An introduction
2017
C ON TEN TS 3
A Message from the Dean of Admissions
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A Proud Tradition
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Intellectual Vitality
11 Experiential Learning 12 Exceptional Colleagues 14 Academics and Student Life 17 The Law School Experience 18 The Columbia Community 19 New York City 20 Careers after Columbia 23 The Curriculum 27 Application Information and Financial Resources 28 Come Visit Us
T
here may be no other law school that brings together people of such talent and uncommon
commitment, from such a remarkable diversity of cultural backgrounds and perspectives, in such an invigorating place to live and learn, as Columbia Law School. To study law at Columbia is to be a member of an exceptional community that provides students with an education long renowned for its intellectual rigor and high standards. Columbia law students are enriched by learning from an eminent faculty and by collaborating with remarkable classmates, stimulated by immersion in their distinctive environs, supported by abundant resources, and inspired by the Law School’s tradition of leadership in shaping world events and human affairs.
AN INTRODUCTION | COLUMBIA LAW SCHOOL
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A M E S S AGE FR O M T HE DEAN OF ADMISSIONS Welcome to the Columbia Law School community. We appreciate your interest in our Law School and look forward to assisting you as you plan your legal career. Columbia is a very special place to pursue a legal education; I would like to share three factors that make it a privilege for me to have attended and, now, work at the Law School—the exceptional legal training we provide, our remarkable students, and our incomparable location. Throughout its storied history, Columbia Law School has remained committed to the pursuit of excellence and its command of academic vitality. Columbia offers a challenging yet supportive environment where theory and practice converge; where coursework is both vast in scope and substantive in depth; where teaching by renowned scholars is the very cornerstone of the academic experience; and where opportunities to become immersed in the legal intricacies affecting our local neighborhood or the far reaches of the globe abound equally. Our students are the perfect complement (and, perhaps, compliment) to our esteemed faculty—they are bright, engaged,
Nkonye Iwerebon
and wildly talented. Their varied backgrounds are the veritable hallmark of our Law School’s institutional character. Though the nature of each student’s journey to Columbia is unique, a genuine sense of community is nevertheless engendered on our campus from the moment our entering class arrives in the fall. Equipped with the shared goals of engaging in superior legal scholarship and training, while also developing close friendships and professional relationships along the way, our students pride themselves on the reciprocal, dynamic process of learning from one another. The Law School campus provides a comfortable and lively atmosphere for students, faculty, and administrators alike. And the larger campus extends beyond the immediate environs of Columbia to the broader setting of New York City—a center of innovation where forward-thinking people thrive. What an incredible opportunity to have the United Nations, Wall Street, Harlem, Broadway, and Greenwich Village as a backdrop for learning. We invite you to learn more about the Law School by perusing our website, creating a personalized online “My Columbia Law” account and, if you are able, touring our campus, attending classes, talking to our students, or attending one of our admissions information sessions offered throughout the fall and early winter. As you complete our application, I also encourage you to use this process as an opportunity to learn something about yourself—your strengths, your character, your ideals; you might even surprise yourself! We look forward to hearing from you.
Warm wishes,
Nkonye Iwerebon ’93 Dean of Admissions
AN INTRODUCTION | CO L U M B I A L AW S CH O O L
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A PRO U D T R A DI TI O N Columbia Law School was formally established in 1858 after more than sixty years of law instruction at Columbia College. From its inception, the Law School encouraged its students and faculty to mold the law, not merely convey it. Today, more than 150 years after Columbia Law School was founded, this philosophy is reflected in the contributions our graduates have made to public service, business, education, technology, philanthropy, and the arts, shaping culture and human progress throughout the world.
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C O L UM BIA L AW SC HOOL | AN INTRODUCTION
1754 COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY, FORMERLY KNOWN AS KING’S COLLEGE, WAS FOUNDED NEAR THE PRESENT SITE OF NEW YORK’S CITY HALL.
1993 COLUMBIA BECAME THE FIRST LAW SCHOOL TO INSTITUTE A PRO-BONO REQUIREMENT FOR ALL ITS LAW STUDENTS.
1994 COLUMBIA WAS THE FIRST U.S. LAW SCHOOL TO ESTABLISH A DOUBLE-DEGREE PROGRAM, PROVIDING ITS PARTICIPANTS WITH BOTH A U.S. JURIS DOCTOR AND A FOREIGN LAW DEGREE.
