Cardozo School of Law

Cardozo School of Law
w:en:Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law · Public domain · source
Name	Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law
Type	Private law school
Parent	Yeshiva University
Established	1976
Location	New York City, New York, United States
Dean	Melanie Leslie
Students	approx. 900
Faculty	approx. 120
Bar pass rate	variable
Website	(official site)

Cardozo School of Law is a private law school in New York City affiliated with Yeshiva University. Founded in 1976 and named for Justice Benjamin N. Cardozo, the school offers Juris Doctor and advanced law degrees with programs that emphasize litigation, intellectual property, alternative dispute resolution, and clinical practice. Cardozo's urban location places it among institutions with significant ties to New York legal markets and federal courts.

History

Cardozo opened in 1976 under the auspices of Yeshiva University and was named for Benjamin N. Cardozo, Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court. Early development involved leaders from the American Bar Association accreditation process and deans who engaged with the New York State Bar Association and the Association of American Law Schools. During the 1980s and 1990s Cardozo expanded programs in intellectual property responding to innovations at institutions such as Columbia University and Fordham University School of Law, while faculty recruited from Harvard Law School, Yale Law School, Stanford Law School, and University of Chicago Law School bolstered scholarship. In the 2000s the school launched clinical initiatives paralleling efforts at Georgetown University Law Center and joined collaborative projects with the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, Second Circuit Court of Appeals, and nonprofit groups like American Civil Liberties Union and Public Citizen. Alumni placements grew into offices at firms such as Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, Cravath, Swaine & Moore, Sullivan & Cromwell, and public agencies including the United States Attorney's Office.

Campus and Facilities

Cardozo occupies a location in Manhattan near cultural and legal landmarks such as Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, Central Park, Grand Central Terminal, and the New York Stock Exchange; proximity facilitates externships with institutions like Metropolitan Museum of Art, United Nations, Federal Reserve Bank of New York, and the New York City Mayor's Office. The law library collections complement resources found at New York Public Library branches and neighboring archives at Columbia Law School. Facilities include moot courtrooms used for competitions such as the Moot Court National Championship, negotiation rooms modeled after facilities at Harvard Negotiation Project, and technology labs for courses in patent prosecution paralleling programs at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and New York University. Student amenities interface with Yeshiva University buildings and New York City transit nodes served by MTA New York City Transit.

Academics and Programs

The curriculum offers a three-year Juris Doctor with concentrations in areas where leaders from International Trade Commission, United States Patent and Trademark Office, Securities and Exchange Commission, and National Labor Relations Board have taught or advised. Specialized programs include intellectual property clinics reflecting scholarship affiliated with Stanford Center for Internet and Society and cyberlaw initiatives akin to those at Harvard Berkman Klein Center; alternative dispute resolution offerings align with practice at the American Arbitration Association and training from the International Chamber of Commerce. Cardozo provides LL.M. degrees comparable to programs at New York University School of Law, joint degrees with Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law's partners and externships at tribunals such as the International Criminal Court and placements at firms including DLA Piper and Jones Day. Scholarship topics by faculty and students have engaged with statutes like the Copyright Act, the Patent Act, the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and regulatory schemes from the Federal Communications Commission.

Admissions and Rankings

Admissions at Cardozo have historically considered applicants with profiles similar to candidates at St. John's University School of Law, Brooklyn Law School, and Fordham University School of Law. Metrics such as LSAT scores and undergraduate GPA are weighed alongside clinical and pro bono experience reflected by placements with Legal Aid Society, Veterans Legal Services, and international clinics tied to Amnesty International. Rankings by outlets comparable to U.S. News & World Report and specialty lists focusing on intellectual property, trial advocacy, and alternative dispute resolution place Cardozo among competitive urban law programs. Bar passage outcomes and employment statistics are tracked relative to benchmarks from the American Bar Association and peer institutions including Rutgers School of Law–Newark and Pace University Elisabeth Haub School of Law.

Faculty and Research

Cardozo's faculty includes scholars with experience at Supreme Court of the United States litigation, appointments in agencies like the Federal Trade Commission, and visiting positions from Oxford University, Cambridge University, Yale Law School, and Columbia Law School. Research centers and institutes collaborate with entities such as the Information Society Project and the Center for American Progress on projects addressing issues at the World Intellectual Property Organization and the World Trade Organization. Faculty publications appear in journals comparable to the Harvard Law Review, Yale Law Journal, Columbia Law Review, Stanford Law Review, and specialty reviews focused on intellectual property and bankruptcy law. Grants and fellowships have been awarded by foundations like the MacArthur Foundation, the Guggenheim Foundation, and the National Science Foundation for interdisciplinary work bridging law and technology.

Student Life and Organizations

Student organizations encompass competitive teams and groups modeled after national counterparts such as the American Bar Association Student Division, including moot court teams that compete at Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition, transaction teams engaged with American Bankruptcy Institute events, and technology law societies participating in conferences at DEF CON and RSA Conference. Clinical placements and pro bono initiatives partner with New York Legal Assistance Group, Safe Horizon, and the Center for Reproductive Rights. Cultural and professional affinity groups include chapters affiliated with Association for Public Interest Law, networks connecting students to judges from the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and attorneys from firms like Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton and Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison.

Notable Alumni and Career Outcomes

Alumni have taken positions as federal judges, state court judges, prosecutors at Manhattan District Attorney's Office, defense counsel at public defender offices, and partners at law firms such as Latham & Watkins, Kirkland & Ellis, and Debevoise & Plimpton. Graduates have served in legislative roles in bodies like the New York State Senate and municipal offices including New York City Council, as well as leadership roles in nonprofits such as Human Rights Watch and governmental posts at agencies like the Department of Justice and the Department of Commerce. Career services report placements in clerkships for judges on the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York, and at appellate benches across the United States Court of Appeals.

Category:Yeshiva University Category:Law schools in New York (state)