Why Cardozo Law?

At Cardozo Law, legal education extends far beyond the pages of casebooks. Our renowned faculty and internationally recognized programs provide a solid foundation for your future. 

Cardozo Law provides a superb grounding in the essential principles that underpin our system of justice. Our students learn methods of analytical reasoning while they examine both the role lawyers play in society and their ethical responsibilities to clients. We enable students to build on this foundation so that they will be able to develop innovative approaches for a new legal landscape. As business models, cultural standards and public institutions undergo major transformations, we help students understand the new challenges and fresh opportunities those changes will present so that they may craft solutions to problems and practice at the highest levels of the profession. 

At Cardozo Law, we nurture lawyers who are creative and flexible thinkers. We believe career success relies on a complementary set of creative and concrete skills, so today's successful lawyer needs equal parts intellectual depth and practical expertise. You will develop both when you study and train with our faculty of intellectual scholars and practitioners.

As part of Yeshiva University, we draw on the Jewish tradition of scholarship and ethics to build a superb secular and diverse law school. The Cardozo Law experience offers groundbreaking clinics, a selection of field clinics within major legal organizations, and a robust range of externships and study abroad opportunities. You may also choose to participate in one of our distinctive simulation programs, such as our Intensive Trial Advocacy Program and Intensive Mediation Advocacy Program. No matter which of these opportunities you choose to pursue, you'll learn how to think creatively and seize opportunities for yourself and your clients while deepening your understanding of the crucial human element in all aspects of legal work. You'll experience the important teamwork, negotiation and transactional skills that build law careers and create great leaders. 

… And you will be working and studying in the legal capital of the world. 

At Cardozo, you'll gain the critical legal perspective that prepares you for opportunities—whether they're around the corner or across the globe.

When you study at Cardozo, you'll have access to our extensive network of New York business and legal professionals. Our connections provide added value to your law degree and are powerful tools for exploring career interests and options.

Unparalleled career opportunities …

We will be by your side to help you make the most of everything New York City offers. That means there's more opportunity for you—any time, every day. At Cardozo, you will have the academic opportunities that provide a career edge, with access to top-tier business and legal events, lectures and networking; to exciting judicial, business and public service externships unique to New York City; and to our long-standing relationships with leading recruiters and employers.

... and culture …

New York City is at your doorstep, offering world-class museums, theater, dance and sporting events; vibrant ethnic neighborhoods where life is local and the accent is global; and more live music venues than Nashville, Austin and Los Angeles combined. The intellectual life of New York City is as unique as its reputation for sky's-the-limit dreams.

...and then there's the food!

Whatever your taste, from hummus to home-style, from bagels to bistro—even vegan stir-fries—you'll find great restaurants, vendors and eateries a short walk from Cardozo.

Learning at 55 Fifth

You’ll find everything you need at our 55 Fifth Avenue location. Cardozo offers you a welcoming community in a state-of-the-art environment.

The Kathryn O. and Alan C. Greenberg Center for Student Life provides students with a spacious, comfortable lounge and café. The Dr. Lillian and Dr. Rebecca Chutick Law Library is the center of student and faculty research at Cardozo. Both the library and student center overlook Fifth Avenue.

The library holds more than 545,000 books, periodicals, microforms and audio and video materials. You'll access many law and law-related electronic resources and an exceptionally comprehensive reference collection. Cardozo's library is a selective federal depository, housing congressional publications, executive agency reports and documents and judicial materials.

Living at the historic Alabama

Cardozo's residence hall, The Alabama, is a newly renovated historic building located one block from the law school on a tree-lined street between Fifth Avenue and University Place. Students reside in welcoming studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom furnished apartments.

Learn more about New York City here.

A commitment to public service has been at the core of Cardozo's educational mission since we opened our doors in 1976. Founded, in part, to offer opportunities to groups typically excluded from mainstream practice, the law school hosts a vibrant Center for Public Service Law that supports public service initiatives that often intersect with fundamental issues of social justice.

