This June, the CUNY School of Law will have its grand opening for its new building in Court Square, in Long Island City. The construction was announced in 2009 and it will provide the school with an extra 70,000-square-feet of space that is just steps from the MTA subway and bus lines, the New York State Supreme Court building and the Long Island Rail Road.
“A move to this terrific location will greatly enhance our ability to carry out our mission to diversify the legal profession and to train the next generation of public interest lawyers,” said CUNY School of Law Dean Michelle Anderson. “With its greater centrality, our mission will be enhanced by our closer proximity to the public interest community and to our clients.”
The law school was utilizing three floors in Flushing and will now occupy six floors of a 14-story green building. The school will also have condominium ownership of their space while the remainder of the building will be owned by Citigroup. The new building is located at 2 Court Square and has been LEED gold certified. This makes it one of the greenest law schools in the United States.
“By moving to 2 Court Square, we will advance our commitment to be a more environmentally friendly law school,” Anderson said. “Our commitment to remain in Queens and to serve the poor here is unwavering,” she said. “The new, highly accessible site will put us in a better position to serve both those in Queens and a greater number of individuals and families throughout the five boroughs.”
State Senator Mike Gianaris, a Democrat from Astoria, said, “The construction of CUNY Law School’s new facility in Long Island City is a tremendous addition to a neighborhood that continues to emerge as a hub for jobs, revenue and economic development. The additional students, faculty and visitors will bring more jobs, create new business incentives and increase revenue here.”
The reaction about the new building and location is not coming just from politicians but also from students such as Thomas Mennecke.
“Change for the better is a great thing, and like the new Yankee Stadium, we’ll just bring the memories and history with us,” Mennecke said. “Being part of Long Island City’s exciting reconstruction is just perfect for CUNY Law, and our new location will situate us perfectly for fulfilling our mission in the service of human needs.”
With the building being so close to all of the transportation options, it was an easy decision to construct where the school decided to do so.
“I’m excited not to have to deal with crowds and buses in Flushing,” said student Stacey Silliman. “The new location should be much more convenient.”
The new location will open for classes this summer.