Tucked away in upstate New York, Cornell Law School is part of Cornell University and one of the five Ivy League law schools. In the most recent U.S. News & World Report law school rankings, Cornell is ranked #13 and is particularly well-respected for its international law programs.
Although it receives about half the number of applications as fellow New York law schools Columbia and NYU, Cornell is still quite selective with an average acceptance rate of 21%.
Cornell Law School’s 3-year full-time Juris Doctor (J.D.) program operates from mid-August to mid-May; no part-time or evening programs are available. Housing information is available through the school’s Visiting and Living page.
Contact Information
Myron Taylor Hall
Ithaca, NY 14853-4901
(607) 255-5141
Email: lawadmit@postoffice.law.cornell.edu
Website: http://www.lawschool.cornell.edu/
Fast Facts (Class of 2010)
- Enrollment Information
- GPA/LSAT Scores
- Costs and Fees (2008-2009)
Applicants: 3,976
Enrolled: 199
Women: 53%
Minorities: 30%
Student to Faculty Ratio: 1: 11
LSAT Median: 167
LSAT 25/75 Percentile: 166-168
UGPA Median: 3.70
UGPA 25/75 Percentile: 3.5-3.8
Tuition: $46,670
Mandatory health fee: $1,500
Total estimated budget: $64,920
Application Procedures
Application fee: $75
Application deadline: February 1, 2009 for Fall 2009 admission
Applicants can download a PDF version of Cornell Law School’s application from the [http://www.lawschool.cornell.edu/admissions/apply/index.cfm]school’s website[/link]. Electronic applications through the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) are also accepted.
In addition to the application form and fee, applicants must submit:
- Personal Statement
- Dean’s Certification/Recommendation Form
- Two Faculty Recommendation Forms
Transfer Procedures
Transfer applicants must have completed one year of study at a law school that is a member of the Association of American Law Schools (AALS) and accredited by the American Bar Association; according to the school’s website, “[a]ccepted transfer students are almost always at least in the top 10% of their first-year class.”
Transfer applicants must complete the online application; deadlines are July 15 for the fall term.
For more information on transferring to Cornell Law School, see Transfer Admissions.
Degrees and Curriculum
In order to earn a Juris Doctor degree, a student must acquire 84 semester credit hours. For specific requirements, see Student Handbook.
The first-year curriculum includes Civil Procedure, Constitutional Law, Contracts, Lawyering, and Property in the fall; Civil Procedure, Contracts, Criminal Law, Lawyering, and Torts in the spring. Students choose all courses during the second and third years of study.
Cornell offers several joint degree programs in which students can earn a J.D. along with another professional degree from one of Cornell’s graduate or professional schools, including M.B.A., M.P.A., M.R.P., M.I.L.R., M.A. ,or Ph.D. Cornell also offers dual degrees with select foreign universities.
Cornell Law School also offers degree programs for Masters of Laws (LL.M.) and Doctor of the Science of Law (J.S.D.). More information on these degrees is available from the website’s L.L.M. and J.S.D. page.
Study Abroad
Cornell has several semester study abroad programs, including those in Turin (Italy), Gent (Belgium), Suzhou (China), and Paris.
Law Journals and Other Activities
Cornell Law School has four student-edited journals: Cornell Law Review, Cornell Journal of Law and Public Policy, Cornell International Law Journal , and LII Bulletin.Along with many student organizations, the law school has specialized clinics and Programs and Centers for specific legal interests including the Clarke Center for International and and Comparative Legal Studies, Clarke Middle East Legal Studies, and the Cornell Death Penalty Project.
Bar Exam Passage RateA majority of Cornell Law students take the New York State Bar Exam and, in 2007, achieved a 92.1% pass rate. The overall pass rate for the NY Bar Exam was 77%.
Post-Graduation Employment
From the 2007 graduating class, 96.9% were employed at graduation and 99% were employed nine months after graduation. Starting salaries in the private sector averaged $145,000, and $60,000 in the public sector.
Seventy-eight percent of the Class of 2007 secured work in law firms, 15% received judicial clerkships, 5% went to public interest or government positions, and 2% entered the business field.
