New York Law School

By | January 6, 2023

New York Law School was established in 1891 as the first law school in New York City to offer a full-time day program. It was founded by a group of prominent New Yorkers, including Judges of the New York Court of Appeals, members of Congress, and the Mayor of New York City. The school’s founders had a vision for an institution that would prepare students for success in their chosen legal careers. From its earliest days, the school has emphasized practical legal training and has been committed to providing students with an education that is both rigorous and relevant.

Throughout its history, NYLS has shaped legal education in many ways. In 1892 it became one of the first law schools to require all students to have at least two years of college credits prior to admission. It also introduced innovative teaching methods such as case studies, moot courts, and simulations that have become standard practice at other law schools today. In addition, NYLS was one of the first law schools to establish elective courses outside of traditional legal topics such as labor law and international trade. During this period NYLS also created several specialized clinics such as the Immigration Clinic and Environmental Law Clinic which allow students to gain hands-on experience representing clients in real world cases.

New York Law School

Today, NYLS is a leader among top tier law schools nationwide and continues to innovate with its cutting-edge curriculum and programs such as Business Law & Policy Institute which provides students with an opportunity to learn from leading practitioners about current issues facing business lawyers today. Additionally, NYLS offers an extensive selection of online courses that allow students more flexibility when pursuing their degrees. Through these programs and initiatives, NYLS remains committed to preparing its graduates for success in their chosen fields while continuing its legacy as one of America’s premier law schools

New York Law School is located in the state of New York. As one of the leading law programs, New York Law School has a high average LSAT score of 152-157 when recruiting new students. As a return, the median starting salary for law graduates reaches $160,000 per year. See the following table for detailed admissions information and career profiles of New York Law School.

Admissions: New York Law School

New York Law School’s admissions process is highly competitive, with an acceptance rate of just over 40%. For the class of 2021, the school received 4,948 applications and accepted 2,031 applicants. The school admits students from all different backgrounds and from all around the world. About 50% of the admitted class are women and 22% are international students. The student body is incredibly diverse, with 27% identifying as Black or African American, 17% Hispanic or Latino, 8% Asian/Pacific Islander, and 2% Native American/Alaskan Native. In addition to diversity in race and ethnicity, New York Law School also promotes diversity in educational background. About 20% of incoming students transferred from another law school while 40% came directly from undergraduate studies at a variety of colleges and universities across the country.

Fall 2019 Admissions and Enrollment Statistics
Total number of full- and part-time applicants 4,188
Total number of full- and part-time acceptances 2,246
Overall acceptance rate 53.6%
Total number of full- and part-time first-year students enrolled 736
Number of full-time program applicants 3,403
Number of full-time program acceptances 1,936
Full-time acceptance rate 56.9%
Number of first-year full-time students enrolled 569
Number of part-time program applicants 785
Number of part-time program acceptances 310
Part-time acceptance rate 39.5%
Number of first-year part-time students enrolled 167
Fall 2019 GPA and LSAT Scores
25th-75th percentile GPA scores for all students 2.96-3.48
25th-75th percentile LSAT scores for all students 152-157
25th-75th percentile undergraduate GPA for full-time students 3.02-3.48
25th-75th percentile LSAT scores for full-time students 152-157
25th-75th percentile undergraduate GPA for part-time students 2.79-3.46
25th-75th percentile LSAT scores for part-time students 149-155

Careers: New York Law School

Bar Statistics (Winter and Summer 2018 administrations)
State where the greatest number of first-time test takers took the bar NY
School’s bar passage rate for first-time test takers 91.3%
Statewide bar passage rate for first-time test takers 80.7%
Class of 2018 Graduates
Total graduates 463
Graduates employed at graduation N/A
Graduates known to be employed nine months after graduation 92.6%
Starting Salaries of 2018 Graduates Employed Full-time
25th percentile private sector starting salary $71,250
Median private sector starting salary $160,000
75th percentile private sector starting salary $160,000
Percent in the private sector who reported salary information 27%
Median public service starting salary $53,500
Areas of Legal Practice (Class of 2018)
Percent employed in academia 4.0%
Percent employed in business and industry 23.0%
Percent employed in government 14.0%
Percent employed in all judicial clerkships 4.0%
Percent employed in law firms 43.0%
Percent employed in public interest 6.0%
Percent employed in an unknown field 6.0%
Percent employed in a judicial clerkship by an Article III federal judge 0.2%
2018 Graduates Employment Location
Graduates employed in-state 71%
Graduates employed in foreign countries 1%
Number of states where graduates are employed 14
New England (CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT) 0.3%
Middle Atlantic (NY, NJ, PA) 77.8%
East North Central (IL, IN, MI, OH, WI) 1.0%
West North Central (IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD) 0.0%
South Atlantic (DE, DC, FL, GA, MD, NC, SC, VA, WV) 5.7%
East South Central (AL, KY, MS, TN) 0.0%
West South Central (AR, LA, OK, TX) 0.5%
Pacific (AK, CA, HI, OR, WA) 1.5%
Mountain (AZ, CO, ID, MT, NV, NM, UT, WY) 0.2%
Employment location unknown 12.4%
Career Services
(Data appear as originally submitted by this school)
Career services operations NYLS provides an array of student resources and services, including: individual counseling; recruitment programs and job fairs; the Career Services Alumni Mentor Program; Law Practice Options Series; Career Day; Networking Lunch Series; informational guides, books, and handouts; video library; equipment available for student use; reciprocity with other law schools.
Job Type
Bar admission required or anticipated (e.g., attorney and corporate counsel positions, law clerks, judicial clerks) 69.0%
J.D. preferred, law degree enhances position (e.g., corporate contracts administrator, alternative dispute resolution specialist, government regulatory analyst, FBI special agent) 19.0%
Professional/other (jobs that require professional skills or training but for which a J.D. is neither preferred nor particularly applicable; e.g., accountant, teacher, business manager, nurse) 3.0%
Nonprofessional/other (job that does not require any professional skills or training or is taken on a temporary basis and not viewed as part of a career path) 2.0%