The LL.M. Program
A year at Columbia Law School. An education for a lifetime.
The Columbia LL.M. Program offers unlimited opportunities for intellectual, personal, and professional growth.
Take the next step in advancing your career: Learn from innovative faculty scholars who actively respond to the most pressing challenges of our time. Deepen your current areas of expertise, discover new interests, and broaden your perspectives. Connect with fellow students, accomplished professionals who have practiced in the public and private sectors around the world. Become a New Yorker and take pride in the city that continues to be a capital of law, culture, media, advocacy, and finance. Enjoy all the resources of a prestigious, global university focused on creating the best possible student experience under any circumstances. And join a global alumni network of leaders in law, business, diplomacy, government, human rights, academia, and technology.
Columbia Law School: Your Future
Your LL.M., Your Way Areas of Study Constitutional Law, Regulation, and Public Policy Corporate, Business, and Transaction Law Criminal Justice Data Analytics Environment and Energy
Each year, Columbia Law School welcomes a cohort of intellectually curious LL.M. students with a broad range of views, backgrounds, and accomplishments. As an LL.M. candidate, you will join nearly 300 classmates from more than 50 countries who have worked in practice areas that encompass all aspects of the legal profession. Together, your experiences illuminate conversations inside and outside the classroom. The Columbia LL.M. Program is a general degree; no two students’ programs are alike. You can grow your knowledge of your current field, transition to a new practice area entirely, or explore additional areas of study that interest you in and out of the classroom. Columbia is a storied but nimble institution. Like the city we call home, the university is quick to evolve to meet the challenges of our changing world. In this global university, you will discover new ways of learning, whether in the classroom or virtually. In addition to rigorous lecture courses taught using the Socratic method, we offer thought-provoking seminars that provide an intensive focus on specialized areas and close interaction with faculty; clinics and externships that enable you to study lawyering in context by providing legal services to clients; and workshops and simulation courses that tackle real-world legal challenges in small group settings. All of these help you develop your critical thinking, advocacy, and writing skills.
Family, Gender, and Sexuality Intellectual Property and Technology International and Comparative Law Law of the Workplace Leadership Legal History Litigation and Dispute Resolution National Security and Privacy Social Justice and Human Rights
Centers and programs, including Center for Chinese Legal Studies Center for Gender and Sexuality Law
Center for International Commercial & Investment Arbitration
Center for the Advancement of Public Integrity
Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment
Columbia Center for Contemporary Critical Thought
Human Rights Institute Kernochan Center for Law, Media and the Arts
National Security Law Program Richard Paul Richman Center for Business, Law, and Public Policy Sabin Center for Climate Change Law
Your Faculty, Your Mentors Our faculty are leading scholars and experts in foundational subjects and emerging fields, from constitutional law to cybersecurity. Many have held leadership positions in governments, NGOs, and international law firms, and their advice is regularly sought by lawyers and policymakers around the world. They integrate that expertise into their teaching and interactions with students. They are devoted educators and respond to challenges—such as the need to move courses online during the pandemic— by innovating new ways to provide exceptional learning experiences. Your education will be enriched through your consistent engagement with your professors, whether meeting with them in person or virtually during office hours, serving as a research assistant, writing a scholarly paper under their supervision, or simply enjoying a coffee together. Columbia University is home to world-renowned graduate schools, and as an LL.M. student, you also may take courses at those divisions, making your degree truly interdisciplinary. An environmental lawyer can take a course on global energy policy at the School of International and Public Affairs, for example, while a corporate lawyer can take a course on managerial negotiations at the business school. Members of the Graduate Legal Studies team serve as your advisers during your LL.M. year and continue to counsel you after graduation. With decades of combined experience working with LL.M.s, we will help you tailor a program of study to your interests and career background and help you navigate the student experience. We look forward to advising you and watching your legal career flourish.
“I find it fascinating to introduce a new legal system with a different philosophy and to be part of the LL.M. students’ learning process. When I travel the world and see my former students making a major impact in their home countries, I feel very proud.” ZOHAR GOSHEN JEROME L. GREENE PROFESSOR OF TRANSACTIONAL LAW DIRECTOR OF THE CENTER FOR ISRAELI LEGAL STUDIES
Your Education, Your Experience
Real-world learning: From our extensive array of clinics and externships to new offerings in simulations, labs, and workshops, experiential learning is fully integrated into the curriculum.
