Columbia Law School Public Interest Law by CLS WebComm

PUBLIC INTEREST LAW

Welcome 1 Why Columbia Law School Is Different

Public Interest Law: Charting a Course

Campus to Cape Town: International Human Rights at Columbia Law School

Faculty and Students Working Together: Breaking Legal Ground at Columbia

Building a More Just Society: Domestic Public Interest Law

Working in the Public Interest Through Government Service

Columbia Law School Graduates: A Lifetime Connection

Supporting Students and Graduates Throughout Their Education and Careers

WELCOME

With world-renowned faculty, hands-on lawyering opportunities, and a multidisciplinary approach to public interest legal education, Columbia Law School prepares graduates to become future leaders—whether they serve society through full-time careers in public interest law, government service, pro bono work at law firms, or community service. Columbia Law School has a longstanding tradition of leadership in public interest law and government service. Our commitment to service, a core value, is evident in all aspects of the Law School. Columbia was among the first to require pro bono service for graduation, and now leads by devoting substantial resources to developing pro bono opportunities. This requirement—a welcome challenge for many students, and a lifechanging experience for others—instills in our entire student body a sense of responsibility toward the world outside of the classroom and an excitement about the diverse opportunities that lie ahead. It also helps students sharpen their lawyering skills and connect with lawyers who love what they do. Our student-centric approach to legal education quickly connects students with faculty who can direct them toward the research opportunities and hands-on learning experiences that best match their interests and passions. And our Guaranteed Summer Funding Program further supports students as they explore domestic and international public interest career paths. At Columbia Law School, students can engage in clinics, externships, supervised research, internships, and pro bono work throughout the academic year, taking advantage of the opportunities that abound in the most diverse and dynamic legal market in the world—New York City. Our duty to our students does not stop when they graduate. Columbia Law School’s generous Loan Repayment Assistance Program (LRAP) ensures that a career in public interest law is a choice that all students can embrace. Our Social Justice Initiatives program offers students and graduates career counseling and professional connections throughout the world, supported by a well-connected international graduate network. Whatever your views and passions, you will find a supportive atmosphere at Columbia Law School.

Why Columbia Law School Is Different Professor Jamal Greene

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After visiting as an admitted student, one thing that increased my desire to attend Columbia Law School was meeting such a variety of students interested in public interest work. I realized that public interest was often a shared interest, even among those who planned to work at a firm after graduation, and not just the concern of a small subset of students.

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Daniel Mulé ’14

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Among the insights I gained at Columbia, an intensive course I took on ethical principles in the law continues to be an inspiration. I find myself constantly referring to the spirit of those principles in the everyday responsibilities of my job.

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4 COLUMBIA LAW SCHOOL

Michael Garcia Bochenek ’95

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The wide range of pro bono projects at Columbia Law School enables students to explore different communities and areas of law from orientation through graduation.

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Simone Greenbaum ’13

Professor Sarah Knuckey

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To do human rights work, being in New York City is very important. There is so much advocacy and direct service going on right here.

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Crystal Lopez ’09

Representing detained immigrants is challenging. There is tremendous pressure to move cases quickly. Students are involved in every stage of the litigation process—from the initial client interview through trial.

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Elora Mukerjee Faculty Director, Immigrants’ Rights Clinic

WHY COLUMBIA LAW SCHOOL IS DIFFERENT

Professor Katherine M. Franke

Professor Richard Briffault

“ My law school decision was based on a very small set of criteria: It was seeing the committed

community of

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public interest students and faculty here that was so appealing.

Brian Ward ’10 Trial Attorney, U.S. Department of Justice

6 COLUMBIA LAW SCHOOL

Public Interest Law: Charting a Course

hat is public interest law? It means ensuring human rights and access to justice at home and around the world, moving our society toward greater equality and fairness, and bringing human and environmental

needs into discussions of global development. At Columbia Law School, public interest law has been infused into the culture for generations. For half a century, it has been the model for pioneering education and scholarship in international human rights law. It is also a place where innovative, interdisciplinary approaches to the law—at home and abroad—are continually nurtured, and public interest law is thriving.

With a deep institutional commitment to pursuing justice for all, backed by the resources of a preeminent, global university, Columbia Law School engages every faculty member and student in the public interest. As a result, the entire student body has a shared experience of providing legal service for the benefit of society. Moreover, the pervasive influence of human rights law at Columbia Law School is felt well beyond the courses labeled “human rights.” The curriculum weaves these concepts throughout each area of study—from environmental law to business law. Our faculty members are renowned theorists who also are leading practitioners. Pragmatic and grounded, they argue human rights cases, advise nations and civil society about climate change, and share with international legal scholars and lawyers the lessons of U.S. civil rights history. In turn, their real-world experience brings vibrancy and relevance to the classroom. Their extensive network of public interest and government organizations worldwide creates innumerable opportunities for our students. These networks are augmented by the connections to practice brought by lecturers in law—leading public interest attorneys who teach at Columbia Law School. Being in New York City enables students to engage easily in international human rights and other social justice work while at the Law School. Pro bono opportunities and summer internships at international human rights, women’s, immigration, labor, and environmental organizations are all right here. With these resources, Columbia Law School students make seamless transitions to practicing attorneys—and many students have made a national impact while still in law school.

PUBLIC INTEREST LAW: CHARTING A COURSE

A Full-Service Support System Numerous opportunities and comprehensive support are available to students through Columbia Law School’s Social Justice Initiatives program. Starting in August, when new students attend the Public Interest Orientation, they are guided throughout their academic careers, first job searches, and beyond. Dean for Social Justice Initiatives Ellen P. Chapnick, a well-known lawyer-activist, and staff member specialists help students assemble the classes and extracurricular activities that will develop them into well-rounded legal practitioners. A nationwide network of expert consultant counselors also connects students and graduates to employment opportunities and to one another. Social Justice Initiatives coordinates guaranteed funding and training programs for summer internships. It also oversees the mandatory Pro Bono Program and provides year-round public interest programming in the form of speakers, conferences, and workshops to further public interest careers. Social Justice Initiatives provides extensive individual counseling to students during their job search. They help students identify what matters to them most and navigate the array of nonprofit organiza-

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tions, government agencies, international human rights organizations, academic institutions, and law

The philosophy of Columbia Law School’s Social Justice Initiatives is

firms where they might want to work. Faculty and alumni with connections to public interest firms and organizations advise students on public service careers or ways to combine public service with law firm jobs. This intensive assistance has helped to ensure that students are able to launch, and subsequently develop, careers that fulfill their individual interests, goals, and values.

that there is no single path for students who wish to practice law in the public interest. Indeed, as legal careers are becoming more fluid than ever, we emphasize that many learning and work experiences can be

The Public Interest Culture at Columbia Law School In a typical week, the Law School offers a fascinating array of activities that nurture the broad public interest community on campus. Students could spend nearly every day attending a conference, panel discussion, film screening, brown-bag lunch, or evening reception dedicated to a public interest–related topic. Recent events, for example, have featured U.S. Supreme Court Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg ’59, Samuel A. Alito Jr., and Sonia Sotomayor. A short sampling of other speakers includes: Juan Cartagena ’81, president, LatinoJustice PRLDEF; Sarah Ludwig, founder and co-director, New Economy Project; Mike Feuer, attorney for the City of Los Angeles; Judith

combined to create the

Browne Dianis ’92, co-director, Advancement Project; Iván Espinoza-Madrigal, legal director,

career that is just right for

The Center for HIV Law and Policy; John Suthers, attorney general of Colorado; Magdalena

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each individual.

Ellen P. Chapnick Dean for Social Justice Initiatives

Barbosa, supervising attorney, Make the Road New York; Nuala Mole, senior lawyer, The AIRE Centre; Heather Eisenlord, director, Human Rights Program, International Senior Lawyers Project; Justice Edwin Cameron, Constitutional Court of South Africa; Hassan Jabareen, founder and director, Adalah–The Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel; and Pam Spees, senior staff attorney, Center for Constitutional Rights. At the same time, graduates and others engaged in all types of public interest, government, and human rights work are hosted at the Law School regularly for informal conversations with students about current issues, their work, and career paths. We encourage our students to think broadly about issues in the public interest, and to think expansively about a lawyer’s role.

