Juris Doctor/ Doctor of Philosophy in other fields of the Cornell Graduate School (J.D./Ph.D. or M.A)

Admission to these joint degree programs is obtained by applying directly to these other schools. In general, after a student completes their first year of Law School, the second year is completed entirely in the other unit, but some variations on this pattern have been permitted in individual cases. Admissions criteria may be different from Law School admissions criteria. Once a student has been admitted to both programs, it is the student's responsibility to contact the Law School Registrar's Office (160 Myron Taylor Hall, 1-604-255-7190, law.registrar@cornell.edu).

3+3 Pathway

The 3+3 Pathway gives Cornell University, Hobart William Smith Colleges, and St. Lawrence University undergraduates the opportunity to spend their senior year of study at Cornell Law School. Essentially, the first year of law school will satisfy the student's senior year course requirements. This accelerated program allows participants to receive their bachelor's and Juris Doctor degrees in six years.