“I have received more from C|M|LAW than I could have imagined…..I wanted a school with good bar passage ratings, good job placement, and a good reputation in the community. C|M|LAW has all of these, but also offers tons of networking events and their graduates give back to the current students.” -Rachelle Summers, J.D. Candidate, 2019, Women's Student Law Association, Vice President, Moot Court
“I love C|M|LAW because of the people: the professors are consistently phenomenal, the administration and library staff are so supportive, and my fellow classmates have become my family. In speaking with students from other schools, I can proudly say that C|M|LAW offers us so much in preparation for our future professions. I am so grateful for this experience.” – Mary Walsh, J.D. Candidate, 2021, Cleveland State Law Review
“I love C|M|LAW because it has challenged me to analyze the world through a different lens. I have thoroughly enjoyed interacting with fellow students, faculty, staff, and alumni who feel a common sense of pride in our school.” – Brian Jacobson, J.D. Candidate, 2021
Recruiting talented students for our Fall 2019 class is our highest priority over the next 60 days. The competition between law schools for the most talented students has never been more competitive.
When a student is admitted to Cleveland-Marshall, they have been chosen from a large, highly competitive pool of applicants because of their unique combination of achievement and potential for success. We don’t take their enrollment for granted. We know that they likely have choices between us and other fine law schools.
So why choose us? I urge each prospective and admitted student to ask these questions before they make one of the most important decisions of their life.
- Is the law school on the rise or does it rest on its laurels?
- Does the faculty take the time to get to know their students and provide individualized attention and support? Do the Dean, faculty, and staff have an open door for every student?
- Does the legal education and training focus not only on making you a great lawyer but also a great leader? Is the faculty involved in the community? Does the faculty have a national reputation not only for scholarship and teaching but also for leadership on important legal and social justice issues? Is the curriculum aligned with the rapidly changing legal market?
- Does the law school have a strong partnership with the community and employers that creates great opportunities for internships, jobs, and careers? Is the alumni network strong, extensive, and loyal? Are the alumni willing to go out of their wayto help the law school and its students succeed?
You won’t be surprised that I chose questions for which the answer is a clear ‘YES’ with respect to C|M|LAW.
We stand out for our outstanding faculty, ethos of social justice, affordable tuition, state-of-the art facilities, thriving downtown university campus, practical hands-on experiential opportunities, and groundbreaking programs.
- We are a law school on the rise. We’re proud of our first-in-Ohio bar passage rate (93%), our first-in-Ohio ranked part-time program, our fourth-largest-in-the-nation increase in the national rankings, and last year’s unprecedented 30% increase in enrollment. See infographic in my signature below.
- We are a law school that is student-centered. Here students will find open doors and open minds and a level of accessibility, support, encouragement, and interaction that many law schools don’t offer.
- We are a law school that not only makes great lawyers, we make great leaders. Our faculty members are not only great scholars and teachers, they are engaged leaders. Every week our faculty is in the news. We not only teach substantive law but also focus on skills such as critical thinking, practical problem solving, initiative, creativity, optimism, empathy, teamwork, client relations, project management, and the ability to listen. See our C|M|LAW P. Kelly Tompkins Leadership and Law Program, C|M|LAW Dean's Leadership Fellows Program, and our CMLAW Leader-in- Residence Program.
- We are a law school committed to the principle of “Learn Law. Live Justice.” Our C|M|LAW Hall of Fame roster of judges, lawyers, business and nonprofit leaders, and public servants reads like a Who’s Who of lawyer/leaders. We consistently have been the law school for many women and men who have broken gender, race, ethnic, economic, and generational barriers to make change and advance progress in social justice and public service.
- We are a law school that looks around corners. We are an iconic law school but we do not rest on our 122 years of laurels. We anticipate where the world is going and do our best to get there early. Emerging and fast-evolving technologies, such as blockchain, artificial intelligence and cybersecurity, have companies and law firms scrambling for legal talent that understands technology. We are educating that talent. See our C|M|LAW Tech Lab, C|M|LAW Center for Cybersecurity and Privacy Protection, C|M|LAW Criminal Justice Center, C|MLAW Health Law and Policy Center, C|M|LAW Global Space Law Center, C|M|LAW Solo Practice Incubator, technologically advanced Trial Courtroom and Rawson Learning Commons, and the region’s first C|MLAW Master of Legal Studies Program.
- We are a law school without walls. We often use the city as our classroom. Our exceptionally wide, loyal alumni network and strong community partnerships provide exceptional opportunities for our legal clinics, symposia, and guest lectures, and our students’ internships, jobs, and careers.
- We are your law school for life. Our message to our students is ‘hello’ not only when they enter C|M|LAW, but also when they graduate. At graduation, we don’t say ‘goodbye.’ We are committed to their lifelong success.
This Week’s Monday Moment: Choice, Happiness, and Spaghetti Sauce
Have a great day. Have a great week.
My best,
Lee
Have a great week.