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CASE STUDY

Financing a Legal Education

Journeys for Justice

With a proud tradition of leadership in government and public service, Columbia Law School

nforming citizens on how to litigate environmental cases in the heart of Appalachia’s extractive industries. Working with Native American nations on natural resources and Voting Rights Act issues. Promoting human rights in Myanmar. Providing legal assistance to Iraqi and Syrian refugees in Jordan. These are just a few examples of the pro bono projects our students tackle during a typical spring break.

continually seeks to strengthen its public interest law programs and initiatives. The result is a system that encourages students to pursue their dreams, with continued support throughout their lives and careers. In addition to an outstanding need-based financial aid program, Columbia Law School offers several fellowships to incoming students who are exceptionally committed to using their legal education to fight for social justice. All J.D. students are guaranteed funding for summer public interest work. Summer internships provide valuable experience and an opportunity to explore career opportunities with nonprofit organizations, government agencies, human rights organizations, academic institutions, and other entities. Recognizing that educational debt often discourages graduates from pursuing careers in public interest law, Columbia Law School has made its Loan Repayment Assistance Program—which is given to all graduates in qualifying employment—one of the most generous in the country. The Law School’s postgraduate fellowships have made it possible for new graduates to enter public service in the U.S. and abroad. The Law School continues to support graduates throughout their careers in other ways, as well: from helping them identify and apply for external postgraduate fellowships to coaching them about job searches, career transitions, and professional development.

Pro Bono Program Within 19 years of the start of Columbia Law School’s Pro Bono Program, students had contributed almost half a million hours of pro bono (or unpaid) legal assistance. The graduating Class of 2014 contributed over 38,000 hours. Columbia Law School was one of first law schools in the country to require that all students undertake pro bono work. This embodies the Law School’s strong conviction that providing free legal services in the public interest is a professional responsibility of all lawyers. More than half of the student body exceeds the 40-hour requirement. Pro bono projects also help students gain valuable experience while in school. Social Justice Initiatives assists students in navigating the nearly limitless pro bono work available, and can develop projects based on student interests and societal needs. Students have volunteered for the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund, International Rescue Committee, Gay Men’s Health Crisis, The Legal Aid Society, and many other prominent organizations. Among the Law School’s established pro bono projects are traveling Spring Break Caravans that provide legal services under the supervision of attorneys at organizations around the world. The Pro Bono Program strongly influences the culture of Columbia Law School and shapes students’ attitudes regarding the uses of the law. The number and quality of activities undertaken by students inform and enhance classroom projects and discussions.

Spring Break Pro Bono Caravans are an immensely popular part of the pro bono program at Columbia Law School. Each year, student groups ranging from the Columbia Society of International Law to the Black Law Students Association and the Society for Immigrant and Refugee Rights work with nonprofit organizations around the country and the world to provide consultation and legal assistance to marginalized communities. One spring, one team of students traveled to the rural Transkei region of South Africa to work with lawyers from the Legal Resources Centre. They documented the conditions of 17 local schools and made recommendations on potential litigation. Among the major issues they uncovered in their reports were significant overcrowding—up to 100 students in a classroom with a single teacher—and a lack of adequate toilets and clean drinking water. “The work was truly inspirational and rewarding because it has the potential to bring about real changes to protect students’ constitutional right to a basic education,” says Nathiya Nagendra ’14, who helped organize the caravan and now works as an associate at Crowell & Moring in Washington, D.C.

PUBLIC INTEREST LAW: CHARTING A COURSE

Students frequently travel abroad to work directly with their international clients.

Professor Sarah H. Cleveland

A research trip to the West Bank (left to right): Palestinian lawyer Sami Ershied meets with clinic student Sayoni Maitra and Israeli human rights lawyer, Neta Patrick ’11 LL.M.

“ Columbia stands out as a leader in

understanding that international human rights

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should govern conduct at home, as well as abroad. Michael Ratner ’69 President Emeritus, Center for Constitutional Rights

10 COLUMBIA LAW SCHOOL

Campus to Cape Town: International Human Rights at Columbia Law School

olumbia Law School has been a pioneer in international human rights since the 1960s, when the late Professor Louis Henkin transformed the legal curriculum here to reflect the growing need for this new field of

study.Today, the faculty continues to break new ground and expand the area of human rights throughout the world—from Professor Sarah H. Cleveland’s work to bring a human rights perspective to current issues in national security law to Professor Sarah Knuckey’s Human Rights Clinic.

Human Rights Throughout the Curriculum Columbia Law School offers dozens of courses related to international human rights—from overview courses to intensive seminars on issues such as genocide and transnational justice. Yet the Law School’s commitment to, and strength in, human rights can be seen and felt in many other classes, as well. For example, Professor Katharina Pistor, director of the Center on Global Legal Transformation, is an internationally recognized expert on comparative law and governance. She discusses the human consequences of corporate decision-making in her classes and seminars. Professor Benjamin L. Liebman, director of the Center for Chinese Legal Studies and one of the world’s preeminent scholars of contemporary Chinese law, has been instrumental in the development of public interest law in China. Professor Michael B. Gerrard, director of the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law, and Professor Edward Lloyd, director of the Environmental Law Clinic, work together to address critical issues at the intersection of environmental and climate change law. Whether protecting residential neighborhoods from the effects of widespread hydraulic fracturing or bringing worldwide attention to island nations facing destruction from rising sea levels, they create opportunities for students to engage in research and fieldwork at regional, national, and global levels.

INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS LAW

CASE STUDY

Strategic Human Rights Advocacy

“I

first got involved in political activism after I moved to Jerusalem. Every day, I would bicycle through East Jerusalem to Hebrew University, and those were my first glimpses of what life is like under Israeli occupation. When I enrolled at Columbia Law School, that experience turned into an interest in human rights law and corporate accountability. I conducted field research in India as part of the Human Rights Clinic and helped write a report exposing labor and human rights abuses on tea plantations. I also participated in the United Nations Externship. In my third year, I took Human Rights Policy and Strategy with Professor Cleveland. Coming from a background of political activism, I was used to thinking about things from a grassroots perspective. The course taught me how to think strategically about advocacy with high-level decision-makers. In my current position, I do exactly the kind of work the course prepares you for— deciding how to frame issues and using human rights law creatively to be an effective advocate.

”

Sarah Mechlovitz Saadoun ’14 Leonard H. Sandler Fellow, Human Rights Watch

As the study of human rights becomes more sophisticated, and the economic connection to human rights more salient, it is important for students to understand the global economic and political order. The Law School goes well beyond teaching students to understand and report on human rights violations. It emphasizes the need to reveal and remedy the systemic causes that underlie those problems. The Human Rights Clinic creates an innovative space for bringing together human rights work, student education, critical reflection, and scholarly research. Students learn to be strategic and creative human rights advocates, while pursuing social justice in partnership with civil society and communities, and while advancing human rights methodologies and scholarship. Clinic seminars provide a map of the international human rights advocacy terrain—providing a foundation upon which students can learn to maneuver within the complex field. Seminars address human rights project selection, design, and strategy; choice and sequence of advocacy tactics; fact-finding methodologies; interviewing witnesses, experts, and perpetrators; digital and physical security; report and brief writing; using judicial and quasi-judicial processes; engaging the press and using social media; and accountability and project evaluation. Through guided practice and leadership on clinic projects, students implement and test what they learn in the seminar. They work on clinic projects in small teams, each of which addresses urgent and complex human rights issues. Clinic work currently includes projects on accountability for abuses in the armed conflict in the Central African Republic; environmental harms in the extractive industries; drone strikes and targeted killings; access to justice in the United States; corporate accountability and indigenous rights in Peru; and sexual violence in Papua New Guinea. Student assignments often involve domestic and international travel.

