LEARN LAW. LIVE JUSTICE.
Specialty Areas
Business Law
Civil Litigation
Civil Rights
Criminal Justice
Corporate Compliance
Cybersecurity and Data Privacy
Employment and Labor Law
Environmental Law
Family Law
First Amendment Law
EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING CLINICS
Appellate Practice Clinic
Represent clients in appellate proceedings before state and federal courts and tribunals, including Ohio’s Eighth District Court of Appeals, the Supreme Court of Ohio, the Board of Immigration Appeals, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, and the United States Supreme Court.
David H. Braff Animal Law Clinic
Students gain transferable practical legal skills in litigation, legislative, and regulatory initiatives while working to provide a wide range of justice for animals. Projects may involve prosecution of animal abuse cases; curbing puppy mills, dog fighting, and roadside circus abuses; and fighting against wildlife, exotic, and farmed animal abuses.
Civil Litigation Clinic
Represent clients in a range of cases before courts and administrative agencies, such as:
Immigration Law
International and Comparative Law
Intellectual Property
Entertainment and Sports Law
Health Law
Human Rights
Social Justice
Space Law
Tax Law
Trusts and Estates
• Asylum and immigration
• Civil rights including 1st amendment and equal protection
• Employment and employment discrimination
• Wage and hour disputes
• Unemployment compensation
• Fair housing and landlord tenant
• Consumer concerns
• Breach of contract
• Civil stalking protection orders
• Mediation
• Ex-offender reentry
Community Advocacy Clinic
Assist our community’s most vulnerable populations with:
• Public benefits
• Expungement
• Name change
• Child support
• Consumer advocacy
• Community development
• Human trafficking
Pardon, Clemency & Reentry Clinic
Help indigent individuals continue to redefine themselves and their futures after a criminal conviction. Under the Supervision of the Director, represent individual clients seeking pardon or clemency from the Ohio governor, represent individuals seeking expungement of prior convictions, and/or assist in petitions for other postconviction relief.
Terry Gilbert Wrongful Conviction Clinic
Contribute to the representation of clients pursuing claims of wrongful conviction or wrongful sentencing and seeking acquittal, new trial, new sentencing, or other appropriate relief.
Pretrial Justice Clinic
Contribute toward a significant need for effective legal representation for indigent defendants at this early but pivotal stage in the criminal justice process. Working with the office of the County Public Defender, students develop critical lawyering skills, such as client interviews, oral advocacy and pretrial motion practice, as they work to secure pretrial release as clients’ cases move from the municipal court system to the county court of common pleas.
Transactional Law Clinic
Work on the kinds of issues that you’ll be handling in the real world as a business lawyer:
• Tax
• Corporate governance
• Environmental law
• Real estate
• Corporate policies
• Compliance with federal and state laws
• Entity selection and formation
• Minimizing risk through advice on institutional policies and practices
• Contract drafting
• Intellectual property advice and filings
EXTERNSHIPS
By observing legal proceedings and contributing to the work of a legal office, students receive broad exposure to the legal system. Externship placements include:
• Judicial chambers
• Federal, state and local governmental agencies
• Non-profit and public interest organizations
• Corporate legal offices
AN INNOVATIVE CURRICULUM
Short-term, practice-based experiences provide the flexibility to address pressing current legal issues by undertaking projects for private, public, and non-profit entities. Pop-up practicums have included:
• Conviction Integrity Unit
• Mental Health Court
• Cleveland Police Commission
• First Amendment advice and advocacy
• Ohio Criminal Rules revision
• Domestic violence safe leave
• Court Watch Project
CENTER FOR CYBERSECURITY & PRIVACY PROTECTION
Nationally recognized for innovation, the Center offers a multidisciplinary curriculum that integrates law, business and technology.
• Certificate in Cybersecurity and Data Privacy
• IAPP Westin Scholar Program.
WILLIAM I. WEISBERG CENTER FOR HEALTH LAW & POLICY
• The Center offers certificates in health care law and health care compliance.
• The Center’s health law program is the only one in Ohio that is accredited by the Compliance Certification Board.
GLOBAL SPACE LAW CENTER
• First U.S. law school research center dedicated exclusively to the law of outer space.
• Online space law course.
• Practical learning for public and private sector jobs including regulating air and space travel, satellites, and telecommunication.s
CRIMINAL JUSTICE CENTER
• Concentration in Criminal Law
• Externships include 8th District Court of Appeals, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, City of Cleveland Prosecutor’s Office, Ohio Attorney General, Federal Public Defender Office, Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office, U.S. Attorney’s Office.
DAVID H. BRAFF ANIMAL LAW CLINIC
• Launched in 2024, the David H. Braff Animal Law Center is the only center of its kind in the Midwest.
• The Center provides a broad range of legal services to protect and enhance animal welfare.
