U.S. News & World Report ranking reflects a curriculum built around practice and public service
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New York, NY — The City University of New York School of Law has been ranked #1 in the nation for sending graduates into public interest law in the 2026 U.S. News & World Report Best Graduate Schools rankings. The Law School also earned a #4 ranking in clinical training, tied with Yale University and other leading programs, and #35 for its part-time evening program.
The public interest ranking measures the percentage of graduates entering public service roles shortly after graduation. At CUNY Law, those outcomes reflect a model of legal education that is structured around how law is used, who it serves, and what it makes possible.
“Being ranked #1 (again) for public interest careers is a reflection of how deeply this work is embedded in our curriculum, our clinics, and our community,” said Interim Dean Natalie Gomez-Velez. “Our students are trained not only to understand the law, but to apply it in ways that expand access and advance justice. This recognition speaks to the clarity of our mission to train outstanding public interest lawyers and to the work our graduates do in the world.”
From the first semester, students are introduced to a framework that examines how law operates within systems of power, alongside a Lawyering Program that builds skills in advocacy, legal writing, and client-centered representation. That training builds toward full-time clinical practice in the final year, where students represent clients, work alongside community organizations, and develop legal strategies in active cases.
By the time they graduate, they have already done the work, representing clients, contributing to policy and advocacy efforts at local and national levels, and navigating legal systems as they are and understanding how those systems can be challenged and changed. The Law School’s #4 ranking in clinical training reflects the central role these programs play in preparing students for practice.
Graduates go on to work as public defenders, civil rights attorneys, immigration advocates, policy advisors, leaders of nonprofits and advocacy organizations, and government attorneys in New York City and across the country. These outcomes are tied to an approach that integrates experiential learning throughout the curriculum and maintains close connections to the communities the Law School serves.
Rankings are built on outcomes: where graduates go and the roles they take on. At CUNY Law, those outcomes are shaped by how students are trained. Through an experiential curriculum that integrates critical analysis, skills development, and full-time clinical practice, students work alongside clients and communities and learn to navigate and challenge the legal systems they will enter. By the time they graduate, that work is already underway.
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About CUNY School of Law
The City University of New York School of Law is the nation’s leading public interest law school. With a dual mission to train outstanding public interest lawyers and to expand access to the legal profession, CUNY Law prepares graduates to use the law in service of human needs.