Student Handbook

Dean of Students

The Law School’s Dean of Students is responsible for a number of student services, including academic advising, policy creation and enforcement, and student wellbeing and belonging. The DOS is also your connection to University resources that you might need throughout your time as a Cornell student. Should you experience crises or any time of need, the Dean of Students Office is here to help. We have resources that cover everything from food insecurity to addiction counseling to neurodivergent support and much more. 

Academic Support

The Office of Academic Support supports all law students—from Orientation through the bar exam— with time management coaching, study strategies, peer mentoring, supplements, and other study aids, study-skills training, and exam practice and feedback. You can reach out to schedule a meeting or to learn more about Academic Support.

Legal Information Institute (LII)

The Legal Information Institute at Cornell Law School is the oldest provider of free U.S. legal information on the Internet. Motivated by its founders’ belief that access to the laws that govern society is a fundamental tenet of effective government, LII explores and develops new technologies that make it easier for people to find and understand the law. Last year, more than 40 million visitors to the LII’s website accessed more than 160 million pages of content, including both primary sources like the United States Code and Code of Federal Regulations and secondary materials such as the student-authored Supreme Court Bulletin Previews, the Women & Justice Collection, and the WEX online legal reference. LII staff work with students in disciplines such as law, computer science, and information science to build features and collections that fulfill the mission of providing open access to the law. Law students can work for the LII in various capacities, ranging from legal research and writing to serving as law domain experts alongside computer and information science students on interdisciplinary project teams. The LII generally seeks out law students to work on projects as needed by advertising in Scoops.

Law Library

The Cornell Law Library is one of the nation’s foremost centers for domestic, foreign, and international legal research.  The majestic Gould Reading Room has been named one of the most beautiful college libraries in the world. With its extensive print, digital, and special collections, the Law Library is the hub for in-depth scholarly legal research on myriad subjects.

The Reading Room is open to law students 24/7 with keycard access. The Law Library circulation desk is open to check out books, phone chargers, umbrellas, and more until 8 pm most weekdays except for Friday. To find information about circulation desk hours, law students should visit our hours page. Study spaces are located throughout all six floors of the library; a study space reservation system enables students to arrange group or quiet study spaces on select floors in advance. For questions about Law Library access, students should contact the circulation desk by email or at (607 255-7236).

Law research librarians are available throughout the year to answer questions about research and for consultation on research sources, topics, and strategies. To contact law librarians with a research question or request a consultation, law students can email. A law librarian will respond within 24 hours to the request Mondays-Fridays from 9 am-5 pm.

A wide range of electronic books, tools, and study aids are available for borrowing and can be found in the library catalog. We offer dozens of databases which can be accessed off campus, as well as research guides that assist law students in conducting legal and scholarly research. Law students will also be receiving biweekly emails from Keywords, the Law Library newsletter that provides ongoing research tips and updates throughout the academic year.

Law librarians teach legal research classes to first-year J.D. students in their Lawyering course and LL.M. students in their Introduction to American Legal System and Principles of American Legal Writing courses. Students also have the opportunity to earn credit in advanced, experiential legal research courses taught by law librarians. These courses target students’ areas of interest and topical issues in the legal profession such as business, technology, international law, and critical evaluation of legal information literacy in an age of AI.

Notary Public

Several staff members at the Law School are public notaries. Please contact the Dean of Students Office or the Registrar’s Office to learn more about notaries currently in the building.

University ID Cards

The Cornell University identification card serves principally to identify persons as faculty, staff, or students currently employed or registered at Cornell University, as well as access to university services. The identification card is the property of the University. Upon matriculation with Cornell University, each student is issued an identification card. These cards may be required for events in the Law School and throughout the University. They also act as your keycard to get into the building, your bus pass, and your swipe card for any meal plan or fitness center membership elected. Find out more about uses, regulations, and benefits – including spouse/partner cards – here.

Policy on Student Complaints Relating to ABA Program of Legal Education Standards

The Cornell Law School invites students to share any concerns they might have about the Law School’s program of legal education as it relates to matters that directly connect to ABA Standards. Students having such a concern should submit the concern, in writing, to the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs. The student’s written complaint should identify the ABA accreditation standard that is at issue and must be signed by the student. The Associate Dean for Academic Affairs will work with the appropriate administrator to investigate the issue and if possible, to address the concern. The Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, as appropriate, shall keep a record of all such complaints and of follow-up action taken for eight years. The student who filed the complaint will be provided with a written update on the response within 30 days of receipt of the complaint.

