CUNY Law sets record

For the second year in a row, CUNY Law has set a new standard for itself. The school recently announced that 82.75 percent of its students passed the New York State Bar Exam on their first try, the highest rate in school history. Last year’s 77 percent pass rate was the school’s former record.
Statewide, 79.1 percent of first-time test-takers pass the bar, putting CUNY above the state average for the first time in history.
Located near Queens College at 65-21 Main Street in Flushing, the school’s high pass rate shines even brighter when compared to the low rates historically associated with it. For several years, the percentage of CUNY students passing on their first try was consistently in the 60s.
CUNY Law Dean Michelle Anderson pointed to several reasons for the increase, most notably a new Bar Grant Fund that assists students with day-to-day expenses. The fund allows more students to focus on schoolwork, rather than working non-law jobs to afford living expenses.
Aside from its success with student pass rates, CUNY Law has made several positive headlines of late.
Earlier this year, it was ranked by U.S. News & World Report as one of the nation’s top 10 law schools for its clinical practice program.
The program, said Anderson, allows students to represent live clients under the supervision of a trained attorney.