Human Rights Institute: Research, Advocacy, Conferences, Lectures, and Symposia The Law School’s Human Rights Institute serves as a focal point for international human rights education, scholarship, and practice. Founded in 1998 by the late Professor Louis Henkin, the Institute draws on the Law School’s deep human rights tradition to support and influence human rights practice in the United States and throughout the world. Professor Sarah H. Cleveland, faculty co-director of the Institute, is a noted expert in the constitutional law of U.S. foreign relations, international human and labor rights, and the interface between human rights and international trade. Professor Sarah Knuckey, director of the Human Rights Clinic and faculty co-director of the Institute, has carried out fact-finding investigations and reported on human rights and armed conflict

Professor Sarah H. Cleveland is the faculty co-director of the Human Rights Institute. She was recently elected to serve a four-year term as an independent expert on the U.N. Human Rights Committee. From 2009 to 2011, she served as the counselor on international law in the Office of the Legal Adviser at the U.S. Department of State. 12

COLUMBIA LAW SCHOOL

violations around the world. She is a special adviser to the U.N. special rapporteur on extrajudicial execution and the founding editor of Just Security, an online forum for analysis of U.S. national security law and policy. Students benefit from the Institute’s contributions to the rich human rights curriculum and its connections with the worldwide human rights movement. The Institute focuses on several themes, including: fostering international human rights strategies in the United States; promoting and improving the Inter-American Human Rights System; ensuring human rights compliance in armed conflicts and in counterterrorism efforts; and promoting human rights in the global economy. It engages in research and advocacy and sponsors symposia, lectures, and other events to bring practitioners and scholars together at the Law School.

One of the Institute’s signature initiatives is the Human Rights in the United States Project, which includes the Bringing Human Rights Home Lawyers’ Network. The network is a growing movement of over 700 lawyers in the United States who are using international law and human rights mechanisms—specifically through the U.N. and the Inter-American Human Rights Systems—within the

Recent Human Rights Internship Placements

domestic human rights context. Together, they are encouraging U.S. compliance with international human rights law. Through the network, the Institute coordinates and contributes to targeted advo-

Addameer Prisoner’s Support and

cacy efforts, produces scholarship on international human rights issues in a domestic context, and

Human Rights Association,

trains lawyers on these issues.

Ramallah, Jerusalem The AIRE Centre, London, U.K.

Summer Funding for Human Rights Work

Chapter Four Uganda, Kampala, Uganda

The Human Rights Internship Program (HRIP) trains students in international human rights

Phnom Penh, Cambodia

law, offers them opportunities to work in the service of their beliefs, fosters relationships that may

EarthRights International,

advance their professional development, and builds connections between the Law School and a

Chiang Mai, Thailand

Destination Justice,

worldwide network of lawyers devoted to human rights work.

Equal Education Law Centre, Cape Town, South Africa

Columbia Law School’s unique program, one of the most comprehensive in the nation, advises, educates, and funds Law School students who spend 10 weeks in the summer working with inter-

Human Rights Now, Tokyo, Japan

national human rights advocates. To enhance the educational value of the program, and to prepare

International Criminal Tribunal

students for work at their placements, all HRIP interns receive intensive training, on subjects rang-

for the former Yugoslavia,

ing from basic and regional human rights law to documenting human rights abuses and conducting

The Hague, The Netherlands

international legal research, so that they will be grounded in fundamental human rights principles.

Kenya Legal and Ethical Issues Network,

These sessions, which supplement the first-year curriculum, are taught by distinguished human

Kenya, Nairobi

rights lawyers and activists, as well as by Columbia Law School faculty.

Lawyers Collective: Women’s Rights Initiative, New Delhi, India

Pro Bono Work in International Human Rights

Legal Resources Centre, Grahamstown, South Africa

Students who wish to pursue international human rights work may fulfill their pro bono requirement

Open Development,

through several opportunities. The following are just a few examples of pro bono placements:

Phnom Penh, Cambodia

• Students have worked with lawyers in Burma, Jordan, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and South Africa as

The Office of the United Nations

part of Columbia Law School’s Spring Break Pro Bono Caravans. • Students who volunteer with the Davis Polk Asylum Workshop become part of a team of attorneys involved in complex asylum cases that bring human rights violations from around the world into

High Commissioner for Refugees, Beirut, Lebanon

the U.S. legal arena. Students prepare the factual record, brief the legal issues, meet clients, and

Women’s Centre for Legal Aid and

conduct research on country conditions to assemble asylum petitions.

Counseling, Ramallah, Jerusalem

• RightsLink, based at Columbia Law School, provides free legal research services to human rights and public interest law groups both domestically and around the world. The organization works with small groups, as well as larger organizations like the Office of the United Nations High

Yangon Heritage Trust, Yangon, Myanmar Yirenping, Beijing, China

Commissioner for Refugees, Lawyers Without Borders, and the Special Court for Sierra Leone. • Volunteering opportunities abound at numerous organizations in the New York City area, including Human Rights Watch, the United Nations, the International Center for Transitional Justice, and the National Economic and Social Rights Initiative.

INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS LAW

Faculty and Students Working Together: Breaking Legal Ground at Columbia Clinic victory: Urooj Khan ’15 (left) with client

Elizabeth Encinas ’15

olumbia Law School students, working side-by-side with faculty, have a chance to collaborate on public interest cases and projects.The following stories illustrate that Columbia Law School students do not have to wait

until they graduate to be effective advocates.

Mobilizing to Address the Immigration Crisis Immigration detention is at a historic, all-time high in the United States. Approximately 400,000 men, women, and children cycle annually through the immigration system and, once detained, the vast majority must navigate the system alone. The government does not provide legal representation in immigration proceedings. For minors who have crossed the border without an adult, the process has added complexity and—with new government initiatives—the challenge of time constraints. Through a new clinic, externships, student organizations, and innovative partnerships, Columbia Law School faculty and students have mobilized to address this humanitarian crisis. Students in the new Immigrants’ Rights Clinic provide high-quality legal representation to immigrants detained at two facilities in New Jersey and are expanding their caseload this year to include unaccompanied immigrant children in New York.

COLUMBIA LAW SCHOOL

In a recent victory, clinic students won asylum for a Nigerian man facing persecution by members of Muslim extremist groups because of his Christian faith. “It was an incredible experience,” says Urooj Khan ’15, one of the clinic students who handled the case. “I learned so much about how to be a better advocate, how to be a better lawyer.” “Representing detained immigrants is challenging,” says Professor Elora Mukherjee, faculty director of the clinic. “There is tremendous pressure to move cases quickly. Students are involved in every

Photo (left): Microsoft President and Chief Legal Officer Brad Smith ’84 with Immigrants’ Rights Clinic Director Elora Mukherjee. Kids in Need of Defense was co-founded by Smith and actress and humanitarian Angelina Jolie.

stage of the litigation process—from the initial client interview through trial.” In the Undocumented and Unaccompanied Immigrant Youth Externship, students work with Kathleen Maloney and Cristina Romero, two attorneys from The Legal Aid Society’s Immigration Law Unit. Like many students who have participated in the clinic or externship, Elizabeth Encinas ’15 wanted to remain involved. And the Law School has mobilized to ensure that student volunteers have the training, mentorship, and support they need. For example, through the Law School’s partnership with Kids in Need of Defense (KIND), a nonprofit organization providing legal representation for unaccompanied immigrant youth, Columbia Law School students are teaming up with KIND’s law firm partners and working on cases under the supervision of experienced lawyers. “I find the work inspirational,” says Encinas, an immigrant from Trinidad and Tobago. “I remember being terrified that I would say something wrong and we wouldn’t get the green card, and I had two adults with me. When I think about these children navigating the system by themselves, it’s incredible that any of them get through.”

BREAKING LEGAL GROUND

Environmental Law—Change Leaders For the past decade, climate and energy have been huge issues in environmental law, but in 2012, Superstorm Sandy issued a wake-up call. A “new normal” had arrived, requiring different modes of planning for, and thinking about, extreme weather—ones requiring large investments in everything from updating zoning codes to preserving wetlands. To ensure that the city, country, and the world are more prepared for the climate- and weather-related disasters of the future, Columbia Law School students and faculty are working with scientific experts and governments near and far. This new field of adaptation law, whether at the local or international level, requires extrapolating from a body of established environmental law. Columbia faculty and students are at the forefront of efforts to prepare the legal groundwork for litigating in what scientists predict will be a century of rising temperatures and sea levels. With Professor Michael B. Gerrard, director of the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law, students are contributing to New York’s early adaptation efforts—nudging, guiding, and drafting legislation. They are also engaged in efforts to help state agencies and private utilities plan for climate change– related stresses on New York’s electrical grid. At the international level, they have drafted a treaty to coordinate the legal efforts of several South Pacific island nations that face extinction due to rising seas caused by climate change. Faculty and students are also engaged in pro bono work for developing nations through the Legal Response Initiative (LRI). With the complexity of international negotiations under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, LRI seeks to level the playing field by providing free legal support to poor and particularly climate vulnerable developing countries.

