CUNY School of Law

What is the accreditation of CUNY School of Law?

CUNY School of Law's J.D. program is approved by the American Bar Association (ABA), the professional accreditor relevant to U.S. law schools. The Middle States Commission on Higher Education serves as CUNY's institutional accreditor. Institutional accreditation and ABA approval address different questions: one concerns higher-education institutions, while the other applies to the professional law program.

ABA approval matters because graduating from an ABA-approved law school satisfies a common educational requirement for bar admission. It does not itself admit a graduate to practice. State bar authorities also set rules concerning the bar examination, character and fitness, and other qualifications; applicants planning to practice outside New York should check that jurisdiction's requirements. Accreditation also does not guarantee that another institution will accept credits or that an individual student will qualify for a particular form of financial aid.

What are the admission requirements at CUNY School of Law?

Admission to CUNY School of Law's J.D. program is graduate-level admission. Applicants ordinarily need a bachelor's degree before beginning law school; high school grades and SAT or ACT scores are not the usual basis for a J.D. application.

J.D. applicants use the law school's application process and should expect to provide college transcripts, a personal statement and other materials specified for their applicant category. They should check the current admissions instructions for accepted entrance tests, recommendation requirements, résumé guidance, deadlines and any requirements for applicants educated outside the United States. A published deadline for a priority scholarship review may differ from the final application deadline.

The LL.M. has a separate applicant pool and eligibility rules because it is intended for people who already hold a law degree. International applicants should examine the LL.M. rules for credential evaluation and English-language proficiency rather than assuming the J.D. instructions apply. Neither program is an open-admission route to an undergraduate degree.

What are the application fees and waivers at CUNY School of Law?

J.D. and LL.M. applicants should check the current CUNY School of Law application instructions and their application checkout screen for the fee applicable to their program. A law-school application charge, if assessed, is separate from any charge for sending test results or credential reports through an application service.

Applicants who need a waiver should review both the school's waiver policy and any waiver offered by the application service before submitting or paying. Waiver eligibility and the point at which a request must be approved can differ by program and application method. A tuition deposit or other post-admission charge should not be mistaken for an application fee.

What types of ROTC programs are available at CUNY School of Law?

CUNY School of Law does not operate an identified Army, Navy or Air Force ROTC unit on its Long Island City campus. ROTC is principally a commissioning pathway for undergraduates, so applicants should not assume that enrollment in a CUNY professional school provides ROTC participation.

A prospective student with a military commissioning goal would need to ask the relevant ROTC host unit whether a law student could meet its enrollment, age, training and service requirements. ROTC scholarships and ordinary veterans' education benefits are different programs; eligibility for one does not establish eligibility for the other.

What are the requirements for transfer students at CUNY School of Law?

Transferring into the J.D. program is different from transferring undergraduate college credits. A prospective J.D. transfer applicant should first confirm that CUNY School of Law is accepting transfers for the intended term and identify the amount of law study required for consideration.

Law-school transfer reviews commonly rely on an official transcript from the current law school, course information and evidence that the applicant is in good standing. Admission and credit acceptance are separate decisions: an admitted student may not receive credit for every course previously completed. Before leaving another school, applicants should obtain CUNY Law's written evaluation of transferable law credits and ask how many credits must be earned at CUNY Law, which requirements remain, and whether the proposed schedule permits graduation on time.

A person who has college credits but has not enrolled in a J.D. program should generally explore first-year J.D. admission, not law-school transfer admission.

What types of study abroad programs are available at CUNY School of Law?

International study should be evaluated against CUNY School of Law's current J.D. curriculum rather than assumed to be a standard semester-away option. Law programs can change from year to year, and participation in another institution's overseas course does not automatically produce credits toward a CUNY Law degree.

Students considering an international course, externship or independently arranged experience should obtain advance academic approval and confirm how the work would count toward graduation. They should also ask the financial aid office whether their aid can be used for the specific approved arrangement. This is particularly important for a professional degree with required courses and supervised practice components.