Cornell Law School

Cornell Law School
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Name	Cornell Law School
Established	1887
Type	Private
Location	Ithaca, New York
Parent	Cornell University

Cornell Law School is the law school of Cornell University located in Ithaca, New York. Founded in 1887 during the era of the Gilded Age, the school has developed programs in comparative law, public interest law, corporate law, international law, and technology law. Its alumni and faculty have influenced jurisprudence through service on the Supreme Court of the United States, state supreme courts, executive branches in administrations such as the Roosevelt administration and the Clinton administration, and leadership at institutions like the World Bank and the United Nations.

History

The school opened concurrently with milestones in American legal development such as the aftermath of the Haymarket affair and the enactment of Progressive Era reforms. Early deans and professors drew connections to luminaries associated with the New York Court of Appeals and the Harvard Law School milieu. Through the 20th century, faculty produced scholarship cited in decisions by the Supreme Court of the United States, and alumni participated in landmark events including the Brown v. Board of Education era, the Civil Rights Movement, and regulatory responses to the Great Depression. During World War II and the Cold War, graduates served in agencies like the Office of Strategic Services and the Central Intelligence Agency. In recent decades, the school expanded international ties with partnerships involving the International Criminal Court, the European Court of Human Rights, and the World Trade Organization.

Academics and Programs

The curriculum emphasizes comparative approaches influenced by connections to the University of Oxford, the Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, and the National University of Singapore. Comparative and international offerings include clinics tied to the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia and externships with the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. Corporate and transactional concentrations reference frameworks from the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Sarbanes–Oxley Act, and policies shaped by the Securities and Exchange Commission. Public interest and human rights coursework intersects with precedents from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, cases from the European Court of Human Rights, and treaties like the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women. Specialized programs reflect trends in technology law, drawing on issues considered by the Federal Communications Commission and patent disputes appearing before the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. The school administers clinics addressing immigration matters tied to rulings from the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and appellate advocacy echoing arguments from the Ninth Circuit and the D.C. Circuit.

Admissions and Rankings

Admissions historically mirror national patterns tracked by publications such as U.S. News & World Report, which assesses metrics influenced by bar passage rates reported to the New York State Bar. Selectivity aligns with credentials comparable to cohorts at the Yale Law School, the Columbia Law School, and the University of Chicago Law School. Financial aid and scholarship programs reference models used by foundations like the Ford Foundation and programs administered through the Fulbright Program. Placement patterns show alumni employment in firms listed in directories such as the American Lawyer, clerkships with judges from the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and the Supreme Court of the United States, and careers in public service in cabinets modeled after roles in the Cabinet of the United States.

Campus and Facilities

The law complex in Ithaca, New York sits near landmarks including the Cornell Botanic Gardens and the Ithaca Commons. Facilities house law libraries with collections rivaling repositories like the Library of Congress for legal materials and archives connected to collections related to the New York State Archives. Classrooms and moot courts host competitions such as the Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition, the Vis Moot, and regional rounds feeding into tournaments like the National Moot Court Competition. Clinical spaces collaborate with institutions such as the Tompkins County public defender's offices and externships with agencies like the New York State Attorney General's office. Events often attract speakers who have served in roles at the International Court of Justice and agencies like the Federal Trade Commission.

Student Life and Organizations

Student organizations span interest groups tied to the American Bar Association, advocacy groups aligned with the Equal Justice Initiative, and journals modeled after the Harvard Law Review and the Yale Law Journal. Student-edited publications include specialty law reviews engaging topics covered by the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Homeland Security, and international instruments like the Paris Agreement. Competitive teams participate in interscholastic contests under the auspices of the National Moot Court Competition and the Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition. Service and pro bono projects coordinate with non-profits such as Legal Aid Society and global NGOs like Amnesty International.

Notable Faculty and Alumni

Alumni and faculty have held judicial posts on the Supreme Court of the United States and the United States Courts of Appeals, and have led institutions including the World Bank, the Securities and Exchange Commission, and the Federal Reserve System. Faculty scholarship has engaged with jurisprudence referenced alongside works from scholars at the University of Chicago Law School, the Harvard Law School, and the Stanford Law School. Graduates have run for or held executive office in contexts tied to the United States House of Representatives, the United States Senate, and gubernatorial positions in states such as New York (state) and California. Noteworthy career intersections include service in the Department of Justice, ambassadorships to countries represented in the United Nations Security Council, and leadership roles at non-profits including the Rockefeller Foundation and the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

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