Accreditation

CUNY School of Law is approved by the Board of Regents of New York State to confer the Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree. The Law School is fully accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA), allowing its graduates to sit for the Bar Examination in all states. Because the eligibility requirements vary from state to state and may change from time to time, applicants planning to practice in states other than New York are encouraged to contact the Office of Admissions for further information.

CUNY School of Law is committed to seeking accreditation by the Association of American Law Schools (AALS), which offers membership to those law schools that meet its high membership standards.

Basic consumer information about the Law School is also published in the ABA-LSAC Official Guide to ABA-Approved Law Schools.

Application Fee

An application fee of $50 (U.S.) cleared through a U.S. bank is required of each applicant. A check or money order, made payable to CUNY SCHOOL OF LAW, must accompany your application. This fee is not refundable and will not be credited toward any other Law School or University charges.

The application fee may NOT be waived for any reason. CUNY School of Law does not provide application fee waivers.

Applicants from outside the U.S. must pay the fee using a check or money order payable by a U.S. bank.

Note that tuition and fees are subject to change by the Board of Trustees of the City University of New York.

Application Process

The application process at CUNY School of Law begins October 1, when applications are first received. Members of the Admissions Committee read completed application files and then vote on a decision. Interviews are not part of the admissions process, although an applicant may be asked by the Admissions Committee to provide additional information to help with its review. Applicant requests for personal interviews will not be acknowledged or granted.

For admission to CUNY School of Law, a bachelor’s degree is required from an institution, accredited by an accrediting agency recognized by the Department of Education.

Applications that are denied are not subject to appeal.

The application form, application fee, personal statement and other materials submitted in support of the application must be completed, signed and dated by the applicant, and mailed to:

Office of Admissions
City University of New York School of Law
65-21 Main Street
Flushing, NY 11367

No part of the application will be returned for any reason; therefore, we recommend that you make photocopies of all materials submitted.

Personal Statement

The Admissions Committee seeks to evaluate an applicant's interpersonal skills, commitment to the Law School's principles and involvement in extracurricular or service-related activities through an assessment of the required personal statement. Please refer to the application form for instructions and guidelines. Please submit two copies of your personal statement.

Recommendation Letters

Two letters of recommendation are required to complete an application for admission. We seek letters from individuals who know your work and abilities in unusual depth and detail, and who are willing to take the time necessary to provide us with a deeper understanding of the activities, work or events that demonstrate your strength in one or more of the areas of particular interest to our admissions process.

The specialized nature of the Law School's program, and the criteria utilized in the admissions process, are not typical ones. If there are two individuals who can provide special insight into your experience, aptitude or ability, particularly with respect to the criteria on which we base admissions, you should ask them to submit letters. For example, letters from a professor who has taught you, or from a supervisor on a job or at a volunteer activity, or from a community or spiritual leader with whom you have worked, can be especially helpful. Letters from friends of the family who only know you socially are not helpful. Letters from relatives are not acceptable.

Letters of recommendation are an important part of the Admissions Committee's review process. All applicants are required to have two letters of recommendation submitted on behalf of their application for admission. If you are currently enrolled in undergraduate school or the date your undergraduate degree was awarded is September 2006 or later, one of your required letters must be written by the professor of one of the undergraduate courses for which you received academic credit. (This is an "academic" letter.) All letters must be recent, signed, dated and on letterhead stationery. These two required letters must be mailed through the LSDAS Letter of Recommendation Service, except for the following conditions under which the letters must be mailed by the recommender directly to CUNY School of Law: (1) if you are currently an undergraduate and your college can submit a Credential or Recommendation Packet; or (2) if you have additional school-specific letters of recommendation in addition to those two required letters (see above).

If you previously applied to CUNY School of Law, we require that you provide us with two new letters of recommendation submitted on your behalf. If you provided an academic letter of recommendation in your previous application, we will honor that letter as one of the two required letters.

We welcome supplemental letters of recommendation from CUNY Law graduates and others who have a special connection to our program. These letters must be submitted with the form provided on the application and sent directly to the Admissions Office by the recommender. Each letter must be on letterhead, dated within the last year and have the recommender's original signature. If you wish to waive your right to review letters of recommendation, you must use the form for the LSDAS Letter of Recommendation Service.

Letters written by relatives will not be considered. Letters of recommendation submitted with the application or sent by the applicant will not be considered.

No faxes, e-mails or photocopies will be accepted. Remember, no part of the application will be returned to you for any reason, including letters of recommendation.

Re-Application

Persons who have previously applied for admission to the Law School and who wish to apply again are considered re-applicants. Re-applicants must follow all procedures and meet all deadlines established for first-time applicants. Previous applications cannot be "reactivated." A 2008 application form and non-refundable $50 application fee must be submitted. In addition, re-applications require a current LSDAS subscription, even if you did not retake the LSAT or if a current report provides identical information to that provided on a previous report.

Fraudulent Documents

Read The City University of New York Policy On The Submission Of Fraudulent Documents In Support Of An Application For Admission; adopted by The CUNY Board Of Trustees 10/25/2004 (PDF)