Syracuse University College of Law

As an integral component of a major research university, the College is heavily invested in exposing law students to interdisciplinary educational opportunities. In addition to courses throughout the law curriculum, the College of Law features interdisciplinary institutes and centers that are among the national leaders in their fields.

Institute for Security Policy and Law (SPL)

Housed in the College of Law and partnered with Syracuse University’s Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, the Syracuse University Institute for Security Policy and Law offers certificates of advanced study in national security and counterterrorism law, security studies, and post-conflict reconstruction (PCR) that prepare the next generation of practitioners and policymakers to enter the fields of national security, homeland security, intelligence, military law, and more.

SPL's collaborative research projects and initiatives have shaped law and policy dialogues since 2003. The Institute continues to evolve its mission and expand its programs to meet shifting geopolitical and legal patterns, as well as the needs of law and graduate students building careers in the various security sectors.

SPL places a special emphasis on forming partnerships with national and international academic and professional institutions to advance common research and project goals. Research and other projects are also often conducted on behalf of, or in consultation with, government agencies and other public or non-governmental entities that help facilitate a direct public service. Ongoing projects engage Islam and international humanitarian law, foreign terrorist fighters, the domestic use of drones, cybersecurity and international law, securing critical infrastructure, civil-military relations, post-conflict justice and capacity-building, and post-service welfare and education of military veterans.

Innovation Law Center (ILC)

The Innovation Law Center (ILC) offers a unique, interdisciplinary experiential learning program for students interested in the commercial development of new technologies.

ILC educates students on the technical, legal, and business aspects involved in bringing new technologies to market. This experiential education provides a solid foundation for careers in a number of settings, including law firms, corporations, government agencies, tech transfer offices, and consulting and investing firms.

Students have completed hundreds of research projects on real technologies on behalf of universities, federal research laboratories, technology development organizations, businesses, and entrepreneurs. Opportunities are available for student financial support, including scholarships and paid senior research associate positions with the affiliated New York State Science & Technology Law Center (see below).

In 2004, Syracuse University College of Law was designated as the New York State Science and Technology Law Center (NYS STLC). This prestigious designation recognizes the College of Law’s extensive experience in the field of technology commercialization law and practice. As the NYS STLC designee, the College of Law’s goal is to help New York state become a world leader in the commercialization of new technologies and in the creation of new jobs.

In the Technology Commercialization Research Center, students work in teams to research and analyze alternative strategies for commercializing early-stage technologies on behalf of universities and federal laboratories, as well as large, medium, small, and start-up companies. ILC students are actively involved in the work of the NYS STLC—organizing statewide conferences, developing education materials, preparing technology assessment reports, performing legal research, and providing consulting services to research center directors and technology entrepreneurs.

Disability Law and Policy Program

The Disability Law and Policy Program (DLPP) houses the nation’s first Joint Degree Program in Law and Disability Studies, a Curricular Program in Disability Law and Policy, and the Disability Rights Clinic as well as disability-related summer and semester-long externships in New York and Washington, DC.

DLPP is the most extensive disability-related law school program in the United States. Students who participate in this program often go on to jobs in the areas of disability, education, special education, children’s rights, civil rights, labor, employment, trusts and estates, and international human rights law. Graduates of DLPP now work for federal and state government agencies, private law firms, domestic and international non-governmental organizations, public interest law offices, legal services offices, school districts, policy organizations and think tanks.

JDinteractive is taught by Syracuse University College of Law faculty to the same high standards as Syracuse’s residential J.D. program. JDi is an ABA-accredited, online J.D. program designed for students who desire a high-caliber legal education with substantial flexibility. The program combines real-time, live online class sessions with self-paced instruction, on-campus courses, and experiential learning opportunities.