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Clinics
Externships, including
Community Advocacy Lab
Copyright Dispute Resolution
Entrepreneurship and Community Development
Immigration Defense
Environmental Law
Law, Power, and Social Change
Human Rights
Lawyering for Social Justice (Pro Bono Scholars Program)
Immigrants’ Rights Lawyering in the Digital Age Mediation Sexuality and Gender Law
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Knight First Amendment Institute
Neighborhood Defender Services of Harlem Community Defense United Nations
“Before the LL.M., I worked at a financial law firm specializing in private equity, doing deals every day. I gained more knowledge of securities regulation here in 10 months than I did in six years at the firm.” AMANDA SOTTO FONTES ’18 LL.M., MEXICO, CHIEF LEGAL OFFICER AND CO-FOUNDER, PLAY BUSINESS
Your Classmates, Your Community
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Student organizations, including American Constitution Society Black Law Students Association Columbia Antitrust Law and Economics Association Columbia Business and Law Association
Committed. Entrepreneurial. Accomplished. Columbia LL.M. students demonstrate these and so many other traits of successful lawyers/ professionals full of potential, in the classroom and beyond. Being a Columbia Law School student means being fully engaged, in every possible way. You and your classmates will find ample learning opportunities outside the classroom, whether you join any of our more than 85 student organizations, attend online and in person lectures hosted by our research centers, work on a student-run journal, or form study groups with your peers. Every day, Columbia University hosts dozens of events—from panel discussions on the legal implications of advances in information technology to forums featuring world leaders in government and business—that reflect its central role in domestic and global conversations. One feature of the LL.M. Program is that most of our students choose to live either in Columbia University housing or in the neighborhood surrounding campus, enhancing both the social and the academic vitality of the LL.M. year. Living and studying with J.D.s helps foster a strong sense of community. Your classmates will become not only your friends and extended family but also your lifetime professional network.
Columbia International Arbitration Association Columbia Law and Entrepreneurship Society Columbia Law School Soccer Club Columbia Law Women’s Association Columbia Society of International Law Entertainment, Arts, and Sports Law Society Latinx Law Students Association Legal Technology Association National Security Law Society OutLaws (LGBTQ+ students) Society for Immigrant and Refugee Rights South Asian Law Students Association Student Senate
“My LL.M. year was one of the most defining moments in my life, both career-wise and also through the development of long-lasting relationships. The exposure to various course offerings has, to a larger extent, defined the trajectory of my life as a human rights lawyer.” VICTORIA MODONG TABAN ‘20 LL.M., SOUTH SUDAN HUMAN RIGHTS LAWYER
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student-run law journals in which LL.M. students participate, including
The American Review of International Arbitration
Columbia Journal of Asian Law
Columbia Journal of Gender and Law
Columbia Business Law Review
Columbia Journal of Environmental Law
Columbia Journal of Law and the Arts
Columbia Human Rights Law Review
Columbia Journal of European Law
Columbia Science and Technology Law Review
Your Campus, Your City
Columbia Law School’s location in New York City offers LL.M. students unparalleled advantages for exploration. New York is a resilient city. It perseveres and moves forward boldly—and so does Columbia. Situated in Manhattan’s historic Morningside Heights neighborhood, Columbia’s iconic campus reflects the university’s rich Ivy League tradition and spirit of the place it calls home. Nestled between Morningside and Riverside parks and intersected by the energy of Broadway, the campus is at once an intellectual hub and a tranquil home. By studying in a truly global metropolis, you will find the entire city is your classroom. A short walk or subway ride will transport you from Columbia’s lecture halls to the halls of the United Nations, the headquarters of Fortune 500 companies, the New York Stock Exchange, or the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Whether you are studying private equity, arbitration, immigration, intellectual property, or human rights, you will have the advantage of seeing legal issues unfold in real time.
