Editing Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law

{{Infobox Law School
|class_canceled=Yes
|temp_pass_fail_grading=Yes
|pass_fail_grading_notes=mandatory pass/fail grading for the Spring 2020 semester
|pass_fail_grading_url=https://www.reddit.com/r/LawSchool/comments/fvjecp/cardozo_goes_mandatory_passfail/
|type=Private non-profit
|image=[[Image:CardozoShield.JPG|Cardozo Crest]]
|motto=צדק צדק תרדף<br>Tzedek Tzedek Tirdof<br>''(Justice, justice, shall you seek)''
|established=1976
|dean=David Rudenstine
|street_address=55 5th Ave
|city=New York
|state=NY
|country=US
|geocode_fail=No
|website=www.cardozo.yu.edu
}}
The '''Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law''' is the [[law school in the United States|law school]] of [[Yeshiva University]], located in the [[New York City]] [[borough (New York City)|borough]] of [[Manhattan]].  The school is named for [[Supreme Court of the United States|Supreme Court]] [[Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States|Justice]] [[Benjamin N. Cardozo]].

Cardozo is a relatively new law school, having graduated its first class in 1979. [http://www.cardozo.yu.edu/about_us/factsheet.asp]  Cardozo's success as a young school has been remarkable, leading some to characterized Cardozo as a "rising star" among law schools. [http://www.top-law-schools.com/new-york-law-schools.html] 

Cardozo is currently [http://www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/grad/rankings/law/brief/lawrank_brief.php ranked 52nd] by [[U.S. News]], which is the most widely read (and [http://www.leiterrankings.com/usnews/guide.shtml criticized]) ranking of law schools.  

Of the top 90 law schools, no school is younger than Cardozo. [http://www.abanet.org/legaled/approvedlawschools/year.html] Cardozo is one of only three schools founded after 1967 that is ranked among the top 80 schools.  The other two are [[BYU Law School]] ([http://www.law2.byu.edu/Law_School/FoundingDocumentsNew/index.php founded 1973]) and [[George Mason University School of Law]] ([http://www.law.gmu.edu/geninfo/deans.html founded 1972]). 

While Cardozo is noted for its strengths in a variety of areas,[http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Benjamin_N._Cardozo_School_of_Law#Rankings] its Intellectual Property and Dispute Resolution programs are exceptionally well known.  This is due, in large part, to both programs being [http://www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/grad/rankings/law/lawindex_brief.php ranked 6th] by [[U.S. News]]. 

The [[Innocence Project]], run by Cardozo Professor [[Barry Scheck]], is very well known for using DNA technology to help free innocent prisoners.  The program is frequently reported on in the national news. [http://query.nytimes.com/search/query?query=cardozo+%22innocence+project%22&srchst=nyt&d=&o=&v=&c=&sort=newest&n=10&dp=0&daterange=full&frow=0]

Signifying its recognition by long-established law schools, in 1999 Cardozo became a member of the [[Order of the Coif]], an honor society for law scholars. [http://www.orderofthecoif.org/COIF-members.htm]  

Cardozo's excellence was recently acknowledged when an [[List of law clerks of the Supreme Court of the United States#John_Paul_Stevens|associate justice]] of the U.S. Supreme Court selected a Cardozo graduate for a clerkship. [http://www.cardozo.yu.edu/news_events/news/page.asp?id=803]  A [[Supreme Court clerkship]] is arguably the most prestigious appointment for law graduate and is an honor typically reserved for the very best students at the most elite law schools. [http://www.leiterrankings.com/jobs/1996_06_scotus_clerks.shtml]  This is the second time a Cardozo graduate has been chosen for a Supreme Court clerkship. [http://www.crowell.com/AttorneyTemplate.cfm?Section=Lawyers&template=/Staff/StaffDetail.cfm&StaffID=166]

Most of Cardozo's 9,000 alumni reside in the [[New York metropolitan area]], and they have a considerable presence in [[New York City]].  However, some Cardozo graduates pursue their careers internationally and many can be found across the country in 46 states.[http://www.cardozo.yu.edu/alumni/index.asp]
==Rankings==

'''General Rankings'''

[[U.S. News]] ranked Cardozo 52nd. <ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/grad/rankings/law/brief/lawrank_brief.php| title=America's Best Graduate Schools 2007: Top Law Schools| publisher=U.S. News & World Report| accessdate=2006-11-07}}</ref>. Aside from the general ranking, the law school ranks:

* 23rd - Student Quality <ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.leiterrankings.com/students/2005student_quality.shtml| title=Rankings of Law School by Student Quality, 2005| publisher=Leiter's Law School Rankings| accessdate=2006-11-07}}</ref>

* 28th - Faculty Quality <ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.leiterrankings.com/faculty/2003faculty_reputation.shtml| title=Faculty Quality Rankings: Scholarly Reputation, 2003-04| publisher=Leiter's Law School Rankings| accessdate=2006-11-07}}</ref>

* 23rd - Most Cited Law Review <ref>{{cite web| url=http://law.wlu.edu/library/mostcited/index.asp| title=Law Journals: Submissions and Rankings| publisher=Washington & Lee Law School| accessdate=2006-11-20}} Filtered by "Student-Edited" and "2006 Jnls"</ref>

* 31st - Most SSRN Downloads <ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.concurringopinions.com/archives/2006/08/fun_with_ssrn_l.html|author=Dave Hoffman| title=Fun With SSRN Law School Rankings| publisher=Concurring Opinions| accessdate=2006-09-23}}</ref>

* 15th - Most Prolific Faculty <ref>James Lindgren & Daniel Seltzer, <em>The Most Prolific Law Professors and Faculties</em>, 71 CHI.-KENT. L. REV.781, 793 (1996).</ref> 

* 4th - New York State Bar Pass Rate (2003) <ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.law.com/special/professionals/nylj/2003/bar_pass_rates_ny_state.shtml| title=Bar Pass Rates at Law Schools in New York State| publisher=Law.com| accessdate=2006-10-16}}</ref>

* Most Competitive Students <ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.princetonreview.com/law/research/profiles/generalinfo.asp?listing=1035853&LTID=5| title=Yeshiva University: Rankings & Lists| publisher=Princeton Review| accessdate=2006-10-16}}</ref>

'''Specialty Rankings'''
* Top 3 - Law and Literature <ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.leiterrankings.com/faculty/2002faculty_topchoices.shtml#lawlit| title=Top Law Schools by Specialty Area, 2002-03: Law & Literature| publisher=Leiter's Law School Rankings| accessdate=2006-11-07}}</ref>

* 4th - Critical Theories <ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.leiterrankings.com/faculty/2003faculty_criticallt.shtml| title=Faculty Quality in Critical Theories, 2003-04| publisher=Leiter's Law School Rankings| accessdate=2006-11-07}}</ref>

* 5th - Law & Philosophy <ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.leiterrankings.com/faculty/2003faculty_philo.shtml| title=Faculty Quality in Law & Philosophy, 2003-04| publisher=Leiter's Law School Rankings| accessdate=2006-11-07}}</ref>

* 6th - Intellectual Property <ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/grad/rankings/law/brief/lawsp05_brief.php| title=America's Best Graduate Schools 2007: Law Specialties: Intellectual Property Law| publisher=U.S. News & World Report| accessdate=2006-11-07}}</ref>

* 6th - Dispute Resolution <ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/grad/rankings/law/brief/lawsp01_brief.php| title=America's Best Graduate Schools 2007: Law Specialties: Dispute Resolution| publisher=U.S. News & World Report| accessdate=2006-11-07}}</ref>

* 10th - LL.M./Masters of Law <ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.auap.com/llm.html| title=2006 Rankings of American LL.M/Master of Law| publisher=American Universities Admission Program| accessdate=2006-11-07}}</ref>

* Top-20 Runner-Up - International & Comparative Law <ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.leiterrankings.com/faculty/2003faculty_international.shtml| title=Faculty Quality in International & Comparative Law, 2003-04| publisher=Leiter's Law School Rankings| accessdate=2006-11-07}}</ref>