Bursar Bills

The University Bursar Office bills Cornell University tuition and room and board charges. These charges are posted to a student’s bursar account in July and December and must be paid in full prior to registration deadlines. It is possible that some charges may not be listed on the initial bill and will appear on a future bill. A student must be prepared to pay any charges appearing on a subsequent bill even though the student has received a financial aid refund before the charges were applied. Finance charges may be accrued for any outstanding balance not paid by posted due dates here. For more information about bursar bills visit the Office of Bursar website, or contact the University Bursar Office by email (260 Day Hall, or at 1-607-255-2336)

Financial Aid

Financial aid at Cornell Law School is comprised of loans, institutional grants and scholarships, and federal work-study. Institutional grant and scholarship awards for J.D. students are committed for a three-year period and are generally not adjusted after matriculation.

Students who are not currently registered at Cornell Law School are not eligible to receive Cornell Law School grants or scholarships. For more information, contact the Cornell Law School Financial Aid (Office: 115 Myron Taylor Hall, or at 1-607-255-5141)

Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy for Cornell Law School Financial Aid Applicants

Federal regulations (General Provision CRF 668.1) require that Cornell University review the academic progress of students who apply for and/or receive financial assistance. Satisfactory academic progress is comprised of three areas as required by federal regulations. A student must complete their degree within a specified period, demonstrate they are making progress towards the completion of their degree by earning a minimum number of credit hours each semester, and achieve a GPA that is consistent with meeting graduation requirements. This regulation applies to each financial aid applicant, whether a previous recipient or not. The Law School’s Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy.

Public Interest Fellowships (Ithaca Campus)

Another source of funding for public interest and judicial summer jobs is the Public Interest Fellowship (PIF) program. The program is largely supported by the law school in addition to student fundraising and direct contributions from faculty, staff, and alumni. The program is managed by the Career Development Office which will send out information about registering for the program during the Spring semester. For information, contact the Career Development Office 128 Hughes Hall, or at607-255-3597).

Public Interest Loan Repayment Assistance Plan (Ithaca Campus)

Cornell Law School offers a post-graduation Public Interest Loan Repayment Assistance Plan for J.D. students who are employed in public interest positions. A description of the LRAP is available in the Law School Financial Aid Office or on the web.

Law School Emergency Funds Loans (Ithaca Campus)

Short-term emergency loans are available for students awaiting the disbursement of financial aid. These loans can only be requested once a semester and are generally available within three business days. For more information, contact the Cornell Law School Financial Aid Office (115 Myron Taylor Hall, or at 1-607-255-5141)

Grants (Ithaca Campus)

Students experiencing a temporary hardship beyond their control may also apply for an award from the Lukingbeal Fund. The Lukingbeal Fund is designed for unexpected situations, such as food insecurity, necessary medical or dental procedures not covered by the student’s health insurance, or travel for a family emergency. Grant funding is limited. Students may apply for an emergency grant from the Lukingbeal Fund by completing the Lukingbeal Fund application.

Some students may also be eligible to receive grants from the Cornell Access Fund, the CU Emergency Fund, or other available CU funding sources.

J.D. Summer Work Study Grants (Ithaca Campus)

Many first and second-year law students obtain unpaid summer employment in the public or private non-profit sector. Work-study grants may be available through the Cornell Law School Financial Aid Office for such employment. For more information, contact Cornell Law School Financial Aid Office  (115 Myron Taylor Hall, or at 1-607-255-5141).

Career Development Office

The Career Development Office (128 Hughes Hall) is an integrated career office, here to counsel students when defining their career path, educate students on diverse legal career options, collaborate with student groups to present relevant programming, provide helpful resources, and connect with legal employers and alumni. Students can access The Career Development Office website, and can also reach the Office by email or at (1-607-255-5873).

Public Service Engagement

The Career Development Office works with students pursuing employment in public service, which includes government agencies, public defender and prosecutorial offices, and non-profits both in the U.S. and abroad. The office is available to discuss the many ways in which to incorporate public service into any career path and to discuss the specifics of loan repayment assistance through Cornell’s Loan Repayment Program, the externship program, and opportunities for pro bono service. Students can reach the office by email, or at (1-607-255-3597).

Judicial Engagement

Students and alumni interested in pursuing post-graduate judicial clerkships should reach the office by email. Resources for clerkship candidates can be found at Judicial Clerkships

Private Sector Engagement

The office works with students and alumni to provide robust opportunities in the most elite and prestigious firms and businesses from around the world. Contact us to discuss your plans, goals, and ideas.