A Call to Action

Public service is woven into the life of the law school. On-campus panels and symposia, domestic and foreign service programs, and informal brown-bag lunches focused on public interest issues promote values supporting a commitment to the greater good. To help students envision careers in public service, the Center for Public Service Law holds informational sessions and counsels students one-on-one on how to develop into public service attorneys. Career networking events are coordinated with the Office of Career Services.

Public Service Law Advocacy Week

Cardozo's commitment to public service work is highlighted during a weeklong event known as P*LAW week. Daily panels and workshops feature topics pertinent to the practice of public interest law. The school becomes abuzz with panelists, including legal practitioners and community advocates and organizers, who are invited by students to address important issues such as domestic violence, LGBT rights, prisoners' rights, immigration reform and education reform. Recent speakers have included Randi Weingarten '83, president of the American Federation of Teachers; Judge Fern A. Fisher, Deputy Chief Administrative Judge, New York City Courts; and Susan Jacobs, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of the Solicitor. The climax of the week is Cardozo's Inspire! Awards ceremony and reception honoring student, alumni and faculty achievements in public service. 

Learn more about our recent P*LAW events here.

Educating for Change

Through coursework and hands-on learning, you can explore diverse areas of public service law, such as family law, international human rights, housing and immigration rights, labor and employment law, and criminal defense. Groundbreaking Cardozo clinics within the public service sphere are in the vanguard of social justice causes. Cardozo provides the public interest options that allow you to find your passion and make a difference. At Cardozo, public service is all about leadership, commitment and results.

The Public Service Scholars Program

The Public Service Scholars Program prepares future lawyers for the practice of law in public service through a comprehensive three-year program that offers specialized training and experience in the field. Public Service Scholars are selected through an application process on the basis of the candidate’s ability to continue the strong tradition of public service at Cardozo Law. Students who are accepted into the program come with diverse backgrounds and interests, and many bring to the program prior experience working with public interest organizations, nonprofits and government agencies. 

Learn more about public service internships at Cardozo here. 

Cardozo faculty members bring warmth to the classroom and a fresh approach to teaching. They are serious scholars who care about their students and about how the law relates to areas of human inquiry and expression, such as philosophy, literature, economics, politics and history. Cardozo faculty members are dedicated to collaborating with their students. They are intellectual pathbreakers who bring students a wealth of connections across New York and around the world.

Learn more about our faculty here.

From alternative dispute resolution to white-collar crime, Cardozo prepares you for today's global legal environment and tomorrow's opportunities. Along with the core essentials of legal education, our curriculum has the sought-after range of electives you want to customize your J.D. degree. Together with experimental opportunities, study abroad options and joint degree choices, you'll have all the tools you need to define your goals—and prepare for success.

As a first-year student, you will work on mastering the fundamentals of legal practice, including civil procedure, constitutional law, contracts, criminal law, property, torts and legal writing. Along with Elements of Law, a course designed by Cardozo faculty members, your first-year courses will provide you with theory, ethical understanding and analytical skills as well as a deep appreciation for the role of the law and the value of lawyers in society. These courses are taught by a world-class faculty that will prepare you for the upper-level classes that permit you to construct a personalized skill set reflecting your passions.

Cardozo is known nationally for comprehensive programs in alternative dispute resolution, intellectual property and information law, public service law, and legal theory. We also feature programs in Holocaust and human rights studies, law and humanities, Jewish law, family law, corporate governance, entertainment law, communications law, comparative law, and ethics. We continually expand our offerings and ensure a broad scope of class choices each year.

If you choose to concentrate in a single practice area, you'll take five courses related to that field of study, priming you for a specialized career. Currently, Cardozo offers concentrations in:

Commercial Law
Corporate Law
Criminal Law and Procedure
Family and Matrimonial Law
Intellectual Property and Information Law
International and Comparative Law
Litigation
Property and Real Estate Law
Public Law and Regulation
Taxation

Learn about our courses here.

The doctrinal foundation you build through coursework springs to life through the rich array of hands-on experiential opportunities you'll have at Cardozo. Learning by doing helps you master the research, teamwork, oral advocacy and leadership skills that employers value.