* 2nd - Most Cited Arts & Entertainment Law Journal <ref>{{cite web| url=http://law.wlu.edu/library/mostcited/index.asp| title=Law Journals: Submissions and Rankings| publisher=Washington & Lee Law School| accessdate=2006-11-20}} Filtered by "Entertainment, Arts, and Sports Law" and "2006 Jnls."</ref> (1st in Scholarly Impact and Cites by Courts) <ref>{{cite web| url=http://law.wlu.edu/library/mostcited/index.asp| title=Law Journals: Submissions and Rankings| publisher=Washington & Lee Law School| accessdate=2006-11-20}} Filtered by "Entertainment, Arts, and Sports Law," "2006 Cases" and "2006 IF."  The <em>Cardozo Arts & Entertainment Law Journal</em> has been cited by the U.S. Supreme Court three times. <em>See Eldred v. Ashcroft</em>, 537 U.S. 186, 780-81 (2003); <em>Arkansas Educ. Television Com'n v. Forbes</em>, 523 U.S. 666, 687 n.7 (1998); ''[[Campbell v. Acuff-Rose Music, Inc.]]'', 510 U.S. 569, 578 (1994).</ref>

==Admission==
Admission to Cardozo has become increasingly competitive. The [[GPA]] and [[LSAT]] scores of entering students are [http://www.law2.byu.edu/Career_Services/GPALSAT05.pdf consistently higher] than schools with similar rankings.

The class entering in Fall 2005 had a 3.5 median GPA and a 164 median LSAT score. The top quarter of LSAT scores were 166 or higher, and the top 25% of the incoming class had a 3.72 GPA or higher. [http://officialguide.lsac.org/OFFGUIDE/pdf/aba2990.pdf]

The top undergraduate feeder schools for Cardozo have been [[Cornell University]], [[New York University]], [[University of Pennsylvania]], [[Columbia University]], the [[State University of New York]], and the [[University of California]]. [http://www.cardozo.yu.edu/life/spring2006/around_campus/#Class2008][http://www.cardozo.yu.edu/life/spring2003/around.campus/#Former_Mayor_Ed_Koch][http://www.cardozo.yu.edu/life/winter2004/around_campus/#2006] Approximately 20% of incoming students hail from the [[Ivy League]]. [http://www.cardozo.yu.edu/life/winter2004/around_campus/#2006] 

==Location and Facilities==
[[Image:CardozoFacilities.jpg|thumb|75px|right|Locations of Brookdale Center, The Alabama, The [[Innocence Project]], and the libraries at The New School and The Cooper Union.]]
Cardozo, located on Fifth Avenue in the heart of [[Greenwich Village]], is in one of the most vibrant and accessible neighborhoods in Manhattan.

'''Brookdale Center''' -- 55 Fifth Avenue
Cardozo is located in the 18 story Brookdale Center. The law school occupies the first 11 floors.  The top floors are used as office space and are accessed through a separate entrance. [[Image:BrookdaleCenter.jpg|thumb|Brookdale Center]]
::*1st Floor -- The newly renovated lobby, which occupies most of the first floor, is frequently used as a space for large events.  The Jacob Burns Moot Court room and a classroom are also on the first floor.  
::*2nd Floor -- The second floor has classrooms and a bookstore.  
::*3rd Floor -- On the third floor, also recently renovated, students enjoy a large student lounge, a cafe, and a cafeteria.[[Image:StudenLounge.jpg|thumb|115px|left|Student Lounge]]
::*4th Floor -- The fourth floor has classrooms, faculty offices, and offices for student organizations.  
::*5th Floor -- The fifth floor contains faculty offices, the faculty lounge, a seminar room, and the offices of the student law journals. 
::*6th, 7th, 8th, and 9th Floors -- The Dr. Lillian and Dr. Rebecca Chutick Law Library is the center of student and faculty research at Cardozo. Encompassing four floors of Cardozo's building, the library holds more than [http://www.cardozo.yu.edu/library/index.asp 531,000 volumes], has over 130 computers, and study space for nearly 500 students.[http://officialguide.lsac.org/OFFGUIDE/pdf/aba2990.pdf]The library entrance is on the seventh floor.  Faculty offices also occupy part of the ninth floor.
::*10th Floor -- Floor ten houses administrative offices for the law school.
::*11th Floor -- Floor eleven is home to career services, the admissions office, and the clinics.
:'''The Alabama''' -- 15 East 11th Street 
::The Alabama is Cardozo's nine-story residence hall and is just around the corner from Brookdale Center. The Alabama has over 100 units. [http://www.cardozo.yu.edu/life/spring1998/housing/][[Image:TheAlabama.jpg|thumb|left|75px|Alabama]]
:'''The [[Innocence Project]]''' -- 100 Fifth Avenue
::The Innocence Project recently moved from the 11th floor of Brookdale Center to a new office space three blocks from the law school. The move allowed the Innocence Project to hire more staff and significantly increase the number of cases it takes.
:'''[[Fogelman Library]] of [[The New School]]''' -- 65 Fifth Avenue [http://library.newschool.edu/fogelman/]
:'''The [[Cooper Union]] Library''' -- 7 East 7th Street [http://www.cooper.edu/facilities/library/library.html]
::Both the Fogelman Library and the Cooper Union library serve as Cardozo's secondary libraries when the main library is closed on the Sabbath or on holidays.