2014 COLUMBIA LAW SCHOOL INTRODUCED THE IMMIGRANTS’ RIGHTS CLINIC, CONNECTING STUDENTS WITH CLIENTS WHO NEED LIFE-ALTERING LEGAL ASSISTANCE.
2015 GILLIAN LESTER COMMENCES HER TENURE AS THE FIFTEENTH DEAN OF COLUMBIA LAW SCHOOL.
1858 COLUMBIA LAW SCHOOL WAS FOUNDED AS ONE OF THE FIRST LAW SCHOOLS IN THE UNITED STATES.
1897 COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY MOVED TO ITS CURRENT LOCATION IN MORNINGSIDE HEIGHTS.
1986 PROFESSOR BARBARA BLACK ’55 WAS APPOINTED DEAN OF COLUMBIA LAW SCHOOL, BECOMING THE FIRST WOMAN TO LEAD AN IVY LEAGUE LAW SCHOOL.
1984 COLUMBIA LAW SCHOOL ESTABLISHED THE HUMAN RIGHTS INTERNSHIP PROGRAM.
1998 PROFESSOR LOUIS HENKIN FOUNDED THE HUMAN RIGHTS INSTITUTE, SERVING AS THE FOCAL POINT OF INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS EDUCATION, SCHOLARSHIP, AND PRACTICE AT COLUMBIA LAW SCHOOL.
2016
HARLAN FISKE STONE, WHO LATER WAS CHIEF JUSTICE OF THE U.S. SUPREME COURT, BECAME DEAN OF THE LAW SCHOOL.
1954 JACK GREENBERG ‘48, IN HIS CAPACITY AS COUNSEL FOR THE NAACP, ARGUED BROWN V. BOARD OF EDUCATION BEFORE THE U.S. SUPREME COURT.
1927 THE FIRST WOMEN ENROLLED AT THE LAW SCHOOL.
1928 THE PARKER SCHOOL OF FOREIGN AND COMPARATIVE LAW WAS FORMED, STRENGTHENING COLUMBIA’S LEADING ROLE IN THE STUDY OF INTERNATIONAL LAW.
2003
2006
2009
THE CAREERS IN LAW TEACHING PROGRAM WAS FORMALLY ESTABLISHED.
COLUMBIA LAW SCHOOL CREATED THE NATION’S FIRST SEXUALITY AND GENDER LAW CLINIC.
COLUMBIA LAW SCHOOL INTRODUCED THE CENTER FOR CLIMATE CHANGE LAW.
COLUMBIA LAW SCHOOL LAUNCHED THE FIRST STUDYABROAD PROGRAM OF ANY U.S. LAW SCHOOL WITH CHINESE UNIVERSITIES— FUDAN AND PEKING.
2013 FILM SCREENING SERIES STARTED TO GIVE STUDENTS AND FACULTY AN OPPORTUNITY TO DISCUSS IMPORTANT LEGAL AND CULTURAL ISSUES IN AN INFORMAL SETTING.
1910
2012 THE LAW SCHOOL REINFORCED TEACHING, SCHOLARSHIP, AND RESOURCES IN THE FIELD OF INTERNATIONAL ARBITRATION WITH THE CENTER FOR INTERNATIONAL COMMERCIAL AND INVESTMENT ARBITRATION LAW.
2011 THE LAW SCHOOL INAUGURATED THE CENTER FOR PUBLIC RESEARCH AND LEADERSHIP, PLAYING AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN PREPARING LEADERS TO PROMOTE PUBLIC-SECTOR CHANGE.
2010 COLUMBIA LAW SCHOOL ANNOUNCED THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT EXTERNSHIP PROGRAM IN D.C., GIVING OUR STUDENTS HANDS-ON EXPERIENCE IN GOVERNMENT LAW OFFICES.