COLUMBIA LAW SCHOOL

Professor Edward Lloyd

The People’s Climate March in New York City: Students with Ellen Chapnick, Dean for Social Justice Initiatives (second from right) and Professor Michael Gerrard (third from right).

“ The Sabin Center is also presenting work at the United Nations Conference on Climate Change in Paris, including in-depth research on the human rights implications of global warming and a comprehensive assessment of critical issues for designing a facility to accommodate mass migration caused by climate change. Negotiations leading up to the Paris conference have included a call for a “displacement coordination facility,” but details have been lacking. “The prospect has gained some momentum” in the wake of the migrant crisis in the Middle East and Europe, though “there has been very little public discussion about what this facility would entail and how it would operate,” says Sabin Center Fellow Jessica Wentz ’12, who wrote the briefing note with Sabin Center Executive Director and Law School Lecturer Michael Burger ’03. Their report tackles such outstanding issues as funding, humanitarian assistance, and technical and logistical support. The Environmental Law Clinic, led by Professor Edward Lloyd, has tackled an enormous trove of environmental issues, including fracking, industrial agriculture, “smart growth,” wetlands preservation, and protection of endangered species. From New York City and its metropolitan area to the most remote environments on the planet, clinic faculty and students have chalked up a series of victories that are helping to shape the future of environmental law. Clinic students also join forces with the Sabin Center on much of its work. They draft amicus briefs in climate-related lawsuits and help write government advisory documents. Students are also examining how communities can rebuild after weather-related disasters and minimize harms in the future. Examining municipal and state government strategies regarding flooding—from Maine to Mississippi—they are working on a handbook for government officials.

While I was a student at Columbia Law School, I joined the Environmental Law Society, edited articles for the Columbia Journal of Environmental Law, litigated cases with the Environmental Law Clinic, networked with like-minded students across the University, and conducted research for the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law. Now, my Law School experience helps me meet the challenges of environmental litigation that I encounter daily.

”

Ben Schifman ’11 Trial Attorney, Environmental and Natural Resources Division, U.S. Department of Justice BREAKING LEGAL GROUND

Spring Break Caravan: Students traveled to Arizona to assist in legal matters on Native American reservations.

Environmental Law Clinic students visit a contested power plant site.

Professor Philip M. Genty

Today, trailblazing faculty members introduce courses that reflect new approaches to using

the law to bring about social change.

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Building a More Just Society: Domestic Public Interest Law

olumbia Law School has always been a pioneer in building a more just society—from advancing classic areas of civil rights and civil liberties to developing new areas of the law related to families,

corporate governance, climate change, and intellectual property. That tradition continues today—Columbia Law School not only teaches students to be excellent practitioners of law, but also to consider the many roles lawyers and the law play in making truly meaningful social change.

The Curriculum Public interest courses are taught by both experienced and emerging leaders who are breaking legal ground today. Even first-year students have the chance to learn from professors whose careers have been immersed in social justice work, including Professor Olati Johnson, whose work and scholarship have focused on race and poverty; Professor James S. Liebman, a practitioner and leading scholar on the death penalty, federal habeas corpus, and public education reform; Professor Mark Barenberg, whose work has centered on corporate social responsibility and workers’ rights; Professor Suzanne B. Goldberg, who was a pioneer of same-sex marriage litigation; and Professor Susan P. Sturm, a leader in the study of institutional change and issues of inclusion and diversity in higher education. Students learn from trailblazing faculty members who design courses that reflect new approaches to using the law to bring about social change. Michael B. Gerrard is a leading voice in climate change law. He teaches environmental law and directs the Law School’s Sabin Center for Climate Change Law. Students interested in how gender and culture intersect with the law can learn from the top theorists in this area, including Professors Katherine M. Franke and Suzanne B. Goldberg, co-directors of the Center for Gender and Sexuality Law, and Professor Kendall Thomas, director of the Center for the Study of Law and Culture. Susan P. Sturm, the director of the Center for Institutional and Social Change, immerses students in new ways to think about how to achieve structural transformation in different settings. Students in Professor Mark Barenberg’s seminar on Labor Rights in a Global

BUILDING A MORE JUST SOCIETY: DOMESTIC PUBLIC INTEREST LAW

CASE STUDY

Fair Housing and Civil Rights

“P

rofessor Johnson has been a true mentor for me. I sought her out after an event where she spoke about civil rights and housing. At the time, I was taking a seminar on housing discrimination taught by staff members from the Fair Housing Justice Center. Professor Johnson encouraged me to get involved with the organization outside of school, which I did. I later worked with her as a research assistant, and she also advised me through a note and journal article I was writing. She makes a point of being accessible to students, and her door is always open. Since I graduated, I’ve stayed in touch with her. I ask her advice on civil rights issues that come up in my practice, and she has also put me in touch with other civil rights advocates. Professor Johnson has been a huge resource for me.

”

Stephen F. Hayes ’10 Attorney-Adviser for Law and Policy, Legal Division, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau

Economy examine such issues as the relationship of labor rights to political regimes and trading systems. Professor James S. Liebman’s students in Public Sector Structural Reform in K–12 Education work in interdisciplinary teams as consultants to educational entities undertaking reform efforts. Leading practicing attorneys also teach at the Law School. Bebe Anderson ’81, director of the U.S. Legal Program at the Center for Reproductive Rights, teaches a seminar on Reproductive Rights: Comparative and International Law Perspectives. Diane L. Houk ’83, of counsel at Emery Celli Brinckerhoff & Abady and former executive director of the Fair Housing Justice Center, teaches the Housing Discrimination seminar. Steven Shapiro, legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union, teaches a seminar on Civil Liberties and the Response to Terrorism. Both Rick Jones, executive director of Neighborhood Defenders Services of Harlem, and Robin Steinberg, executive director of the Bronx Defenders, are visionaries in the field of indigent defense representation who teach seminars and place students in their offices through the Law School’s externship program. Through faculty-supervised research, second- or third-year J.D. students have the chance to earn credit while working one-on-one with the Law School’s leading theorists and practitioners on projects that speak to the students’ own interests. Students refine a topic and produce a research paper or its substantial equivalent under the supervision of a Law School faculty member. EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING Columbia Law School offers a variety of opportunities for experiential learning through its Clinical Education Program, directed by Alexandra Carter ’03. Clinical programs include: •

Child Advocacy

•

Community Enterprise

•

Environmental Law

•

Human Rights

•

Immigrants’ Rights

•

Lawyering in the Digital Age

•

Mass Incarceration

• Mediation •

Prisoners and Families

•

Sexuality and Gender Law

Clinics prepare students to be knowledgeable, skilled, and reflective lawyers by giving them the opportunity to work directly with clients and communities in need, and to do so in a variety of ways. Professor Olatunde (Olati) Johnson joined the Columbia Law School faculty in 2006 after working as a lawyer at the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund and as counsel to the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee. Johnson’s scholarship focuses on the intersection of housing, race, and poverty, including the close relationship between racial segregation and concentrations of poverty.

COLUMBIA LAW SCHOOL

Clinics may involve students in litigation, mediation, or nonprofit and economic development. Students in all clinics work closely with faculty as they learn to become outstanding advocates for their clients and to explore issues of public policy and professional identity. Similar to the clinical experience, Columbia Law School’s externships offer students opportunities to delve into actual legal practice while still in law school. Externships combine seminars taught by leading practicing attorneys with field experiences at the organizations in which those attorneys work.

CASE STUDY Externships include: •

Arts Law Externship at Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts

•

Bronx Defenders Externship on Holistic Defense

• City

and State Policy Advocacy Externship at the Center for Popular Democracy and

National Employment Law Project

Living Family Law

“I

n my first year of law school, it was

important to me to do

•

Community Defense Externship at the Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem

interesting, substantive,

•

Community Development Externship

hands-on work right

• Constitutional

Rights Enforcement in Capital, Habeas and Prison Cases Externship at the

Squire, Sanders Public Service Initiative and Holland & Knight Community Services Team • Copyright

Dispute Resolution Externship at Cravath, Swaine & Moore and the

away. I worked on pro bono projects coordinated by the student-run Domestic Violence Project

and the nonprofit group Sanctuary for

•

Immigration Defense Externship at The Legal Aid Society of New York City

Families. That led to a summer internship

•

Criminal Appeals Externship at the Center for Appellate Litigation

at Sanctuary and ultimately to my

•

Externship on Pro Bono Practice and Design

postgraduate Skadden Fellowship there.

