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The CUNY School of Law, located at Queens College, is not simply recognized for its motto, “Law in the service of human needs,” but its ranking in the notable 2008 Princeton Review.

“Every student is actively doing something and is engaged in substantial issues in society,” said Ali Najmi, third-year law student at the school. “People enroll here because of the mission. That’s the first thing.”

The college was ranked top 10 in Princeton Review’s “Most Diverse Faculty” and “Most Welcoming of Older Students” lists this year.

“We’re very proud of that. Our mission is to have our students graduate with outstanding public interest service to enhance diversity in the legal profession,” said Michelle J. Anderson, dean of CUNY School of Law.

Admitting he “wasn’t surprised” when learning about the school’s ranking in the Princeton Review, Najmi credited the mission at hand. “I think the CUNY School of Law has a serious, ambitious mission. There isn’t another law school where the dominant culture of the students is to produce social change in underprivileged communities. No other place has a culture like it.”

Trained by the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund, Najmi analyzes situations at given poll sites when officials may disenfranchise potential voters.

“For example, if an immigrant attempts to participate in any voting process, they may be asked to prove their citizenship, which is completely illegal,” said Najmi, 24, who comes from a South Asian background. “I am heavily involved in registering Asian American voters in southern Queens to participate in the elections.”

As the institution reaches out to “people of color, immigrant communities and other diverse communities,” human resource officials of the CUNY School of Law have made efforts to reach out to a few organizations to name, such as the NAACP and the Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund to secure candidates as potential faculty members.

“The fact that we have a diverse student body, we have to reflect that through our teachers. We’re always looking for ways to diversify our staff,” said Anderson, a former law professor at Villanova University who is presently serving her third year as dean.

“The dean is doing a good job [with the program]. The school is developing at the pace it should,” said Najmi, recognizing the CUNY School of Law’s 25 years in existence.

As the CUNY School of Law welcomes older students to its institution, Najmi emphasizes how pertinent factors intertwine with the mission.

“We do things for older people. The law school provides daycare. Because people are older, they have families and children,” he said. “The daycare system supports the single mother.”

The CUNY School of Law, at $10,000 a year, supports students who want to take a stand in public interest, said Najmi.

“How can you take a role in public interest work if you’re in debt? Nonprofit organizations don’t tend to pay as much. If you’re in debt you’re going to want a higher paying job. Because the tuition is affordable at the CUNY School of Law, students don’t have to do that,” said Najmi.

Both Anderson and Najmi agree the CUNY School of Law’s ranking is broader than the Princeton Review.

“We believe in the Constitution and making the values and principles a reality, especially for the underprivileged,” Najmi said.