News + Events

The Monday Morning Message took a brief summer hiatus, but it’s back just in time to welcome back all our students! Today is the first day of classes.

To ensure everyone’s safety, masks will be required at all times inside all CSU facilities for all students, faculty, staff and visitors, regardless of vaccination status, because of the dangerous Covid-19 Delta Variant. Weather permitting, we plan to hold as many of our law school events outside as possible and practical. Unvaccinated individuals are strongly encouraged to wear masks outdoors when they cannot practice physical distancing. Of course, we also strongly encourage all our students, faculty, and staff to get fully vaccinated. The great news is that, with a few exceptions, all classes will be in person for the first time since March 2020.

This past week, we held an orientation for our 1L class. Next week’s Monday Morning Message will include a recap of the week’s events, but this morning, I want to tell you some things about our first year class, the Class of 2024. They are pursuing their dream by living, working, and studying a few years of their life like most people won’t, so they can spend the rest of their life like most people can’t.

Thanks to the very hard, unrelenting work of our cross-department admissions team led by Assistant Dean Barbara Andelman, we enrolled an exceptional class of JD students. I also want to thank the other members of the team: Amy Miller, Gina Huffman, Jill Johnson, and Elaine Terman, for their unwavering dedication to bringing in these very talented first-year students.

Thanks also to Associate Dean Carolyn Broering-Jacobs, Professor Mark Sundahl, Chair of the Admissions Committee, and Professor Deborah Geier, Chair of the Legal Career Opportunity Program (LCOP) Committee, all of whom worked very closely with Assistant Dean Andelman.

Thanks to the efforts of Julie DiBiasio, Director of Graduate Studies and Professional Development, and Professors John Plecnik, Brian Ray, and Milena Sterio, we also enrolled a new class of Master of Legal Studies (MLS) students and LL.M. students. I will tell you more about those great students in a future Monday Morning Message.

JD Class of 2024 By the Numbers: 

• 81% full-time/19% part-time 
• 58% took off at least one year after college before coming to law school 
• 56% women/44% men 
• 64% are the first law student in their family
• 19% are the first college graduate in their family 
• Average age: 26 (ranging from 19 to 62) 
• 25 students have children
• 19 married, 3 engaged 
• 16 are C|M|LAW legacies
• 4 1Ls have served in the military 

Geography: 

• The entering class represents 16 different states, with 2 students from Canada 
• 19% are from outside of Ohio 

Academics: 

• 62 different undergraduate institutions represented
• 46 different majors represented
• 17 have advanced degrees
• 5 students are Honors/Scholars graduates of Cleveland State University 

Prior work experience: 

Our 1L students come with a wide range of work experience, including: 

• Army infantry officer
• Critical care nurse 
• Cross country coach 
• Financial crime analyst
• Owner of yoga studio and baby store
• Options trader
• Winery Sous Chef
• Sportscaster in TV news for 34 years
• HIV/AIDS physician/breast cancer focused oncologist
• Police dispatcher 
• Researcher, public policy think tank
• Board member, family-founded mentoring program for youth who suffer from a life crisis
• Waiter, bartender, landscaper, dog walker, cheese monger, and rock band member (that’s one student!)

Please welcome our very talented Class of 2024!

Stay safe. Stay healthy. Stay Committed to Living Justice.

Have a great day. Have a great week.