•

Trusts, Wills, and Estate Planning Externship

In my last year of law school, I took

• Undocumented

and Unaccompanied Immigrant Youth Externship at The Legal Aid

Society of New York City

the Family Law course with Professor Carol Sanger and worked as her research assistant. She did an amazing job of

Several centers and programs serve as incubators for legal scholarship and involve students in

helping us understand how family

their research and activities. For example, the Center for Gender and Sexuality Law, led by Profes-

law affects the most personal aspects

sors Katherine M. Franke and Suzanne B. Goldberg—the first such center at a U.S. law school—

of people’s lives. Now at Sanctuary, I

develops rich course offerings. The Center for Institutional and Social Change, led collaboratively

practice immigration law, representing

by Professor Susan P. Sturm and other faculty in partnership with the NAACP Legal Defense and

primarily Russian-speaking immigrants.

Educational Fund, applies theory to real-world models for reform of institutions in higher education,

But most of my clients also interact

housing, and the workforce.

with the family court and child welfare systems. They are living family law. In my work, I think often about the things I

Giving to the Community:

learned in Professor Sanger’s class.

”

Joy Ziegeweid ’12 Staff Attorney, Sanctuary for Families

AN ABUNDANCE OF DOMESTIC PRO BONO PROJECTS Social Justice Initiatives helps students fulfill the Law School’s pro bono requirement at leading public interest organizations and law firms in New York City and beyond. For students seeking a more in-depth experience, there are more than two dozen special in-house projects—many of which are student-directed—with intensive, in-house training and supervision. Students work in teams on long-term projects in which the Law School, nonprofit organizations, and other lawyers are involved. Ranging from education policy to aiding victims of domestic violence, these projects require a large degree of responsibility and provide outstanding legal training. Projects are constantly updated, and students may also develop their own. Social Justice Initiatives recently began a project in partnership with a student group, the Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund, and Sullivan & Cromwell to assist transgendered individuals with legal name changes. A new project with Manhattan Legal services allowed the organization to conduct legal intake with twice as many low-income housing clients as they had the prior year. Students who wish to pursue their own interests may work with counselors at Social Justice Initiatives to devise pro

Carol Sanger, the Barbara Aronstein Black Professor of Law, is an educator and legal expert on issues related to gender, families, motherhood, and the intersection of abortion and the law. She has received numerous honors for her work, including the Innovation in Scholarship Award from the Center for Reproductive Rights and Columbia Law School’s Willis L.M. Reese Prize for Excellence in Teaching.

bono opportunities in conjunction with hundreds of nonprofit organizations.

BUILDING A MORE JUST SOCIETY: DOMESTIC PUBLIC INTEREST LAW

CASE STUDY

The Right to Vote— Creating Opportunities

“H

IN-HOUSE PRO BONO PROJECTS INCLUDE: Domestic Violence Projects: Students help clients who have been subject to domestic violence obtain uncontested divorces, U visas, and orders of protection

aving worked for a

Education Advocacy Project: Provides early intervention, special education, and general

variety of social jus-

education advocacy for children who are involved in New York City Family Court

tice organizations, I came to

Kids in Need of Defense: Students work with attorneys representing children facing

Columbia Law School plan-

deportation who would not otherwise have legal representation and screen undocumented

ning to prepare for a career

immigrant youth at the federal immigration court “surge” docket

in public interest law. Taking Professor Susan Sturm’s Diversity and Innovation seminar played a huge role in

Legal Clinic for the Homeless: Students advocate for the resolution of public assistance, immigration, employment, and family law issues during a weekly legal clinic

shaping how I think about creating change

at a homeless shelter

within institutions. We studied the ways in

Suspension Representation Project: Students represent New York City public school

which institutions either create opportuni-

students at their suspension hearings

ties or limit people’s participation. In my work now as a voting rights lawyer, I constantly draw on what I learned in her class.

Tenants’ Rights Project: Students assist attorneys at local community organizations in all aspects of low-income tenant representation

Every day I look at how different laws,

Workplace Justice Project: Students help clients file wage claims for unpaid wages

policies, and practices affect people’s ability

to which they are entitled

to participate in the political process. The Law School opened a lot of doors for me,

SPRING BREAK CARAVANS

both intellectually and professionally. Many

The Law School’s Spring Break Pro Bono Caravans program began over a decade ago to assist civil

of the networks that led to my current job

rights organizations that were working on death penalty cases in Atlanta, San Francisco, Washington,

came out of opportunities that Columbia

D.C., and New Orleans. Since then, new caravans have been developed to enable students to offer

offered. They create a platform that enables

valuable, short-term help to lawyers working in a number of contexts. The Midwest Society hosted

you to tread your own path.

a successful and rewarding caravan to work on Native American reservations in Wisconsin and the

”

Juan Carlos Ibarra ’11 Associate, Remcho, Johansen & Purcell, a California public interest law firm

project won a national Super Lawyers Pro Bono Award in 2011. A year later, the Native American Law Students Association developed a similar project in which students provide legal services to the Navajo Nation. Other caravans have taken students to New Orleans to work on juvenile justice advocacy, to El Paso, where they worked on asylum cases involving Mexican immigrants, and to South

Susan P. Sturm is the George M. Jaffin Professor of Law and Social Responsibility. A major focus of her current scholarship is the development of an architecture of inclusion and diversity in higher education. Other areas of teaching and research include institutional change, transformative leadership, workplace equality, and legal education. Sturm is the founder and director of the Center for Institutional and Social Change. She is also a past recipient of Columbia University’s Presidential Teaching Award for Outstanding Teaching.

COLUMBIA LAW SCHOOL

Africa, where they conducted interviews and documented educational conditions in rural communities to provide support for impact litigation to secure the rights of children to a basic education.

Law School Summers: Valuable Experiences and Lasting Contacts Summers are important times to develop new legal skills in the workplace, gain experience, and become deeply immersed in ongoing cases. At Columbia Law School, summer funding is guaranteed, and every public interest student has the opportunity to work in an environment that supports his or her career aspirations. Columbia Law School has important relationships with nonprofit organizations, government agencies, human rights organizations, and civil rights law firms that host students for summer jobs. Some nonprofits have created fellowships for summer work exclusively for Columbia Law School students. Recent summer work placements include: •

American Civil Liberties Union Mass Incarceration Program, New York

•

New Jersey Institute for Social Justice, New Jersey

•

Children’s Law Center of Los Angeles, California

CASE STUDY

Opening the Door to a Career in Labor Law

•

Earthjustice, New York

•

Sanctuary for Families, New York

•

Office of the Georgia Capital Defenders, Georgia

•

Neufeld Scheck & Brustin civil rights law firm, New York

•

U.S. Attorney’s Office, Minnesota

•

Environmental Defense Fund, Colorado

•

The Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence, Washington, D.C.

•

Brooklyn Public Library, New York

•

Immigrant Defense Project, New York

•

Lambda Legal, New York

•

Public Information and Need of Knowledge (PINK) Armenia, Yerevan, Armenia

•

Northern Virginia Capital Defender Services, Virginia

•

Northwest Health Law Advocates, Washington

•

Vladeck, Waldman, Elias & Engelhard, an employment discrimination firm, New York

“I

worked as a union organizer prior to

enrolling in law school. Being able to work with a professor who truly understood workers’ experiences and the obstacles they face in standing up for their rights, was important to me in choosing a school. Professor Barenberg has more than an intellectual grasp on these issues—much of his work has real-world impact. He has been deeply

Creating Change, Making Lifelong Connections: Student Organizations

involved in the most successful antisweatshop campaigns of the past 15 years. In class, he gives students insight into what really happens in the union-organizing

Public interest–oriented students may join forces in advocacy through the many active organizations

process. He also served as my adviser for

at the Law School. Some of these student-founded groups are affiliated with national organizations.

my final paper on the National Labor

Student organizations are instrumental in raising the level of discourse on campus, often sponsoring

Relations Board and their recent relaxation

conferences on current issues and developing new pro bono projects.

of restrictions on the rights of unions to conduct secondary activity. I could meet

Columbia Law School’s unique public interest student organizations include: •

•

with him for hours discussing cases—it was

The National Security Law Society (NSLS), which works to increase the understanding

just fun to talk about labor law and worker

of the intersection of national security issues and the law. NSLS provides students who

rights with him. After graduation, I landed

are interested in national security law with career programming, networking opportuni-

a job working at a firm that specializes in

ties, and forums for education and discussion.

labor rights.