Field Clinics

Our Field Clinics program is built on our partnerships with nonprofit and government law offices throughout the New York metropolitan area. Host-organization partners provide rigorous, hands-on experience as students assist practitioners with semester-long, part-time work. Seminars are taught by the same attorneys who supervise students in the field. This connection helps build the practical and critical-thinking skills essential to all legal work. Currently, Cardozo has four Field Clinics. Students can be placed with the New York State Attorney General's Office, Social Justice Division or with the City of Newark's Law Department in New Jersey. Additional opportunities include working in the field of consumer debt protection with a national leader in poverty law or on health care reform with the Legal Aid Society.

Externships

Cardozo's New York City location provides unparalleled opportunities for students to pursue legal areas of interest under the careful supervision of leaders in their respective fields. From politics to grassroots advocacy to impact litigation, it's all here in New York City.

Cardozo externships are a critical tool for career exploration and development. Each year, more than 250 students choose from a variety of opportunities with public service and nonprofit organizations, businesses, government offices, or federal or state courts. By litigating; engaging in complex legal research, writing and analysis; representing individual clients; and promoting broad policy changes, our students sharpen the practical and critical-thinking skills that forge powerful advocates.

Current students in public service externships are working at such nonprofits as Safe Horizons and the Urban Justice Center. Other externs are working at city, state and federal government offices, including the offices of the New York City Council, the EEOC and the Waterfront Commission of New York Harbor. Heyman/ACCA In-House Counsel externs are placed in such companies as Burberry, CBS, Christie's, Forbes Media, FINRA and NASDAQ.

Learn more about clinics, field clinics and externships here. 

Other Experiential Learning Opportunities

Intensive Trial Advocacy Program

Cardozo was one of the first law schools in the country to offer an Intensive Trial Advocacy Program (ITAP), which is the cornerstone of the law school's practical skills curriculum. Leading trial attorneys and judges from across the country gather at Cardozo to work with approximately 130 second- and third-year students in a rigorous two-week course simulating the intensity of a real trial. Each participant works on the full range of necessary trial skills, including examination and cross-examination techniques, introduction of evidence, and full trial strategies. Upon the completion of this "boot camp" experience, students are capable of trying a case—and ready for career success.

Learn more about ITAP here.

Alexander Fellows Program

This judicial clerkship program is one of the most highly selective programs at Cardozo. While working for a federal judge in chambers five days a week for a full semester, you'll gain an insider's view of judicial decision making. You'll research and prepare memoranda on legal issues, participate in conferences, and draft opinions. A weekly seminar, usually led by a federal judge, provides an in-depth study of judicial administration. Skills developed in this program put you a step ahead of your peers if you pursue a clerkship after graduation.

We'll be with you every step of the way. Cardozo's Office of Career Services, along with Cardozo's Center for Public Service Law, works hand in hand with employers to make the job connections you need. We never follow a one-size-fits-all approach; throughout your time at Cardozo, we will be actively involved in presenting multiple career paths for you to explore while creating employment connections to help you meet your goals.

We Help You Get the Job Done

As part of the Cardozo Law community, you're at the hub of some of the best business, finance, government, judicial and public service opportunities found anywhere. And our expanding network of New York City business partnerships helps put you on track for a legal career in one of the world's most desirable markets.

In the first year of law school, you'll meet with at least one of our seven full-time counselors to begin exploring and defining your individualized career path. Throughout the school year, a range of OCS programs will prepare you for your future job search. You'll learn about the many practice areas within the public and private sectors; develop the skills necessary to compete effectively; meet and network with practicing attorneys, including many of our alumni from across the globe; and obtain access, through the fall and spring recruitment programs, to hundreds of potential employers and judges looking for Cardozo talent to fill open internships as well as summer associate and postgraduate positions.

Every fall and spring, scores of representatives of private- and public-sector employers interview our students at Cardozo, in their offices, or through virtual interviews using our teleconference technology.

Outreach to Employers

Cardozo continually mines the marketplace to provide multiple opportunities for employers to meet our students—their future hires. Cardozo's historic commitment to public service work has created connections through our clinics, externships and ITAP programs, and those connections can lead to postgraduate employment in the public interest. Alternately, the Heyman Center for Corporate Governance is a major point of contact for students seeking work in corporate settings.

