March 20, 2018 - We are happy to report that Cardozo School of Law rose 9 places to number 56 in the U.S. News Law School rankings this year. This jump continues an upward momentum that has seen Cardozo’s ranking improve by 19 places over the past three years. It confirms what we know to be true: Cardozo Law School is one of the best law schools in New York City and our national reputation is growing.
Of course, the important thing is not how Cardozo is ranked but what is really happening at the school. We have always been proud of the high-quality education we provide to our students. Nevertheless, it is gratifying to see the gap between reality and perception narrowing.
Two-and-a-half years ago, in preparation for Cardozo’s 40th anniversary, Dean Melanie Leslie laid out an aggressive five-year strategy for growth. Halfway through, the results have been impressive, including:
- The completion of a top-to-bottom rebuilding of our career services office, with outstanding results:
- Last year we were named one of the 40 top law schools in the country for placing graduates in so-called “gold standard” jobs;
- 80% of the Class of 2017 landed full-time jobs that require a JD and bar passage;
- We are 37th in the nation for placing graduates in full-time jobs at law firms with over 100 attorneys; and
- We are one of the top schools in the country for placing students in public interest jobs as public defenders, prosecutors and government jobs (#11 in the nation as ranked by PreLaw Magazine).
- Expanded curricular offerings in legal-market growth areas, including: STEM industries; media, arts, entertainment, sports and fashion; and commercial real estate.
- The addition of brilliant new professors who combine scholarly accomplishments and practical experience.
- Expansion of our already extensive real-world experience opportunities for students, which include 12 in-house clinics taught by full-time faculty members and numerous field clinics overseen by practicing attorneys.
We hope and believe that Cardozo’s steady gains reflect the vitality, intellectual ambition and dynamism that are in the law school’s DNA.