Rightslink, which brings together students interested in human rights law for panels, a job fair, and social events with students at other Columbia University graduate human

”

Amanda Bell ’12 Associate, Friedman & Anspach

rights programs. Rightslink also sponsors a pro bono project that provides free legal research services to human rights and public interest groups in the U.S. and abroad that lack either the financial and technical capacity or the political freedom to conduct their own research. • A Jailhouse

Lawyer’s Manual (JLM), published by the Columbia Human Rights Law

Review, the JLM gives students the opportunity to participate in the preparation, editing, and distribution of this legal resource. Since it was first published in 1978, prisoners across the country have used the JLM to exercise their legal rights, and today, more than a thousand copies are distributed each year to prisoners, libraries, and other organizations. •

The Society for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, which promotes dialogue on the legal rights of refugees and immigrants in the United States and globally. In addition to workshops and panel discussions, students organize pro bono and advocacy activities, including the Special Immigrant Juvenile Status Project, the Iraqi Refugee Assistance Project, and Kids in Need of Defense (KIND).

The research and teaching of Mark Barenberg, Isidor and Seville Sulzbacher Professor of Law, focus on the impact of globalization on the enforcement of labor rights. Known for his anti-sweatshop work, he serves as an independent expert for the U.N.’s International Labour Organization. He is also a member of the advisory council for the Worker Rights Consortium, an independent labor rights organization that conducts investigations of working conditions in factories around the world.

BUILDING A MORE JUST SOCIETY: DOMESTIC PUBLIC INTEREST LAW

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg ’59

Professor Tim Wu

Professor Robert J. Jackson Jr.

“ Legal education is a shared adventure for students,

teachers, and alumni. For all my days, I expect to take

part in that adventure and see it flourish at Columbia Law School.” Ruth Bader Ginsburg ’59, U.S. Supreme Court Justice

24 COLUMBIA LAW SCHOOL

Working in the Public Interest Through Government Service

olumbia Law School is committed to developing its students into innovators and leaders in government service, and many graduates follow this path. Others build careers that combine government service with work

for public interest organizations or corporate law firms.They all receive tremendous support from the many full-time professors and lecturers in law who have held government positions or who have government consulting experience. Moreover,

“

. . . at the core of the

they receive extensive assistance from Social Justice Initiatives’ director of government

profession is an ethic of

programs (one of the few specialists at any law school) and Columbia Law School

public responsibility. There

graduates who currently work for the government.

is, or at least there should

The Law School is proud to have on its faculty professors with high-level government experience.

be, nobility in our work:

For example, at the height of the financial crisis, Professor Robert J. Jackson Jr., an expert in

taking on other people’s

corporate governance, was tapped by the Obama administration to advise on the issue of execu-

problems as our own and moving heaven and earth to solve them, being the voice of the voiceless, standing up for the rule of law in everything you do.

”

Donald B. Verrilli, Jr. ’83 Solicitor General of the United States

tive compensation at bailed-out firms. Teaching Legal Methods to first-year students is Professor Philip C. Bobbitt, a leading constitutional theorist and former director for intelligence at the National Security Council. Professor Sarah H. Cleveland recently completed a two-year appointment as counselor on international law in the Office of the Legal Adviser at the U.S. Department of State and she now serves as an independent expert on the U.N. Human Rights Committee. Professor Tim Wu received over 30 percent of the vote when he ran for lieutenant governor of New York in 2014 and he spent much of 2011 as a senior adviser to the Federal Trade Commission. From his experience, Wu created a new course, The Media Industries: Public Policy and Business Strategy. Two sitting federal court of appeals judges, Debra A. Livingston and Gerard E. Lynch ’75, also serve on the faculty. Students may also glimpse their futures among the numerous and often influential Law School alumni who work or have worked in government at the federal, state, and local levels, and are eager to share their experiences with students. Several were named to key positions in President Barack Obama’s

PUBLIC INTEREST THROUGH GOVERNMENT SERVICE

CASE STUDY

Collaborations in Education

“I

came to Columbia Law School having worked

in higher education, but the Law School helped me build both the academic and professional context I needed to become more engaged in the policies and practices of the education sector. I was able to take a course that brought together law students and education professionals from Columbia University’s Teachers College. This unique opportunity helped me understand the important role of educators in shaping education policy. Through the Law School’s Externship on the Federal Government in Washington, D.C., I also spent a semester working full time at the U.S. Department of Education (ED). Because of these experiences and others, I was able to start my job in the ED Office of the General Counsel with a valuable foundation.

”

Lauren Thompson Starks ’11 Senior Policy Adviser, Office of the Under Secretary, U.S. Department of Education These comments are made in the personal capacity of the speaker and do not reflect the views of the Department of Education.

James S. Liebman, the Simon H. Rifkind Professor of Law, is the director of the Center for Public Research and Leadership. A joint initiative with Columbia Business School and Teachers College, the center supports public K–12 education reforms and develops innovative courses and training to provide public school systems with a pipeline of well-prepared professionals. Liebman recently served as the chief accountability officer for the New York City Department of Education.

COLUMBIA LAW SCHOOL

administration, including Jeh C. Johnson ’82, now secretary of Homeland Security and previously general counsel of the Department of Defense; Eric H. Holder, Jr. ’76, the 82nd attorney general of the United States; and Lanny Breuer ’85, former assistant attorney general for the Criminal Division of the Department of Justice. From Julissa Reynoso ’01, United States ambassador to Uruguay, to Judge Rolando T. Acosta ’82 of the New York Supreme Court, graduates are striving at all levels of government to create a more just society. The Law School has many offerings to prepare students to work in the federal government. The Visitor from Government Practice Program brings alumni and others who are distinguished government lawyers to the Law School to provide one-on-one career advice and make substantive presentations about their work. Recent visitors have included Michael Cardozo ’66, former corporation counsel of the City of New York; Catherine R. McCabe ’77, judge, Environmental Protection Agency Environmental Appeals Board; Steve Bullock ’94, governor of Montana; and Daniel Glaser ’93, assistant secretary for terrorist financing at the U.S. Department of the Treasury. Other Social Justice Initiatives programs have connected students with graduates who work in the federal government such as: Preet Bharara ’93, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York; U.S. Solicitor General Donald B. Verrilli, Jr. ’83; former U.S. Representative Brad Miller ’79; and Elizabeth A. Aloi ’06, counsel to the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary. A cornerstone of Columbia Law School’s commitment to educating leaders in government service is the National State Attorneys General Program, which brings attorneys general and other stakeholders to campus for discussions about topics of national significance, such as corporate responsibility, healthcare, consumer protection, and fairness for low-wage workers. Students may take seminars focused on the work of attorneys general taught by the program director, James E. Tierney, a former attorney general of Maine. Student papers written in these seminars and published on the program’s website have become important resources for attorneys general.

Government Externships Through externships in local government offices and in our nation’s capital, students gain handson experience while learning the theory underlying governmental practices. Externships combine seminars taught by government attorneys with field experiences at their agencies.

CASE STUDY FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IN D.C. EXTERNSHIP This externship offers students the opportunity to spend a full semester in Washington, D.C., working at the White House, on Capitol Hill, and at federal agencies such as the Department of State, the Department of Justice, the Treasury Department, the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Education, and the Environmental Protection Agency. The externship includes a weekly seminar, an intensive seminar on ethics in government, and a full workweek at a field placement— often alongside Columbia Law School alumni working in high-level positions in our nation’s capital.

Learning from Experience in Government

“P

rofessor Waxman was my introduction to complex constitutional issues and

national security law. In class, he was able to describe his own government experience in

GOVERNMENT EXTERNSHIPS IN NEW YORK CITY INCLUDE: •

Domestic Violence Prosecution at the Queens County District Attorney’s Office

a way that guided my choices as I pursued a

•

New York State Attorney General’s Office: Advancing Social and Environmental Justice

career in the field. Through the Externship

•

Federal Appellate Court for the Second Circuit

on the Federal Government in Washington,

•

Federal District Court Clerk in the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York

D.C., I worked in the National Security

•

Federal Prosecution, U.S. Attorneys’ Offices

Division of the Department of Justice. It

•

New York City Law Department

was a terrific opportunity to experience

•

United Nations

the nexus between law and policy. After graduation, I helped the Department of State to build the Afghanistan government’s

Government Pro Bono and Summer Work

capacity to investigate and prosecute alleged

Students who are interested in government service may choose projects from among the pro bono

insurgents for violations of Afghan criminal

opportunities developed by Social Justice Initiatives. Pro bono projects include work with the Man-

law. When I showed up at Bagram Airfield,

hattan District Attorney’s Office, the Queens County District Attorney’s Office, the New York City Law

I immediately recognized a senior U.S.