Below are descriptions of some of Cardozo’s many networking events.

Fall Recruitment Employer Expo Employers are invited to participate in a "Table Talk" expo to meet our students.

Lunches and Receptions for 1L Students Employers come to campus to sponsor a lunch or other reception for interested 1L students. The employer often sends a small group of attorneys and recruitment professionals who share their experiences and provide some insights on the employer's "personality."

Diversity Receptions OCS hosts employers' receptions and other opportunities for law students from diverse backgrounds.

Practice Area Expos "Table Talk" expos give employers an opportunity to informally meet and familiarize themselves with a large group of students who are interested in a particular legal practice area. Expos cover a broad range of fields.

Practice Profile Lunch Series Throughout the academic year, practicing attorneys come to campus to meet students at an informal brown-bag lunch and speak about their practice areas.

Learn more about Career Services here.

Cardozo alumni are regular campus visitors, returning to meet with students and share their insights into the real-world practice of law. Through networking events, various speakers' series and direct on-site recruitment, our graduates take an active role in helping students connect to career-building opportunities right after law school. Our graduates make things happen.

Cardozo's 10,000-plus graduates are a major asset for you—not just because of their number but because of what they do and the variety of jobs they hold. Alumni with J.D. or LL.M. degrees live and practice in 49 states and 48 countries. Cardozo can boast that graduates have served as law clerks on the U.S. Supreme Court, Federal District and Appellate Courts, and the highest state courts. They sit as judges and are partners at major law firms. They’re corporate counsel, senior executives at financial institutions, and elected or appointed city and state officials. Dozens have senior positions as assistant district attorneys, U.S. attorneys and public defenders. They hold major offices in local bar associations, and many who have chosen careers outside of the law are business executives, union leaders, community activists, art dealers, writers, actors and professors.

Cardozo graduates bring their values, principles and dedication to a vast scope of enterprises. They work around the world—and they are ready to work for you.

We build our community one student at a time. The commonalities—and diversity—among our students are the strengths of our exceptional Cardozo Law community. Each student is essential to the conversation ... and the conversation is never dull.

Is there a typical Cardozo Law student?

Each student brings something different—and dynamic—to the Cardozo Law community of almost 1,200 motivated and enthusiastic learners. About 75 students are seeking a Master of Laws (LL.M.) degree; the rest are pursuing a Juris Doctorate (J.D.) degree or one of our joint degree options. Each has been selected based on academic excellence, personal and/or professional background and experiences.

The answer is "yes"...

Cardozo Law students are smart problem solvers and analytical thinkers who appreciate the energy and sense of joint mission found in a close-knit academic community. They are team players who are not afraid to stand out in a crowd. Cardozo students are culturally astute, valuing different backgrounds and ideas. They know the importance of hands-on experience and are eager to take advantage of Cardozo's extended partnerships to build their careers. And they want to be in New York City, recognizing that it is the ideal place to study law.

...and "no"

Cardozo Law students come from more than 135 geographically diverse undergraduate institutions, including those in such countries as China, Columbia, Germany, South Africa and Korea. They represent a wide cross section of life skills and backgrounds—which we believe is a key advantage for future lawyers working in an increasingly global profession. Some Cardozo students enter law school right after college, and others join us after taking a postcollege break. Some have experience as parents and as veterans of the armed forces, others as teachers, financial analysts, engineers, software programmers, patent agents, paralegals, writers and editors, community organizers, and artists. Some hold graduate degrees in such areas as business, psychology, accounting, history, philosophy, chemistry and political science.

Recent student body facts:

Students of color: 22–24 percent
Women: 50 percent
Entering directly from college: 33 percent
Students with advanced degrees: 7–11 percent
Age range: 20–59
Average age: 24

Cardozo's focus on diversity is central to the intellectual and community life of the law school. Our inclusive student body, faculty and administration ensure a welcoming—and respectful—environment for all. Cardozo Law's activities, academic opportunities, targeted support services, scholarships and career services initiatives all reflect the fundamental value of living and working in a community with wide-ranging viewpoints, experiences and expertise. You'll see diversity reflected in our student groups, clubs, publications and, most significantly, in the ideas expressed in classroom debates. You can be sure that when you propose a legal argument, one of your classmates will be on the other side of it. That's the nature of the law—and that's the nature of learning at Cardozo.

