Is Cornell Law School Worth It?

Asked by: Ms. Shyanne Ondricka II  |  Last update: July 1, 2022
Score: 4.8/5 (8 votes)

Cornell University is ranked No. 12 in Best Law Schools. Schools are ranked according to their performance across a set of widely accepted indicators of excellence.

Is Cornell Law School prestigious?

The University of Cornell has its own legal institution known as Cornell Law School. It first began accepting students in 1887 and has since grown into one of the nation's most prestigious law schools. Located in Ithaca, New York, Cornell Law School is one of only five of the prestigious Ivy League law schools.

What is Cornell Law good for?

Despite its reputation as a feeder for NYC biglaw, Cornell places well in public service. It ranks 8th among ATL's top 20 schools, with almost 14% of the class obtaining full-time, long-term legal jobs in government or public interest.

Is it hard to get into Cornell Law?

Cornell Law ranks #14 in terms of student selectivity with an acceptance rate of 21.1% among those who applied for admission. Cornell Law is tied for #15 in terms of the median LSAT score (167) among those applicants granted admission who enrolled as full-time students.

Is Cornell good for big law?

(Reuters) - Cornell Law School sent a higher percentage of its 2021 graduates to large law firms than any other U.S. law school, according to new data from the American Bar Association. More than three quarters of its recent juris doctors — 76% — took jobs at law firms with 251 or more lawyers.

What We Wish We Knew Before Starting Law School || Cornell Law Edition

23 related questions found

Is a top 50 Law School worth it?

The employment stats for law schools beyond the top 50 are kind of embarrassing. It's not surprising that law grads from top-50 schools have better job prospects than graduates from less prestigious law schools.

Where do top law firms hire from?

Consider law schools with high full-time placement rates at large law firms.
  • Harvard University: 86.9%
  • Columbia University: 86.4%
  • New York University: 84.3%
  • Stanford University: 83.3%
  • Duke University: 83.2%
  • University of Virginia: 82.1%
  • Northwestern University (Pritzker): 80.8%
  • University of California—Berkeley: 80.6%

How much do Cornell Law graduates make?

Cornell Law School ranked No. 1 for graduates with the highest salaries, averaging $183,377 in salary, with an average debt load of $148,443.

What makes Cornell Law unique?

Cornell Law offers a distinctive in-class experience. The first-year Lawyering course is taught in sections of 34 students, and many classes are even smaller. This allows for an exchange of ideas that is uncommon among top law schools.

What LSAT do I need for Cornell?

To be a competitive applicant at Cornell Law, you would do well to have an LSAT score in the high 160 range and an undergraduate GPA in the 3.65+ range. It is worth noting that the LSAT range for students at Cornell Law is historically a little lower than for the rest of the Top 14 schools.

Where do Cornell Law students work?

All students are strongly encouraged to have a law-related experience over the summer. Options include working for government agencies, non-profit organizations, judges, law school faculty, or law firms, or studying law abroad.

Is Cornell Ivy League?

Cornell University: An Ivy League Education, Beautiful Campus. With 14 prestigious schools and colleges, Cornell is the most educationally diverse university in the Ivy League and one of the most elite colleges in the world.

Is NYU Law school worth?

NYU's law school also ranks as one of the best law schools in the country. It's consistently rated in the five to seven range by most media sites such as U.S. News & World Report. Princeton Review rankings place NYU School of Law as Number 1 for career prospects. It's long been considered a premier T14 school.

How many law schools should I apply to?

A good rule of thumb is to apply to at least a dozen law schools: five reaches, five midrange schools and two safety schools. Reach law schools are highly competitive, admitting applicants with average GPAs and LSAT scores that may be a bit higher than your own.

What is NYU law school ranked?

Globally, NYU Law is ranked as the fifth-best law school in the world by the Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU) for subject Law in 2021, after having ranked as the world's fourth-best law school in 2020.

What rank is UCLA law school?

University of California--Los Angeles 2023 Rankings

University of California--Los Angeles is ranked No. 15 in Best Law Schools.

What is Vanderbilt Law School ranked?

Vanderbilt University is ranked No. 17 (tie) in Best Law Schools.

Why we do not hire Law School graduates from the Ivy League schools?

Their students typically have no incentive to get the best grades in their classes. They also have no incentive to squeeze as much learning as possible out of the law school experience.

What universities do law firms prefer?

Over the nine years, Oxford and Cambridge dominate training contract recruitment with some consistency, followed by Durham, Bristol and Nottingham. The further down you go, the more erratic it becomes.

Does where you go to Law School really matter?

It's generally accepted that the school on your resume carries a lot more weight when you've just passed the bar and you're looking for your first position. It will matter less years down the road. Eventually, you'll add experience and an impressive track record to your credentials, and that can be more important.

Is it worth it to go to a low ranked law school?

It is far from true that all graduates of lower-ranked law schools are doomed to scratch out a living. Earning a law degree from any reputable program is an impressive achievement. A glance at the bios for any major law firm will reveal many successful lawyers who attended low-ranked schools.

Is a Tier 4 law school worth it?

Job prospects for graduates of fourth-tier law schools can be significantly lower than those in upper-tier schools. For example, more than 96% of 2009 graduates of the University of Pennsylvania Law School were employed upon graduation, with a median private-sector salary of $160,000.

What type of lawyer makes the most money?

Some of the highest-paid lawyers are:
  • Medical Lawyers – Average $138,431. Medical lawyers make one of the highest median wages in the legal field. ...
  • Intellectual Property Attorneys – Average $128,913. ...
  • Trial Attorneys – Average $97,158. ...
  • Tax Attorneys – Average $101,204. ...
  • Corporate Lawyers – $116,361.