Department, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and a number of federal agency offices in New York City,

military officer as a fellow student from one

such as the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. In 2015, Columbia Law School’s initial class

of Professor Waxman’s seminars! We were

of Pro Bono Scholars, an initiative created by New York State Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman, will

able to work together swimmingly because

work full time on a pro bono basis from March through May engaging in all aspects of mediation for

we had spent a semester dealing with the

low-income individuals at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

same issues in class.

GUARANTEED FUNDING FOR SUMMER GOVERNMENT WORK Students are encouraged to use guaranteed summer funding to work at federal, state, or local agen-

”

Nick Moscow ’11 Associate, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom

cies, including judicial internships. Second-year Columbia Law School students usually are among the first hired by honors programs at federal offices. First-year students and those who would like to work at agencies that do not pay summer interns may take advantage of the Law School’s Guaranteed Summer Funding Program, which covers government employment. A sample of recent summer placements: •

U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, New York and Washington, D.C.

•

New York City Law Department, New York, New York

•

Office of the California Attorney General, Los Angeles, California

•

U.S. Department of Education, Washington, D.C.

•

Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, Los Angeles, California

•

U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of New York, New York

•

Office of the Governor of Connecticut, Hartford, Connecticut

•

U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, Washington, D.C.

•

U.S. Federal Trade Commission, Washington, D.C.

•

Chicago Law Department, Chicago, Illinois

•

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C.

•

The White House, Washington, D.C.

Matthew C. Waxman, the Liviu Librescu Professor of Law, served as a top aide to former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and was a deputy assistant secretary for detainee affairs at the Pentagon. Waxman is an expert in the domestic and international legal aspects of fighting terrorism. He is co-chair of the Roger Hertog Program on Law and National Security at Columbia Law School.

PUBLIC INTEREST THROUGH GOVERNMENT SERVICE

Michael Garcia Bochenek ’95 (left)

“Among the insights I gained at Columbia,

an intensive course I took on ethical

continues to be an

principles in the law

inspiration. I find myself constantly

referring to the spirit of those principles in the

”

everyday responsibilities of my job.

28 COLUMBIA LAW SCHOOL

Michael Garcia Bochenek ’95

Columbia Law School Graduates: A Lifetime Connection Four Alumni, Four Public Interest Careers

raduates of Columbia Law School are leaders in social justice law throughout the United States and the world. With an ethical grounding and a deep understanding of the law that was instilled at the Law School, they pursue varied career paths but share

a common goal: to collaborate on developing remedies with those seeking relief from injustice. The four alumni profiled here illustrate the extraordinary array of public interest choices and opportunities that are available to Columbia Law School graduates.

Michael Garcia Bochenek: DRAWING FROM HANDS-ON LEARNING AND ETHICS PREPARATION Michael Garcia Bochenek ’95 is senior counsel to the Children’s Rights Division of Human Rights Watch, focusing on juvenile justice and refugee and migrant children. For Bochenek, the choice to attend Columbia Law School was clear, based on its strong human rights programs. Working with lawyers from all over the world, he says that he is constantly appreciative of the legal education he received, particularly the ability to do hands-on legal work. “I was amazed at the variety of opportunities to work as a student in an applied way—that is, to use my legal training and thinking to assist people directly,” he says. Those opportunities included two clinics—family law, taught by Jane M. Spinak, the Edward Ross Aranow Clinical Professor of Law, and Philip M. Genty, the Everett B. Birch Innovative Teaching Clinical Professor in Professional Responsibility; and fair housing, taught by Professors Mary Marsh Zulack and Conrad Johnson. These clinics served as important building blocks toward becoming a highly effective advocate for clients. In a seminar on prisoners’ rights, Bochenek and his classmates wrote briefs and requests for parole that were used by inmates. Two summer internships through the Human Rights Internship Program allowed him to gain more hands-on experience working with a human rights organization in Zimbabwe and an immigration organization in Laredo, Texas. After graduation, Bochenek received a Sandler Fellowship at Human Rights Watch and spent a year in Washington, D.C., researching prison conditions in Venezuela, Brazil, and Honduras. He served for two years as legal director at the Northwest Immigrants Rights Project Office in Yakima, Washington, and then as a researcher for the Human Rights Watch Children’s Division. From December 2006 to February 2015, Bochenek served as director of policy and then director of law and policy for Amnesty International’s secretariat in London, where he oversaw their strategic litigation, among other responsibilities.

A LIFETIME CONNECTION

Nancy Northup: UNITING REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS WITH INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS As president and chief executive officer of the Center for Reproductive Rights, Nancy Northup ’88 is in an ideal position to pursue the organization’s global efforts to establish reproductive rights as international human rights. Her casework has brought Northup back to the strong human rights experience she gained at Columbia Law School. Northup applied to the Law School knowing she wanted to be a civil rights lawyer and have the opportunity to study with the iconic civil rights leader and scholar Professor Jack Greenberg ’48. She says he was as “inspira-

“

tional and motivating” as she expected. An internship through the Human Rights Internship Program was also

The Human Rights

influential, taking her to the Jamaica Council for Human Rights, where she worked on death penalty and police

Internship was a

brutality cases.

phenomenal opportunity.

Early in her career, Northup worked as a federal prosecutor with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern

So was the chance to

District of New York. She then directed the Democracy Program at the newly formed Brennan Center for Justice.

take a course on

One of her greatest accomplishments was to represent a group of 600,000 people in Florida who had lost the

lawyering in South Africa with Arthur Chaskalson, at the time a public interest lawyer in South Africa who

right to vote because of felony convictions. Although that particular case was not successful, she explains, a very important movement was galvanized to recognize that people should not be deprived of the right to vote for their entire lives. Since Northup joined the Center for Reproductive Rights in 2003, there has been a growing acknowledgment of reproductive rights as human rights, both in national courts and in regional and international human rights bodies, such as the United Nations.

became one of the

“My work today involves many of the same principles I encountered in my human rights internships at the Law

first justices on

School,” Northup says. Moreover, she adds, Columbia’s rigorous intellectual engagement and encouragement to

the South African

think creatively and broadly about the law serves her well in her current role.

Constitutional Court and later chief justice of

Mariann Meier Wang:

South Africa.

FROM CLINIC STUDENT TO FOUNDING LAW FIRM PARTNER

”

Nancy Northup ’88

“My career is proof that you can do many different things with a public interest education,” says Mariann Meier Wang ’96, who worked at the American Civil Liberties Union’s Reproductive Freedom Project, and then at Interights in London, before settling into her career. Public interest law was always Wang’s goal. But her aspirations were cemented one day near the end of her first year of Law School when she attended a talk by Theodore M. Shaw ’79, then legal director of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund and a former Law School faculty member. “That’s when I put it all together—that I was sure I wanted to use the law to help people who don’t have the tools to assert their rights,” she says.

30 COLUMBIA LAW SCHOOL

Wang’s participation in a clinic on fair housing was her most important experience at the Law School. “As a student in a clinic, you see the tangible and meaningful results of what you’ve been learning in the classroom,” she says. “It helps you figure out how to use the cases you’ve been studying to really help someone get results.” Wang is a founding partner at Cuti Hecker Wang. She focuses much of her practice on civil rights litigation, including sexual and racial assaults and harassment, childhood sexual abuse, employment and housing discrimination, labor law violations, police misconduct, First Amendment cases, prisoners’ rights, and sexualorientation discrimination.

