Located in the heart of bustling Manhattan, the City University of New York, or CUNY, School of Law was cited as the number-one law school for public interest by "preLaw" magazine in 2011. Beginning with the first year of its 3-year program, students are provided with the opportunity to participate in simulation exercises as well as an intensive curriculum of legal analysis and reasoning. The school integrates a focus in public interest throughout the curriculum, emphasizing the way in which an awareness of political, civic and economic realities can contribute to a socially responsible practice of law.
Founded in 1970 in the city of Hempstead, Hofstra Law School offers a program for earning a Juris Doctor as well as a Master of Law in International Law, American Law and Family Law. Ranked among the top 100 law schools in the country, the college provides students the opportunity to work with the student- led Public Justice Foundation, a public interest law organization that works to afford pro-bono legal representation for individuals or interests that would otherwise be underrepresented. The school also operates a number of other pro-bono organizations, such as the Domestic Violence Courtroom Advocates Project, the Unemployment Action Center and the Law Students Disaster Recovery Network.
Located in Lower Manhattan, the New York Law School is one of the oldest law schools in the country and offers both full-time and part-time curricula for Juris Doctorate and Master of Law degrees. In addition to the standard legal curriculum, the New York Law School offers a Public Service Certificate for legal work in pubic interest. The certificate requires students to complete at least 40 hours of voluntary service in the community while working toward their degree.
The Albany Law School was founded in the mid-19th century and offers a diverse range of Juris Doctorate and Master of Law degrees as well as the opportunity to earn a separate graduate degree in conjunction with your law degree. In an effort to provide equal access to legal representation, the Albany Law School operates the Clinic and Justice Center, which recruits upwards of 300 students a year to assist in representing hundreds of clients. Access to participation in the program is competitive, but it affords the chance for students to actively engage in public interest law practice.