==Course and Degree Offerings==
'''Juris Doctor'''

For [[J.D.]] students, Cardozo offers a selection of over 130 [http://www.cardozo.yu.edu/academic_prog/jd_program/upper_level.asp courses] in addition to the eight [http://www.cardozo.yu.edu/academic_prog/jd_program/first_year.asp courses required] during the first year.  Students may choose to graduate with a concentration in one of the following areas: [http://www.cardozo.yu.edu/cms/uploadedFiles/CURRENT_STUDENTS/JD_Guide_to_Course_Selection2005.pdf]
* Commercial Law
* Constitutional Law and Rights
* Corporate Law
* Criminal Law and Procedure
* Family and Matrimonial Law
* Intellectual Property and Communications Law
* International and Comparative Law
* Litigation (General)
* Property and Real Estate
* Taxation
Cardozo also offers "pathways" in both Public Law and Regulation and Jurisprudence and Legal History, which are not formal concentrations. [http://www.cardozo.yu.edu/cms/uploadedFiles/CURRENT_STUDENTS/JD_Guide_to_Course_Selection2005.pdf]  Students may also earn a [http://www.cardozo.yu.edu/kukin/certificate.asp Certificate in Dispute Resolution].

'''Master of Laws'''

For those who already have a law degree, Cardozo offers [[LL.M.]] degrees in the following areas:
* General Studies 
* Comparative Legal Thought
* Intellectual Property
* Dispute Resolution and Advocacy
[http://www.cardozo.yu.edu/academic_prog/llm_program.asp]  LL.M. students can take any of the couses offered to J.D. students.

'''Study Abroad'''

Cardozo students may study abroad through the following programs:
* International Private Law in [[Hamburg]] [http://www.cardozo.yu.edu/academic_prog/jd_program/bucerius.asp]
* Comparative Media Law in [[Budapest]]
* [[Alternative Dispute Resolution]] in [[Budapest]], [[Bilbao]], [[Paris]], or [[Rome]] [http://www.hamline.edu/law/adr/ecus/][http://www.cardozo.yu.edu/kukin/budapest.asp]
* Mediation, Restorative Justice and Conflict Management Initiatives in [[Israel]] [http://www.cardozo.yu.edu/studyabroad]
* Comparative and Transnational Media Law and Policy at [[University of Oxford|Oxford]] [http://www.cardozo.yu.edu/squadron/abroad.asp]
* Comparative Corporate Governance at [[University of Oxford|Oxford]] [http://www.cardozo.yu.edu/academic_prog/jd_program/heyman.asp]
Students may apply for individual study abroad programs to study abroad at other institutions.

'''Alternative Entry Plan (AEP)'''

While most Cardozo students begin their legal studies in [http://www.cardozo.yu.edu/admissions/admission_opt/sept_matr.asp September], some students are allowed the flexibility to begin in [http://www.cardozo.yu.edu/admissions/admission_opt/january_matr.asp January] or [http://www.cardozo.yu.edu/admissions/admission_opt/may_mtr.asp May].  AEP students are able to take classes part-time and during the summer, which gives AEP students the option of graduating in four years or a semester early.

==Notable Alumni==
* [[Rebecca Hirschklau]]
* [[Casey Quinn]]
* [[Melanie Leslie]]
* [[Sarah Klein]]
* [[Jeff Marx]]

==Footnotes==
<references/>

==External links==
* [http://www.cardozo.yu.edu/ Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law (official website)]
* [http://www.innocenceproject.org/ The Innocence Project]
* [http://www.cardozolawreview.com/ Cardozo Law Review]
* [http://www.cardozo.yu.edu/moot_court/ Cardozo Moot Court Honor Society]