Part-Time Employment During School

Cornell Law students are not expected to work but rather are expected to dedicate their time and attention to their studies as full-time students. Students who choose to work part-time during the academic year are strongly encouraged to limit their employment obligations to no more than 20 hours per week. First-year students are not encouraged to work during the school year, especially during the first semester. A number of part-time student jobs are available at the Law School and the University during the academic year mostly for second and third-year law students. Positions at the Law School include research assistants for the faculty, teaching assistants in a number of courses, tour guides, as well as a number of administrative support positions. Available positions in the Law School are generally listed in the weekly Law School activities newsletter, Scoops, or by an e-mail notice. Positions in other areas of the University, as well as the University Counsel’s Office, are available from time to time and are often listed in Scoops or on the Student Employment website.

The first step interested students should take in seeking employment at the University (or in public or non-profit agencies in town) is determining if they qualify for federal work-study funds. This is done in the Financial Aid Office of the Law School. Work-study funding significantly reduces the cost of employment at the Law School and permits more students to be employed. Students who do receive an offer of employment at the school must complete appointment papers prior to the start of their employment. Students will need to bring appropriate documents to verify their employment eligibility. To find out what documents are required for employment, as well as any questions regarding the student appointment process, questions may be directed to Law School Human Resources ( 481 Myron Taylor Hall or at 1-607-255-4299)

Public Interest Opportunities, Including Volunteer and Pro Bono

Term-time pro bono opportunities with various organizations are available. The Director of Public Interest and Community Engagement offers support for students to assist legal services providers during Spring Break or work with local legal services organizations to serve the community. In addition, the Career Development Office administers the Frank H. T. Rhodes and the Rubinstein Fellowships. These fellowships provide up to two years of post-graduate paid opportunities to new Cornell Law School J.D. graduates who, in partnership with nonprofit organizations, create projects to further the delivery of legal services to underserved communities. Contact the Career Development Office by email, (128 Hughes Hall, or at 1-607- 255-3597) for more information.

Employment for Spouses/Partners

Due to Ithaca’s small size (30,000 plus 20,000 students), employment can be difficult to find, and spouses/partners should be prepared for a job hunt that lasts at least several months. All available positions with the University are posted and must be applied for online. Additional resources can be found on the Graduate School’s webpage for Students with Partners and Families.

Career Development for the Tech LL.M. Program

Career development for the Cornell Tech LL.M. Program is provided by the Director and Assistant Director for the Law, Technology & Entrepreneurship Program.

We are fortunate to be part of a diverse, collegial, caring university community that provides an extensive network of services, activities, and events to our students. For a comprehensive list of all such resources, please visit the Resources for Students & Campus Wellbeing website.

Wellness

Cornell Health is a nationally recognized leader in health care with an integrated approach to wellness and wellbeing. To schedule an appointment with a medical doctor or with a member of the Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) team, contact Cornell Health, by phone at 1-607-255-5155.

Campus Safety and Emergency Preparedness

The Cornell University Police Department (CUPD) enforces Cornell safety procedures as well as local, state, and federal laws on campus. CUPD offers various services and programs to advance the safety and security of all Cornell University community members. Learn more about CUPD’s programs at the CUPD website. CUPD is based in Barton Hall and may be reached at (1-607-255-1111).

Imminent Threat to Safety of the Community

Cornell community members receive Cornell ALERT emergency messages on the mobile phone number listed in their personal contact information. We encourage all members of the Cornell community to enter a mobile phone number in their personal records, so they receive these important alert messages. Learn more at the Emergency Management website.

Disability Services

Cornell offers disability services through the Student Disability Services office website. Law students who feel that they may need special accommodations due to a permanent or temporary disability should make an appointment with the Dean of Students Office when they enroll or, if later, as soon as the disability arises. A copy of the Law School’s procedures for arranging disability accommodations is available here. All final decisions about academic accommodations for law students enrolled in law courses are made by the Administrative Committee. Please review the policy now as the process of applying for and arranging accommodations is individualized, thoughtful, and thorough and, as such, can be quite time-consuming.

Students with questions regarding available services should contact the Director of Student Disability Services by email.

Cornell Dining

Cornell’s Campus Life Dining has earned a reputation as one of the best dining services in the country. It offers a wide variety of meal plans, ranging from lunches only, Monday through Friday, to a full-board plan. A variety of Campus Life meal plans for graduate and professional students can be found here. These plans allows for cash-free purchasing at any Campus Life dining facility.

For further information, including hours of operation for Campus Life dining facilities, contact the Campus Life Dining Office website (201 Robert Purcell Community Center, or at 1-607-255-8582).