P. KELLY TOMPKINS
LEADERSHIP & LAW PROGRAM
One of the first programs in the country that trains lawyer-leaders by providing leadership education, skills training, and mentoring to law students.
• Law and Leadership course
• Leader Conversation series
• Leaders-in-Residence
• Leadership and Law Certificate
INTERNATIONAL LAW CENTER
• Annual conference plus targeted workshops and expert speaker series connecting students with leading international law practitioners and scholars.
• Assist with preparing graduates to work at law firms, corporations, NGOs, US Government agencies, and international organizations like the UN on both private and public international law matters.
• Students engage in cutting-edge research addressing global legal challenges alongside faculty experts.
I NTELLECTUAL PROPERTY & ENTREPRENEURSHIP CENTER
• Certificate in Intellectual Property Law
• Our annual IP+ Conference invites nationwide distinguished speakers on intellectual property law, innovation, startup law, medtech, sports, arts, & entertainment. Past speakers have included Federal Circuit Judge Kathleen O’Malley, the Commissioner of Patents Vaishali Udupa, and Chief Legal Officer of Lenovo and former President of Eastman Kodak Laura Quatela.
• IP Fellows Program, which connects students to local mentors.
• Thriving IP student group, IPTA, which hosts speakers and tip sessions on topics like the patent bar exam, employment opportunities, and more.
• Employers nationwide hire IP students at law firms, in-house, and in government. Especially for those entering patent law, students can aim for trial litigation opportunities, great job prospects, and often higher salaries than other practice areas.
ASK US
law.admissions@csuohio.edu csulaw.org
216.687.2304
Toll Free 1.866.687.2304
STATEMENT OF COMMITMENT
Cleveland State University’s Statement of Commitment can be found at: csuohio.edu/united
CONNECT
WITH US
Colleges and Universities represented by the 2025 entering class.
Adrian College
Allegheny College
American Public University System
Arizona State University
Baldwin Wallace University
Bowling Green State University
Brigham Young University
California State University
Long Beach
California State University
Northridge
California State University
Sacramento
Case Western Reserve University
Cleveland State University
College of Wooster
Colorado College
Colorado State University
East Tennessee State University
Evergreen State College
Gannon University
Georgia Gwinnett College
Georgia State University
Grambling State University
Hamilton College
Hofstra University
Hope College
Illinois College
Indiana University
Purdue University
Indiana Wesleyan University
Instituto Tecnologico De Aguascalientes
John Carroll University
John Jay Coll of Criminal Justice
Kent State University
Kenyon College
Lake Erie College
Lakeland University
Long Island University
Longwood University
Loyola University
Miami University Oxford
Michigan State University
Molloy University
Morris Brown College
Northern Arizona University
Notre Dame College
Oberlin College
Ohio State University
Ohio University
Oregon State University
Park University
Pennsylvania State University
Purdue University Global
Rutgers The State University
Rutgers University
School of Arts & Sciences
Saint Louis University
Samford University
Southern Methodist University
Southern New Hampshire
University
St. John’s University
Suny The College at Brockport
Texas Southern University
Texas State University
The University of Texas at Austin
Thomas Edison State University
Tiffin University
Troy University
United States Coast Guard Academy
DUAL DEGREE PROGRAMS
• JD/MBA (Master of Business Administration)
Univ of Illinois at Springfield
University of Maryland
University of Akron
University of California
University of Central Florida
University of Central Oklahoma
University of Cincinnati
University of Dayton
University of Georgia
University of Guelph
University of Illinois
University of Kentucky
University of Louisville
University of Michigan
University of Nevada
University of Pittsburgh
University of South Carolina
University of South Florida
University of Southern Indiana
University of Toledo
University of Washington
University of Wisconsin
Madison
University of Wisconsin
Whitewater
Vanderbilt University
Waldorf College
Walsh University
Washburn University
West Virginia University
Western Governors University
Western Michigan University
Wichita State University
Xavier University
Youngstown State University
• JD/MPA (Master of Public Administration)
• JD/MUPD (Master of Urban Planning and Development)
• JD/MSES (Master of Science in Environmental Science)
FLEXIBLE OPTIONS
• Full-time in-person
• Part-time day in-person
• Part-time online
SCHOLARSHIPS
• All applicants will be considered for merit-based scholarships. Apply early for priority consideration.
• Limited scholarships available for the online program
TUITION 2025-2026
• Full-year full time tuition & fees (In-person program)
$31,566.60 (IN-STATE)
$31,666.70 (OUT-OF-STATE)
Out-of-state students pay the same tuition as in-state students, plus a $50 per-semester instructional fee surcharge, as required by state law.
• Part-time per credit hour tuition & fees
$1,214.10 (IN-STATE, IN-PERSON)
$1,214.10 (IN-STATE, ONLINE)
$1,217.95 (OUT-OF-STATE, IN-PERSON)
$1,215.10 (OUT-OF-STATE, ONLINE)