PROFESSOR OLATI JOHNSON IS AWARDED THE PRIZE FOR EXCELLENCE IN TEACHING BY THE GRADUATING LAW SCHOOL CLASS, AS WELL AS THE UNIVERSITY AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING TEACHING, THE FIRST TIME A RECIPIENT HAS WON BOTH AWARDS IN THE SAME YEAR. AN INTRODUCTION | CO L U M B I A L AW S CH O O L
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“Nowhere is there more of a commitment to grappling with the most contemporary, of-the-moment legal issues on the national and international stage than at Columbia Law School.” Matthew Waxman Liviu Librescu Professor of Law; Faculty Chair of the Roger Hertog Program on Law and National Security
Olati Johnson Jerome B. Sherman Professor of Law
INTELLECTUAL VITALITY Columbia law students learn from and are inspired by an eminent faculty and the Law School’s tradition of leadership in shaping world events and human affairs. The breadth and depth of the curricular offerings at Columbia Law School are vast and uniquely robust with respect to many of the most compelling areas of interest in legal scholarship. Like the practice of law at the highest level, the curriculum is global, interdisciplinary, and rigorously practical, and Columbia continues to pioneer programs to meet the needs of an ever-changing world.
“Our innovative teaching blends theory with practice, allowing for engagement with non-legal disciplines while emphasizing the global nature of the legal profession. We seek to graduate leaders determined to forge a just society who are intellectually versatile, emotionally intelligent, and actively engaged in solving the world’s most pressing problems.” Gillian Lester Dean and Lucy G. Moses Professor of Law
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C O L UM BIA L AW SC HOOL | AN INTRODUCTION
Among the diverse curricular offerings, renowned strengths of the Law School include the following academic areas: CORPORATE, SECURITIES, AND TRANSACTIONAL LAW
study of and specialization in the law of
titioners. At the core of the Law School’s
The Law School continues to introduce
gender and sexuality. Professors Suzanne
strength in intellectual property education
innovations in the teaching, scholarship,
B. Goldberg and Katherine M. Franke,
are the Kernochan Center for Law, Media,
and practice of environmental law. Known
two of the country’s leading experts in
& the Arts and the Julius Silver Program in
as a hub for the study of novel regulatory
gender and sexuality law, currently serve
Law, Science, & Technology, whose pro-
ENVIRONMENTAL LAW
approaches to sustaining the environment,
as co-directors of the Law School’s Center
grams serve to bolster the curriculum and
Situated in the financial capital of the
Columbia’s curriculum includes courses on
for Gender and Sexuality Law. Professor
contribute to the broader understanding
world, Columbia Law School affords its
international environmental law, energy law,
Goldberg also serves as the head of the
of the legal aspects of creative works and
students both a theoretical and practical
environmental issues in business transactions,
nation’s first Sexuality and Gender Law
communications, and science and technol-
understanding of study in the areas of
ogy, respectively.
and natural resources law. Moreover, the
Clinic, which provides students cutting-
corporate, securities, and transactional law.
Law School’s Center for Climate Change
edge training in impact litigation, legislative
Led by a faculty with unparalleled expertise
Law was founded in 2009 to advance an
work, and community advocacy.
in the field, course offerings contemplate
effective legal response to global climate
legal and organizational issues in both
NATIONAL SECURITY LAW
In an era marked by globalization, hyper-
change and to train the next generation of
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY LAW
surveillance, terrorism, and shifts in domes-
domestic and international settings, and
leaders in the field. Working with Columbia
The advancement of technology and sci-
tic policy, Columbia Law School stands
in contexts ranging from multi-billion
University‚ the Earth Institute, and Law
ence along with the evolution of media
at the forefront of legal scholarship in
dollar enterprises to small businesses and
School faculty who have depth in the many
and entertainment has led to the burgeon-
national security law. Faculty at the Law
nonprofit organizations. Columbia’s
legal disciplines that must be harnessed
ing field of intellectual property (IP) law.
School share their unique government
tradition of the study and development
to address this critical issue, the Center
Spanning the areas of trademark, copyright,
and policy experience through the Robert
of corporate law continues to thrive with
provides vision and leadership in the field of
technology, and patent law, Columbia Law
Hertog Program on Law and National
climate change law.
School’s faculty are leading scholars in their
Security, founded to promote research
bankruptcy, securities regulation, mergers
respective areas of expertise, and students
and scholarship in the field. The challeng-
and acquisitions, white-collar crime, and
pursuing studies in intellectual property
ing and inventive curriculum in national
The Center for Gender and Sexuality
law are offered a wide selection of courses,
security law includes courses ranging from
Law has established Columbia Law School
hands-on training, and seminars with
Global Constitutionalism to Intelligence,
as the preeminent law school for the
leading domestic and international prac-
Surveillance, and Privacy law.
innovative scholarship in areas such as
antitrust law, among others.