Some of the advantages of studying law through JDinteractive:

• Earn your law degree from Syracuse University College of Law, an internationally recognized law school with world-class faculty and a strong alumni network.
• Engage in active learning with online courses that are a fine-tuned mix of live sessions and interactive self-paced ones.
• Make meaningful connections with other J.D. students, including by participating in student organizations such as the Student Bar Association and Syracuse Law Review.
• Get practical experience before you graduate with our supervised externship program.
• Earn the same J.D. degree as residential J.D. students.

Students who desire a greater degree of specialization may select from a number of joint degree opportunities. In a joint degree program, a student concurrently pursues a JD and master’s degree. Joint degree programs are structured to enable students to earn both degrees in substantially less time than would be required to earn each degree separately. Joint degree students are charged College of Law tuition rates only, essentially being offered the opportunity to earn two advanced degrees for the price of one.

Formal joint-degree programs exist in public administration, international relations, business administration or accounting, public communications, forensic science, forest and natural resource management (with SUNY ESF), education (disability studies), social work, and more.

Earn credit and develop professional relationships while working in premier placements across the country. Our robust opportunities provide the flexibility you need to tailor your experience to your career goals. While externships are offered throughout the country, major hubs include:

• Washington, DC: Building on Syracuse Law’s tremendous alumni network and commitment to experiential learning, our Semester in Washington, DC Program combines professional experience with a unique weekly seminar to develop an understanding of how lawyers function in our nation’s capital. Externship placements allow students to work as part of a legal team in a variety of different private and nonprofit environments. In a weekly seminar taught by a Syracuse Law faculty member, students study legal issues specific to DC practice and write a substantive research paper on a topic related to the externship experience.
• London, United Kingdom: Syracuse University College of Law proudly offers one of the nation’s longest-running legal externship programs in London, where students learn from London’s leading legal practitioners. During an eight-week summer experience, students gain international exposure to clients, partner with professionals for personalized mentoring, and enjoy boundless cultural opportunities in one of the world’s most dynamic cities.
• Philadelphia, PA: During a semester in Philadelphia, students can gain experience with public defenders, public interest agencies, companies, and private law firms.
• Central New York (CNY):  Students gain hands-on lawyering experience working with attorneys in real office settings, including judicial, government, public interest, and law firm settings. Externship students improve their research, writing, and legal analysis skills while learning how to identify and adapt to the culture and practice of a law office. Seminars, presentations, and a paper are also part of the CNY Externship Program.
• New York, NY: The New York City Externship Program is a unique combination of professional experience and coursework that allows students to gain a true understanding of the lawyer’s function in a dynamic, international city. At the core of the program are externship placements that will provide students with the opportunity to work as part of a legal team in the field of their choosing, as well as biweekly seminars featuring prominent guest attorneys from a variety of fields.

Combining Syracuse Law's first-rate online classes and far-reaching Externship Program, Third Year Away enables residential students to satisfy graduation requirements with a supervised externship and by taking up to 12 credits of online courses via JDinteractive, our fully interactive, online law degree program.

JDinteractive offers an array of online courses consisting of live and self-paced class sessions taught by the College of Law faculty. The College's long-established Externship Program features placements in New York City, Philadelphia, Washington, DC, and elsewhere. Additionally, skills-focused seminars are offered either in person in some markets or online.

As externs, students gain valuable applied learning experience in judicial settings, law firms, corporate legal departments, government agencies, and non-profits.

Legal concepts learned in the classroom come to life for students who participate in the in-house clinics. Students provide much-needed legal services to our community, as many of our clients are unable to afford private counsel, under the supervision of attorney-instructors. Diverse clinical opportunities at the College of Law include:

• Bankruptcy Clinic
• Criminal Defense Clinic
• Disability Rights Clinic
• Low-Income Taxpayer Clinic
• Transactional Legal Clinic
• Veterans Legal Clinic

Syracuse Law is recognized for its exceptional advocacy programs. Syracuse students have many opportunities to develop and hone their advocacy skills—not only in class but also in intra- and inter-collegiate competitions. We offer a focused advocacy curriculum, an Advocacy Honor Society that hosts internal competitions and fields teams at competitions around the world and hosts a number of its own competitions.