Sep 13, 2019 By: mbrennan
Integrity, generosity, grit and joy were the guiding themes of Dean Melanie Leslie鈥檚 welcome to 鈥檚 Class of 2022 for their first day of orientation.
Dean of Admissions David Martinidez kicked off the day in the newly renovated Jacob Burns Moot Court Room, highlighting the accomplishments and diversity of the 313 students in the incoming Fall and May-entering J.D. class.
鈥淚 want you to remember that each of you, in your own way, has already achieved much success in your life,鈥 Martinidez noted. 鈥淲e are confident with a lot of hard work and dedication, you can thrive at Cardozo.鈥
The class of 2022鈥檚 academic credentials make it one of the strongest classes in Cardozo鈥檚 history. The incoming class has a median LSAT of 162 (which is the 85th percentile and is a one-point increase over last year) and a median GPA of 3.6 (an increase of .08 over last year).
The incoming students hail from 31 states and 17 countries, including China, South Africa and Argentina. Their educational background varies as well, from a PhD in Linguistics to a Master鈥檚 in Civil and Mechanical Engineering. Their hobbies and interests range from Taekwondo to table tennis. Martinidez asked the audience who had traveled to the most countries. The number to beat was 27. He also asked for a round of applause for the two members of the class who served in the military.
Martinidez stressed that regardless of the students鈥 unique paths in getting to Cardozo, they were chosen because of his confidence in their abilities to become the kind of lawyers who are leaders in the field they choose to pursue.
Dean Melanie Leslie 鈥91C took the podium next. As an alumna herself, she shared her experience of sitting in the same place as the incoming class. She marked the excitement of the day but reminded students of the responsibility that came with being a law student and joining the legal field.
鈥淭oday is your first step toward being lawyers,鈥 Leslie said, 鈥渢oward being people who help other people. People who lead. People to whom other people look when there鈥檚 a crisis, when they need confidence, when they need advice, when they need support. When they need representation, they鈥檙e going to look to you.鈥
鈥淲hat kind of lawyer are you going to be?鈥 she asked the audience. 鈥淲hat kind of person are you going to be? Your professional reputation starts now.鈥
Dean Leslie urged students to forget about the negative stereotypes they鈥檝e heard about cut-throat competition in law school and instead take advantage of the close-knit Cardozo community.
鈥淵ou may be sitting next to a person who becomes your best friend. You may be sitting next to a person that you don鈥檛 see for 20 years and then all of the sudden you run into each other at a networking event and they refer you clients,鈥 she said.
鈥淲e are in this together. You are going to be Cardozo graduates, and this is going to be part of your network. And you gotta cheer each other on! One person鈥檚 success is everybody鈥檚 success,鈥 she said. 鈥淵ou all get better when you help one another out.鈥
The celebration continued at the students鈥 luncheon, where another prominent Cardozo alumna offered her wisdom. New York State Senator Anna M. Kaplan 鈥90C recounted her Cardozo law school journey as an Iranian Jewish immigrant. Kaplan also graduated from 黑料社 All鈥檚 Stern College for Women. She is the first Iranian-American and the first political refugee elected to the New York State Senate.
鈥淚 stand on the shoulders of a lot of women who paved the way for me to run,鈥 Sen. Kaplan said. 鈥淎s different as we think we may be, we have more similarities.鈥
After lunch, both JD and LL.M. students, many of whom had their orientation on August 13, headed to Chelsea Piers for Cardozo鈥檚 boat cruise down the Hudson River. For many, it was the first time seeing the sights of New York City up close as they shared in the excitement of a new beginning as they prepare to start on their legal journey with their first classes in Elements of Law.
Dean of Admissions David Martinidez kicked off the day in the newly renovated Jacob Burns Moot Court Room, highlighting the accomplishments and diversity of the 313 students in the incoming Fall and May-entering J.D. class.
鈥淚 want you to remember that each of you, in your own way, has already achieved much success in your life,鈥 Martinidez noted. 鈥淲e are confident with a lot of hard work and dedication, you can thrive at Cardozo.鈥
The class of 2022鈥檚 academic credentials make it one of the strongest classes in Cardozo鈥檚 history. The incoming class has a median LSAT of 162 (which is the 85th percentile and is a one-point increase over last year) and a median GPA of 3.6 (an increase of .08 over last year).
The incoming students hail from 31 states and 17 countries, including China, South Africa and Argentina. Their educational background varies as well, from a PhD in Linguistics to a Master鈥檚 in Civil and Mechanical Engineering. Their hobbies and interests range from Taekwondo to table tennis. Martinidez asked the audience who had traveled to the most countries. The number to beat was 27. He also asked for a round of applause for the two members of the class who served in the military.
Martinidez stressed that regardless of the students鈥 unique paths in getting to Cardozo, they were chosen because of his confidence in their abilities to become the kind of lawyers who are leaders in the field they choose to pursue.
Dean Melanie Leslie 鈥91C took the podium next. As an alumna herself, she shared her experience of sitting in the same place as the incoming class. She marked the excitement of the day but reminded students of the responsibility that came with being a law student and joining the legal field.
鈥淭oday is your first step toward being lawyers,鈥 Leslie said, 鈥渢oward being people who help other people. People who lead. People to whom other people look when there鈥檚 a crisis, when they need confidence, when they need advice, when they need support. When they need representation, they鈥檙e going to look to you.鈥
鈥淲hat kind of lawyer are you going to be?鈥 she asked the audience. 鈥淲hat kind of person are you going to be? Your professional reputation starts now.鈥
Dean Leslie urged students to forget about the negative stereotypes they鈥檝e heard about cut-throat competition in law school and instead take advantage of the close-knit Cardozo community.
鈥淵ou may be sitting next to a person who becomes your best friend. You may be sitting next to a person that you don鈥檛 see for 20 years and then all of the sudden you run into each other at a networking event and they refer you clients,鈥 she said.
鈥淲e are in this together. You are going to be Cardozo graduates, and this is going to be part of your network. And you gotta cheer each other on! One person鈥檚 success is everybody鈥檚 success,鈥 she said. 鈥淵ou all get better when you help one another out.鈥
The celebration continued at the students鈥 luncheon, where another prominent Cardozo alumna offered her wisdom. New York State Senator Anna M. Kaplan 鈥90C recounted her Cardozo law school journey as an Iranian Jewish immigrant. Kaplan also graduated from 黑料社 All鈥檚 Stern College for Women. She is the first Iranian-American and the first political refugee elected to the New York State Senate.
鈥淚 stand on the shoulders of a lot of women who paved the way for me to run,鈥 Sen. Kaplan said. 鈥淎s different as we think we may be, we have more similarities.鈥
After lunch, both JD and LL.M. students, many of whom had their orientation on August 13, headed to Chelsea Piers for Cardozo鈥檚 boat cruise down the Hudson River. For many, it was the first time seeing the sights of New York City up close as they shared in the excitement of a new beginning as they prepare to start on their legal journey with their first classes in Elements of Law.