GENDER AND SEXUALITY LAW
AN INTRODUCTION | CO L U M B I A L AW S CH O O L
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INTERNATIONAL, FOREIGN, AND
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COMPARATIVE LAW
Columbia Law School has been “internationalizing” U.S. legal education since its inception and has long been on the cut-
STUDY ABROAD PROGRAMS
ting edge of international and comparative legal scholarship. Columbia was among the first law schools to offer courses in foreign law and comparative legislation, to create international joint degree programs with
COUNTRIES
law schools overseas, and to encourage the enrollment of foreign students. Columbia Law School’s commitment to international and comparative law is especially reflected in the breadth and depth of its permanent faculty and visiting professors; its centers and programs; and its expansive study abroad programs, overseas international joint degree opportunities, and innovative global alliances, all of which have no peer
35 50 TO
STUDENTS SPEND ONE OR TWO SEMESTERS ABROAD EVERY YEAR
among U.S. law schools. Students interested in incorporating overseas study into the exceptional legal training offered by Columbia will find a broad array of international joint degree and semester-abroad opportunities available. Students may also apply to create independent study abroad programs in the country
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ONE-YEAR GLOBAL ALLIANCE PROGRAMS (AMSTERDAM, OXFORD, PARIS)
of their choice in which they can earn credits towards the J.D. degree. Moreover, in keeping with its long-standing leadership in comparative and international programs, Columbia still sets the standard by partnering with four of the world’s preeminent law schools in its groundbreaking Global Alliance Programs.
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C O L UM BIA L AW SC HOOL | AN INTRODUCTION
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INTERNATIONAL JOINT DEGREE PROGRAMS (FRANKFURT, LONDON, PARIS)
69%
PUBLIC INTEREST LAW SERVICES
any legal career—whether it be entering
Columbia Law School believes that the
that supports a strong pro bono practice.
pursuit of social justice should be part of
Moreover, Columbia not only assists
the academic and professional life of every
students to identify and obtain meaningful
Columbia student and graduate. Toward that
summer work, but makes doing so feasible:
end, the Law School offers and continually
every first- and second-year J.D. student
refreshes an innovative public interest law
in a qualifying summer position receives a
curriculum as well as an extensive roster
stipend through the Guaranteed Summer
of clinics, externships, and other academic
Funding Program. Students are able to select
opportunities for hands-on experience in
from a broad range of options (domestic
the field. Our Social Justice Initiatives (SJI)
and international), including criminal
program offers pro bono activities, a robust
prosecution and defense; work on behalf
advising program, and various networking
of not-for-profit organizations; and federal,
opportunities to foster and support a public
state, local, and multinational agencies.
AND PROGRAMS
the public sector or working in a law firm
OF CLASS OF 2016 EXCEEDED COLUMBIA’S 40-HOUR PRO BONO REQUIREMENT
30,380
HOURS OF PRO BONO SERVICE PERFORMED BY CLASS OF 2016 STUDENTS
interest student and graduate community
“The philosophy of Columbia Law School’s Social Justice Initiatives is that there is no single path for students who wish to practice law in the public interest. Indeed, as legal careers are more fluid than ever, we emphasize that many learning and work experiences can be combined to create the career that is just right for each individual.” Ellen Chapnick Dean for Social Justice Initiatives
that is as diverse as it is committed to
As part of every Columbia student’s law
positive social change. SJI regularly brings
school experience, pro bono service allows
leading social justice advocates to campus
students to apply their legal knowledge to
to speak, meet with students, and provide
serve real client and community needs while
practical assistance to students committed to
gaining practical experience and exem-
service in the public interest.
plifying the ethical obligation to perform pro bono work as part of an ongoing legal
In addition, SJI’s advising staff works
career. Supervised pro bono projects engage
closely with students and alumni to plan
with legal service organizations in New York
individualized career paths in public interest,
City, as well as throughout the United States
human rights, and government sectors, and
and the world; these projects address areas
to explore how public service can enrich
such as community economic development, immigration, children’s rights, education law, women’s rights, environmental law, international human rights, criminal law, and more.
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SPRING BREAK CARAVANS IN
15 3
U.S. CITIES AND
COUNTRIES
Spring Break Pro Bono Caravan projects, which take students across the nation and around the world to work with lawyers on Indian reservations, in refugee camps, and in other communities with limited legal resources, have been a vital part of our pro bono offerings for more than 15 years.