“My experience at Columbia Law School allowed me to learn and grow beyond my imagination. I was even able to serve my country through my work with the Pakistan Mission to the United Nations and the Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment. And then, serving on the Student Senate in the midst of a pandemic was definitely an unforgettable challenge!” FAKHRUDDIN ALI VALIKA ‘20 LL.M., PAKISTAN INTERNATIONAL DISPUTES LAWYER
Your Career, Your Impact
Since its founding in 1858, Columbia Law School has trained future leaders in law. They have launched international law firms, advocated for civil and human rights, argued precedentsetting cases, led multinational businesses, and shaped world affairs. From Silicon Valley to São Paulo, Nairobi to New Delhi, and Brussels to Beijing, Columbia Law School graduates occupy influential roles in law, finance, academia, human rights, technology, international affairs, and the judiciary. As a graduate of the Columbia LL.M. Program, you will become part of this distinguished tradition. Whether you are seeking to further your current practice, switch fields, or something in between, our expert team of advisers in the Office of Career Services and Professional Development (private sector employment), Social Justice Initiatives (public sector employment), and Careers in Law Teaching Program (careers in academia) will guide you through individualized counseling, networking events, career fairs, résumé reviews, and mock interviews. In addition, LL.M. students are eligible for postgraduate fellowships offered through Columbia to advance their careers in the domestic and international public interest domains.
“My time at Columbia exposed me to a network of people—especially as one of the founding board members of the Columbia Law School Legal Technology Association—without which I would not be where I am today.” TOM DREYFUS ’18 LL.M., AUSTRALIA CEO AND CO-FOUNDER, JOSEF
YOUR NETWORK: MORE THAN
27,000 ALUMNI IN MORE THAN
119
COUNTRIES
Contact Us
We invite you to learn more about Columbia Law School. A member of our team will gladly answer your questions and provide more insight into the Law School experience, including information about classes, the campus, and other student resources. Visit our website for our current office hours and comprehensive information about the program. We also encourage you to explore our blog, which contains firsthand accounts of life as an LL.M. student. Check the LL.M. Admissions Events section of our website to find upcoming webinars and admissions fairs. Office of Graduate Legal Studies Columbia Law School 1125 Amsterdam Avenue, 6th Floor New York, NY 10025 Email: gls@law.columbia.edu law.columbia.edu/llm law.columbia.edu/llmblog
The Application Process Columbia Law School seeks candidates who are intellectually ambitious, thoughtful, and highly motivated, as demonstrated by their prior academic records and letters of recommendation. In reviewing these materials, we endeavor to gauge how candidates have chosen to commit their time, energies, and talents; have made use of their opportunities; and may contribute those attributes to the Law School community. Given the high level of discourse required at Columbia, we also give strong preference to candidates who have at least one year of full-time work experience after earning their first law degree.
“The international student body makes Columbia a thrilling and energizing environment to teach. I love how the students bring their diverse experiences to the classroom and enrich the conversations with their unique and varied perspectives every day.” ANU BRADFORD HENRY L. MOSES PROFESSOR OF LAW AND INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION
Application Deadline: December 18 Admission decisions for the 2021–2022 LL.M. Program will be sent by March 15, 2021. Admission decisions are sent by email from gls@law.columbia.edu. Offers of admission are also sent in writing, by courier. If you apply to both the general LL.M. Program and the Executive LL.M. in Global Business Law, you may receive one admission decision before the other, as admission decisions are made independently by separate offices. If you are admitted to both, you must select one; enrollment in both degree programs is not possible. Representatives of both the LL.M. Program and the Executive LL.M. in Global Business Law Program will be happy to speak with you to discuss your options throughout the application process. All applicants must apply online through the Law School Admission Council. Complete instructions are available on both the LSAC website and the Columbia Law School Graduate Legal Studies website. Financial Assistance Columbia Law School offers one of the largest financial aid programs for LL.M. students in the United States. Our financial assistance is in the form of scholarships and institutional loans. See our website section entitled Fellowships, Scholarships, and Financing for more detailed information.
Your Future. Your Columbia LL.M.
“Columbia Law School has a distinguished tradition of leadership in areas ranging from international trade and corporate law to human rights and climate change law. Our faculty and graduates shape law and policy at the highest levels, in the public and private sectors, in the United States and around the world.” GILLIAN LESTER DEAN AND THE LUCY G. MOSES PROFESSOR OF LAW