Law in the Service of Human Needs

CUNY School of Law is the premier public interest law school in the country. Our mission is to graduate outstanding public interest attorneys and to enhance the diversity of the legal profession. Our motto, "Law in the Service of Human Needs," infuses everything we do.

At its founding in 1983, CUNY Law pioneered an innovative, public interest curriculum that integrates lawyering skills with traditional doctrinal study. Twenty-five years later, the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching praised CUNY for being one of the best law schools in the country in preparing students for practice through instruction in legal doctrine, critical theory, lawyering skills, and professional ethics.

CUNY School of Law consistently ranks among the top 10 law schools in the country in clinical training. All third-year students engage in public interest practice, representing indigent clients under the supervision of outstanding professors. Our clinical program serves over a thousand New Yorkers each year who would otherwise not have access to legal representation.