Cornell Law School

What Cornell Law School does

Cornell Law School, founded in 1887, is the law school of Cornell University and is located at Myron Taylor Hall in Ithaca, New York, with an additional teaching presence at Cornell Tech in New York City. The school is part of Cornell University, a private Ivy League research institution, and is led by the Allan R. Tessler Dean (currently Jens David Ohlin). It serves approximately 600 J.D. students and over 100 LL.M. students in a recent cohort drawn from 24 countries, alongside J.S.D. and M.S.L.S. enrollees, and operates with a 5:1 student-to-faculty ratio. Its core academic product is the three-year J.D. program, supplemented by four graduate degree programs (LL.M. General, LL.M. at Cornell Tech, M.S.L.S. Online, and J.S.D.) and 27 clinical and practicum offerings spanning immigration, civil rights, veterans law, securities, international human rights, and other practice areas.

The school's technology footprint centers on AI integration for legal education rather than proprietary AI development: it has incorporated generative AI platforms Harvey, Legora, and Clio vLex Vincent AI into coursework and research training, and in May 2026 launched the Center on Law and AI to shape how AI is understood and applied in the legal profession. Faculty include three professors ranked among SSRN's Top 100 Most-Cited Legal Scholars of 2025, with Professor Frank Pasquale ranked third most-cited in Law & Technology, providing academic depth that supports both teaching and external thought-leadership positioning.

Cornell Law School's revenue is generated primarily through tuition and fees across its J.D., LL.M., M.S.L.S., and J.S.D. programs, supplemented by philanthropic giving (a record $755,674 raised on 2026 Giving Day from 510 donors). Distribution occurs through a centralized Admissions Office, an online application portal, the Career Development Office for employer recruiting and clerkship placements, and on-campus delivery at Ithaca and Cornell Tech. Outcomes — 100% Class of 2025 employment at 10 months, $225K median private-sector salary, 98.25% ultimate bar pass rate, and 49 students and alumni securing clerkships in the 2025-2026 cycle — define the value proposition to prospective students and reinforce the school's competitive position.

Name

Cornell Law School

Legal name

Cornell Law School

Website

https://lawschool.cornell.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1887

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Cornell Law School, founded in 1887 as part of Cornell University, offers J.D., LL.M., M.S.L.S., and J.S.D. programs serving approximately 600 J.D. students and 100+ international LL.M. students across 27 clinical programs in Ithaca and at Cornell Tech.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Legal Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

ABA-Accredited JD-Granting Law Schools (EDAHAIAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

LLM & Post-JD Graduate Law Programs (EDAHAIAC), Law & Legal Studies Research Universities (EDAHABAF)

Keywords

• Legal education
• Law degree programs
• Juris doctor training
• Clinical legal education
• Graduate legal studies

Headquarters

HQ city

Ithaca

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Educational Services: Cornell Law School generates revenue primarily through tuition from J.D., LL.M., M.S.L.S., and J.S.D. programs, along with associated fees for legal education services.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Cornell Law School delivers graduate-level legal education through its J.D., LL.M., M.S.L.S., and J.S.D. degree programs, anchored by a 5:1 student-to-faculty ratio, 27+ experiential clinics, and integration of legal AI platforms (Harvey, Legora, Clio vLex Vincent AI). It supports students from admission through bar passage, judicial clerkships, and private-sector placement (100% employment, $225K median salary).

Product overview

Cornell Law School offers a comprehensive legal education portfolio centered on its J.D. program as the core offering, supplemented by four graduate degree programs (LL.M. General, LL.M. Cornell Tech, M.S.L.S. Online, and J.S.D.), and supported by extensive experiential learning through 27+ clinical programs, the Lawyering Program, and Moot Court. The school has recently expanded its offerings with a Center on Law and AI and partnerships with legal AI platforms (Harvey, Legora, Clio vLex Vincent AI). International programs including exchange agreements and the Cornell-Paris 1 Summer Institute round out the portfolio.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• J.D. Program

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% of Class of 2025 employed 10 months after graduation
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability3 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• HarveycoreTechnology or Integration · 20 May 2026AI platform partnership providing generative AI capabilities integrated into Cornell Law coursework and research training as part of the school's legal AI leadership strategy.
• LegoracoreTechnology or Integration · 20 May 2026AI platform partnership expanding Cornell Law's AI educational capabilities, working alongside Harvey and existing platforms to prepare students for AI-shaped legal profession.
• Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLPmajorGTM or Marketing Partner · 20 May 2026Law firm served as Leading Giving Day Champion for second consecutive year, raising more than $25,000 for Cornell Law School during annual Giving Day.
• Clio vLex Vincent AIcoreTechnology or Integration · 20 May 2025Existing AI collaboration integrated into Cornell Law's academic programs, forming foundation for expanded AI partnerships announced in 2026.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Yale Law School: Yale Law School is the most prestigious peer, offering J.D., LL.M., J.S.D., and M.S.L. programs with similarly small cohorts and elite clerkship placement. It competes head-to-head with Cornell for top-tier J.D. applicants and faculty.
• Harvard Law School: Harvard Law School is the largest and most globally recognized J.D./LL.M. peer, with overlapping program mix (J.D., LL.M., S.J.D.) and direct competition for applicants, faculty, and employer recruiting.
• Stanford Law School: Stanford Law School competes with Cornell for tech-law and policy-oriented applicants (comparable to Cornell's LL.M. at Cornell Tech) and for faculty in law-and-AI, IP, and corporate law.
• Columbia Law School: Columbia Law School is a direct Ivy League peer based in New York City, with overlapping J.D., LL.M., and J.S.D. programs and shared employer recruiting across NYC-based BigLaw firms.
• NYU School of Law: NYU Law is a direct peer with the largest LL.M. program in the U.S. and a similar portfolio of J.D., LL.M., and J.S.D. programs, competing for the same NYC-based employer pipeline and international LL.M. applicants.
• University of Chicago Law School: UChicago Law is a T-14 peer with a similarly small J.D. cohort, comparable selectivity, and overlapping law-and-economics faculty strength that competes for the same applicant and faculty pool.
• University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School: Penn Carey Law is a direct Ivy League peer offering J.D., LL.M., and J.S.D. programs with comparable employment outcomes and a similar applicant profile.
• Georgetown University Law Center: Georgetown Law is the largest U.S. law school by enrollment and a direct peer for J.D. and LL.M. programs, competing heavily in D.C.-oriented public interest and government placement.
• Northwestern Pritzker School of Law: Northwestern Pritzker is a T-14 peer with comparable program offerings and is a direct competitor for J.D. applicants and law firm recruiting.
• University of Virginia School of Law: UVA Law is a top public-university peer offering J.D., LL.M., and J.S.D. programs with comparable bar passage and employment outcomes, competing for similar applicant and employer pools.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cornelllaw
• Facebookfacebook.com/CornellLawSchool
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/cornell-law-school/?viewAsMember=true
• Instagraminstagram.com/cornell.law.school

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Cornell Law School