Anurima Bhargava: REFORMING THE NATION’S PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM Anurima Bhargava ’02 firmly believes that education plays a vital role in a healthy, thriving society. Ensuring that the education system serves everyone equally always struck her as an ideal career option. “I knew I wanted to do something involving the public schools around the country,” says Bhargava, chief of the educational opportunities section of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “But I didn’t know what that would be.” When she enrolled at Columbia Law School, education was one of several areas of public interest law Bhargava studied. In addition to participating in a wide variety of courses, she interned at the Justice Department and, later, at the Legal Resources Centre in South Africa, where much of her work focused on helping the country adjust to what was then a new national constitution. “The Law School offered all the different elements I was looking for,” she says, “a very strong legal education, a plethora of extracurricular activities, and an open pathway to figure out the way in which I wanted to engage in public service.” Following a clerkship at the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, Bhargava decided to focus her efforts on improving public schools. In 2003, she joined the New York City Department of Education as a staff attorney, an experience that offered her an inside look at how to overcome obstacles that can inhibit education reform. Then, one year later, she took a position with the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund (LDF), where she eventually became director of the organization’s education practice. At the LDF, Bhargava worked to increase educational opportunities for students of color and participated in the litigation surrounding several U.S. Supreme Court cases. Now, at the Justice Department, she continues working to reform the nation’s public school system—where half the students living in urban areas do not graduate from high school, she notes. “If we don’t fix public education, we start out so far behind in dealing with other issues,” Bhargava says. “The question is: How do we actually get our schools to serve our children?”

A LIFETIME CONNECTION

“Public interest–minded

Columbia Law School graduates find that their

relationships with the Law School grow and deepen throughout their careers.” 32 COLUMBIA LAW SCHOOL

Supporting Students and Graduates Throughout Their Education and Careers

n addition to Columbia Law School’s excellent need-based financial aid program, a variety of programs and initiatives support and encourage public interest law students throughout their education and their careers.

Public Interest Fellowships Columbia Law School awards Public Interest Fellowships equal to full tuition to admitted students who demonstrate both a commitment to using their education to work for social justice and substantial ability to become leaders. Fellows are automatically accepted into the Human Rights Internship Program for two summers and receive other benefits. They are expected to work in public interest law for at least the first 10 years after graduation. In addition, Columbia Law School awards the Tony Patiño Fellowship, a merit scholarship of at least $10,000 per year, to incoming students who demonstrate leadership, a commitment to public service, and outstanding academic and personal achievement. Upon graduation, fellows join a distinguished network of accomplished students and alumni who can help navigate the transition from law school and provide professional advice thereafter.

Guaranteed Summer Funding Because Columbia Law School believes that undertaking summer public interest work at organizations that cannot compensate students is so important, funding is guaranteed for domestic and international public service work to every J.D. student who obtains qualifying employment. Summer funding allows students the flexibility to go overseas, to anywhere in the U.S., or to stay in New York City, where they can work at the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office or the national office of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, among many other offices.

Loan Repayment Assistance Program The Law School offers a Loan Repayment Assistance Program (LRAP) that is among the most generous in the country. This is to ensure that debt does not prevent Columbia Law School graduates from entering the public sector. The Law School provides all graduates who enter qualifying public interest employment within seven years of graduation with interest-free loans to repay a large portion of law school debt. Loans are gradually forgiven after three years and completely forgiven after five years, as long as the graduate remains in public interest law. Unlike programs at many other schools, LRAP has no salary cap, and there is also an earnings floor below which no contributions are required.

Postgraduate Fellowships Experience gained in clerkships and prestigious postgraduate fellowships are an ideal way to start a career, and Columbia Law School public interest students receive many highly selective clerkships and fellowship awards. Our

A LIFETIME CONNECTION

students also obtain positions in the honors programs of federal agencies—including the Department of Justice and the Environmental Protection Agency—and other highly competitive government and public interest jobs. In addition, Columbia Law School, its faculty, and its graduates, as well as their firms, families, and friends, have created fellowships that allow recent graduates to begin public interest careers around the world. These fellowships further bolster the many initiatives the Law School has established to support graduates in their career goals in public interest law and government. They include: HUMAN RIGHTS FELLOWSHIPS • The

Sandler Fellowship at Human Rights Watch was created in honor of Judge

Leonard H. Sandler ’50. • The

David W. Leebron Human Rights Fellowships, honoring the Law School’s former dean,

enable two Columbia Law School graduates to spend one year working in human rights in the United States or abroad. • The

Greater China Public Interest Fellowship funds a year working with a public interest organization

in China for Columbia Law School graduates. NEW YORK CITY FELLOWSHIPS • The

Kirkland & Ellis New York City Public Service Fellowships provide outstanding Columbia

Law School students the opportunity to pursue postgraduate public service that meets serious human needs in New York City for one year. • Chadbourne

& Parke sponsors a fellow to work on-site at The Door for a period of approximately

16 months. The Door is New York City’s premier youth development agency, and serves young people, aged 12–21, primarily from low-income families.

Staying Connected: Support for Alumni Continues Throughout Their Careers Public interest–minded Columbia Law School graduates find that their relationships with the Law School grow and deepen throughout their careers. Social Justice Initiatives (SJI) provides extensive career counseling to alumni actively seeking new employment or merely brainstorming about the full range of professional options. SJI’s staff of professional career counselors in New York and a team of graduates who serve as part-time career advisers throughout the country provide guidance and connections to the Law School’s worldwide network of public interest lawyers. Alumni are encouraged to reach out to the staff with questions about particular organizations or government positions and for help sharpening their résumés and interviewing strategies. Because it may be difficult to balance job hunting with busy work schedules, career counseling staff meet with alumni anywhere in the New York City area, or by telephone. The Law School’s new online National Social Justice Network helps graduates in full-time or pro bono public interest work to find and keep in touch with one another and with faculty and administrators who share their interests. It also lets students reach out to graduates for mentorship and collaboration in working on social justice issues. Columbia Law School has produced some of the most important legal scholars in the country, and the Careers in Law Teaching Program is committed to continuing that tradition. The program advises and guides graduates who are in the highly competitive academic job market, and exposes students to the possibility of teaching careers. The program’s coordinators and other faculty help alumni best represent themselves to potential employers, showcase their past scholarship, and cultivate valuable recommendations from their former professors.

34 COLUMBIA LAW SCHOOL

To get started on your own path to studying public interest law, please contactare Social at Columbia Law School. The following linksJustice to moreInitiatives information about admissions, public interest law courses and programs mentioned in this brochure. SOCIAL JUSTICE INITIATIVES

Ellen P. Chapnick, Dean 435 West 116 Street, Box B-26 New York, NY 10027 Phone: 212-854-8484 Email: socialjustice@law.columbia.edu www.law.columbia.edu/social-justice

For Additional Information: APPLICATIONS AND FINANCIAL AID

Center for Institutional and Social Change

Admissions to the J.D. Program

www.law.columbia.edu/institutional-social-change

www.law.columbia.edu/admissions/jd Loan Repayment Assistance Program for Public Interest Lawyers www.law.columbia.edu/finaid/LRAP Other Financial Aid www.law.columbia.edu/financial-aid Graduate Legal Studies (LL.M. and J.S.D.) www.law.columbia.edu/admissions/graduate-legal-studies

Center for Intersectionality and Social Policy Studies www.law.columbia.edu/intersectionality Center for Public Research and Leadership www.law.columbia.edu/public-research-leadership Center for the Study of Law and Culture www.law.columbia.edu/law-culture Center on Crime, Community, and Law www.law.columbia.edu/crime-community-law

CURRICULUM

Curriculum Guide www.law.columbia.edu/courses Clinical Legal Education www.law.columbia.edu/clinics Externships www.law.columbia.edu/social-justice/externships International Study Programs www.law.columbia.edu/international-programs

Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment www.law.columbia.edu/center-sustainable-investment Edson Queiroz Foundation Mediation Program www.law.columbia.edu/mediation Human Rights Institute www.law.columbia.edu/human-rights-institute Kernochan Center for Law, Media and the Arts www.law.columbia.edu/kernochan National State Attorneys General Program

CENTERS AND RELATED PROGRAMS OF INTEREST

www.law.columbia.edu/attorneys-general

Careers in Law Teaching Program

Sabin Center for Climate Change Law

www.law.columbia.edu/law-teaching

www.law.columbia.edu/climate-change

Center for Constitutional Governance

Student Organizations

www.law.columbia.edu/constitutional-governance

www.law.columbia.edu/student-organizations

Center for Gender and Sexuality Law www.law.columbia.edu/gender-sexuality

ÂŠ 2015, The Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York Produced by the Columbia Law School Office of Communications and Public Affairs

435 West 116th Street New York, NY 10027 www.law.columbia.edu Follow us on Twitter @ColumbiaLaw