100%
OF ELIGIBLE STUDENTS RECEIVED SUMMER FUNDING IN 2016 AN INTRODUCTION | CO L U M B I A L AW S CH O O L
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“Columbia Law School has a long tradition of graduating students unwilling to sit on the sidelines of history or miss an opportunity to work toward—and fight for—justice.” U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder Jr. ’76
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C O L UM BIA L AW SCH OOL | AN INTRODUCTION
“I spent my time at Columbia focused on civil rights and education law, so the opportunity to spend a semester working in the Educational Opportunities Section in the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice during my third year as part of the Federal Government Externship was a true capstone to my legal education. Working full time allowed me to immerse myself in the Section's work and gain a deep understanding of the critical work they do.” Nicole Tortoriello '16
E X P E R IE NT IAL LEAR NING Experiential learning complements
in that they consist of an off-campus
the analytical training acquired in the
field experience at a not-for-profit or
traditional classroom setting and enables
government office in conjunction with
students to develop practical skills that
a closely related substantive seminar
are increasingly sought after in today’s
taught by leading practicing attorneys. In
legal market. By engaging with actual
Columbia’s small workshops, seminars,
clients confronting real problems,
and Deals courses, guest speakers from
students are able to understand legal
the private, public and government
theory and lawyering in greater context.
sectors often present “real life” scenarios
Under the watchful supervision of
that require innovative approaches to
experienced professors, second- and
legal problem-solving. By participating
third-year law students participating in
in simulations of these scenarios and
clinics become counselors, mediators,
taking on the roles of the parties
litigators, and educators as they learn to
involved, students learn the techniques
apply the knowledge they have gained
and negotiations required to draft the
in law school to their clients’ diverse
documents, instruments, and policies
concerns. Externships differ from clinics
necessary to resolve the conflict at hand.
CLINICS
WORKSHOPS AND SEMINARS*
ADOLESCENT REPRESENTATION CHALLENGING THE CONSEQUENCES OF MASS INCARCERATION COMMUNITY ENTERPRISE ENVIRONMENTAL LAW HUMAN RIGHTS IMMIGRANTS’ RIGHTS INCARCERATION AND THE FAMILY LAWYERING IN THE DIGITAL AGE MEDIATION SEXUALITY AND GENDER LAW
THE ART OF THE DEAL AND TRANSACTIONAL LEGAL STRATEGIES ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES IN BUSINESS TRANSACTIONS INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY IN THE DIGITAL AGE NATIONAL SECURITY INVESTIGATIONS AND PROSECUTIONS NEGOTIATION WORKSHOP PROBLEMS IN PHILOSOPHY OF LAW CIVIL RIGHTS LAWYERING IN THE MODERN ERA: THEORY AND PRACTICE
EXTERNSHIPS* ARTS LAW BRONX DEFENDERS: HOLISTIC DEFENSE CITY AND STATE POLICY ADVOCACY COMMUNITY DEFENSE CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS ENFORCEMENT: CAPITAL PUNISHMENT, LIFE IMPRISONMENT AND POST-CONVICTION RELIEF COPYRIGHT DISPUTE RESOLUTION CRIMINAL APPEALS DOMESTIC VIOLENCE PROSECUTION FEDERAL APPELLATE COURT FEDERAL COURT CLERK: EASTERN AND SOUTHERN DISTRICTS OF NEW YORK FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IN WASHINGTON, D.C.
FEDERAL PROSECUTION: U.S. ATTORNEY’S OFFICE, EASTERN AND SOUTHERN DISTRICTS OF NEW YORK IMMIGRATION DEFENSE NEW YORK ATTORNEY GENERAL’S OFFICE: ADVANCING SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE PRO BONO PRACTICE AND DESIGN REPRESENTING NYC: NEW YORK CITY LAW DEPARTMENT TRUSTS, WILLS, AND ESTATE PLANNING UNDOCUMENTED AND UNACCOMPANIED IMMIGRANT YOUTH UNITED NATIONS
*sampling AN INTRODUCTION | CO L U M B I A L AW S CH O O L
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E X C E PTI O NA L COLLEA GUES A compelling reason to study law at Columbia is the opportunity to learn with the exceptional people who comprise its community. In selecting students and appointing faculty, Columbia chooses individuals with extraordinary intellectual gifts and outstanding academic credentials. Fired by a sense of pride and a spirit of service, the constituents of Columbia Law School consider themselves to be hands-on participants in building legal systems and social organizations that protect justice and promote opportunity for all.