Cardozo School of Law looks at diversity as multidimensional, expressed in our classes, clinics, special events and hands-on learning opportunities. We encourage students from all backgrounds to help change the face of the law community at large.

Student Groups

The Asian Pacific American Law Students Association (APALSA) organizes programs and events and offers a mentor program that pairs upper-level students with first-year students. The APALSA’s annual Lunar New Year celebration is a Cardozo favorite.

The Black Law Students Association (BLSA) provides support and advice to students who identify as African American, Caribbean or African. The group is very active and invites all Cardozo students to be members. The BLSA hosts events such as the annual Horizons orientation, the intensive first-year success program, exam prep programs with alumni, mentoring programs, and a number of social events including JazzFest and an annual awards dinner.

The Korean American Law Students Association (KALSA) supports students interested in Korean culture. The group has ties with the Korean American Lawyers Association of Greater New York and hosts a school-wide festival celebrating the Korean holiday of Chuseok each fall.

The Latin American Law Students Association (LALSA) offers mentoring programs with ties to the Latino legal community. Its members also assist with job fairs, internships and events that reach out to the wider Latino community. LALSA hosts a Thanksgiving potluck dinner for the law school each year and a spring "Fiesta" event with live music and dancing.

OUTlaw is Cardozo's pioneer student group for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students and their allies. The group organizes meetings, educational panels and school activities to advance LGBT rights issues. Each year, OUTlaw sponsors the E. Nathaniel Gates Award, which is named in honor of a beloved Cardozo professor and is presented to notable Cardozo LGBT alumni.

The South Asian Law Students Association (SALSA) offers mentoring programs for first-year students, career panels and alumni receptions. Each year, SALSA offers the Diwali/Eid Festival, celebrating both the Hindu holiday of Diwali and the Muslim holiday of Eid with fellow students, staff and faculty. The festival is one of the best-attended events at the law school, featuring dance, music and a traditional dinner.

Diversity Fellowships

One of the most prestigious fellowships available to students is the New York City Bar Diversity Fellowship, offered through a competitive program sponsored by the New York City Bar Association Committee on Recruitment and Retention of Lawyers (of which a Cardozo Office of Career Services professional is an active member). Cardozo and other participating New York City law schools nominate first-year students as candidates for summer fellowship opportunities with prominent law firms and corporations in the New York City metropolitan area.

CLEO Membership

Cardozo is a long-standing member of the Council on Legal Education Opportunity (CLEO) and has received numerous awards for our continuing commitment to diversifying the legal profession. Funded by the U.S. Department of Education through the Thurgood Marshall Legal Education Opportunity Program, CLEO is dedicated to diversifying the legal profession by expanding opportunities to minority, low-income and disadvantaged groups.

Diversity Events

The Office of Career Services notifies students about upcoming events by e-mail, the OCS calendar and through the OCS monthly newsletter, Career Times.

In the late fall and early winter, OCS provides support for the New York County Lawyers' Association Minority Judicial Internship Program. This initiative is administered by NYCLA's Committee on Minorities and the Law, and provides an important opportunity for first- and second-year law students of color to be introduced to the judicial system during a paid eight-week summer internship. Each intern is assigned to the office of a state or federal judge, where s/he performs legal research, drafts memoranda, assists with the preparation of jury instructions and observes court proceedings.

Many employers also invite Cardozo students to participate in diversity receptions and events that they host or sponsor. Students are introduced to the employers and learn about the types of work they do and their efforts to promote and support diversity in their workplaces. Some of the employers who have recently invited Cardozo students to their diversity events include:

Bryan Cave LLP
Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP
Dewey & LeBoeuf LLP
MetLife
Morgan Lewis & Bockius LLP
New York City Law Department
Proskauer Rose LLP
Shearman & Sterling LLP
Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP
SNR Denton
Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP
Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP
Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP