Cleveland State University (CSU) is a public research university in Cleveland, Ohio, United States. It was established in 1964 and opened for classes in 1965 after acquiring the entirety of Fenn College, a private school that had been in operation since 1923. CSU absorbed the Cleveland-Marshall School of Law in 1969. Today it is part of the University System of Ohio, has more than 120,000 alumni, and offers over 200 academic programs amongst eight colleges. It is classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity".

Cleveland State University College of Law traces its origins to Cleveland Law School, founded in 1897, which merged in 1946 with the John Marshall School of Law to become Cleveland-Marshall Law School. It is accredited by the American Bar Association and is a member of the Association of American Law Schools.