New York Law School (NYLS) is proud to be named among the “Top Schools” in preLaw magazine. In preLaw magazine’s fall 2024 issue, NYLS earned high marks in racial justice, business, and criminal law. Learn more about the School’s standout programs in these areas.
Racial Justice
At NYLS, students have an opportunity to work at the forefront of racial justice through the Racial Justice Project (RJP), a legal advocacy organization dedicated to protecting the constitutional and civil rights of people who have been denied their rights on the basis of race. RJP also works to increase public awareness of racism and racial injustice in the areas of education, employment, political participation, economic inequality, and criminal justice. They also host events with racial justice experts, including a recent conversation with Professor Pumla Gobodo-Madikizela, 2024 Templeton Prize Laureate, on her groundbreaking insights into the mechanisms of trauma and forgiveness.
A wide array of NYLS clinics and simulation courses also focus on racial justice, and our students have the opportunity to gain critical education about the myriad ways that they can become agents for change and justice. Among these offerings, Wilf Impact Public Interest Scholars and Postgraduate Fellows can also concentrate their work in racial justice. Wilf Scholars and Fellows work closely with faculty leaders on the front lines of our nation’s most important civil rights challenges and collaborate with external social justice organizations which operate in partnership with NYLS.
Business Law
NYLS has long been established as a business law leader for its impressive programs through the Center for Business and Financial Law. The School has an exceptional history of preparing graduates for careers in the business sector, including at innovative businesses, top financial institutions, regulatory agencies, and law firms.
Institutes within the Center like the James Tricarico Jr. Institute for the Business of Law and In-House Counsel and the Ronald H. Filler Institute for Financial Services Law provide a range of opportunities in in-house counsel and financial services law education for law students and practitioners. Students have the opportunity to attend special events and programming where they can meet with and learn from the School’s extensive network of business and financial service leaders.
Students can also gain real-world experience in a variety of clinics and experiential learning opportunities. For instance, law students in the Securities Arbitration Clinic learn the skills they need to represent clients in securities arbitration proceedings before the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) under the supervision of NYLS faculty, and students who take the week-long intensive Mini M.B.A. program engage with a broad range of professional topics that prepare them for the job market as they network with expert practitioners and business leaders.
Criminal Law
NYLS’s comprehensive criminal law program, which includes robust coursework mixed with extensive real-world experience, helps law students sharpen their practical legal skills. Students can work directly with police officers, victims, and witnesses to prosecute misdemeanor cases through the School’s two Criminal Prosecution Clinics, which partner with the Manhattan and Brooklyn District Attorney’s Offices. Students can also work with The Legal Aid Society to represent low-income defendants in misdemeanor cases from arraignment through trial in the Criminal Defense Clinic.
NYLS institutes such as the 21st Century Policing Project (P21) and the Criminal Justice Institute provide students ample additional opportunities to address the defining challenges of our current systems, and prepare them to lead on issues of policing and criminal justice.
In addition, NYLS is expanding opportunities for students to engage with restorative justice efforts through new courses, externships, education, and advocacy work.