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C O L UM BIA L AW SCH OOL | AN INTRODUCTION
STUDENT PROFILE*
47% 41% 49 32 72 181 WOMEN
STUDENTS OF COLOR
STATES + D.C. & PUERTO RICO
COUNTRIES
UNDERGRADUATE MAJORS
COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES
*AS REPRESENTED BY THE 1L, 2L, AND 3L CLASSES DURING THE 2015-2016 ACADEMIC YEAR
AN INTRODUCTION | CO L U M B I A L AW S CH O O L
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“I’ve taught at four other law schools and there is just no question in my mind that Columbia’s student body brings to the educational experience a great deal more diversity, initiative, energy, ambition, confidence, and individuality. There is a kind of resilience and independence about people who choose to attend Columbia that I think adds a lot to my education year by year.” Vincent Blasi Corliss Lamont Professor of Civil Liberties
JOINT DEGREE PROGRAMS WITH COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY
ACA D E M IC S AND ST UDENT LIFE In both traditional and emerging fields of law,
entire university system, and may apply up
take students for coffee breaks or meals
Columbia professors are at the forefront of
to 12 credits of graduate-level course work
whenever possible. Columbia further
developing and interpreting legal issues and
or undergraudate-level language course
promotes the development of a vibrant and
precedents that stand as great consequence
work from any other part of the University
inclusive community within the student
to society. But the Law School’s overriding
toward their J.D. degree.
body. On a typical school day, student
commitment continues to be as a teaching
groups host a broad range of lectures, panels,
institution. Faculty members are accessible to
Beyond the classroom, students work with
and social events that law students often
students within and beyond the classroom, and
professors as research assistants and on their
attend. Signature community moments
a considerable portion of a student’s learning
own writing projects, thus participating
include pumpkin carving in the fall;
at Columbia takes place on a small scale. Of
in theoretical and practical endeavors that
Thanksgiving Gratitude Pies, where the
course, one of the many advantages enjoyed
advance legal scholarship and the practice of
entire community is invited to pick up a pie
by Columbia law students is participation
law. The Law School makes special efforts
to send with a note of thanks to someone
in the life of a renowned university.
to bring students and faculty together
in the community; and Midnight Pancakes
Second- and third-year law students are
socially as well. The academic year begins
served by administrative deans and faculty
encouraged to take advantage of the
with a gala welcome dinner for first-year
members during December final exams.
expansive offerings available throughout the
students, and faculty are encouraged to
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C O L UM BIA L AW SCH OOL | AN INTRODUCTION
GRADUATE SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCES (M.PHIL. OR PH.D. IN SELECT PROGRAMS) GRADUATE SCHOOL OF BUSINESS: 3AND 4-YEAR PROGRAMS (M.B.A.) SCHOOL OF INTERNATIONAL AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS (M.I.A., M.P.A., AND SPECIAL PROGRAMS) GRADUATE SCHOOL OF JOURNALISM (M.S.) SCHOOL OF THE ARTS (M.F.A. IN THEATRE MANAGEMENT AND PRODUCING) MAILMAN SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH (M.P.H.) SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK (M.S.W.) SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE, PLANNING AND PRESERVATION (M.S. IN URBAN PLANNING)
100+ 14 9
STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS
AFFINITY GROUPS
MOOT COURT COMPETITIONS OFFERED BY THE LAW SCHOOL
28 14 170 8 -10
ACADEMIC CENTERS AND INSTITUTES
LAW REVIEWS AND JOURNALS
SMALL SEMINARS AVERAGING 14 STUDENTS
STUDENTS PER CLINIC ON AVERAGE
“Columbia does an excellent job supporting student groups. By letting them self-regulate programming, the Law School empowers its students to find issues they care about and to build leadership skills, creating a powerful community of advocates in the process.” Allen Davis ‘16 AN INTRODUCTION | CO L U M B I A L AW S CH O O L
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C O L UM BIA L AW SCH OOL | AN INTRODUCTION
T H E LA W SCHOO L E X PERIENCE The Columbia experience is characterized not only by the students and faculty but also by the larger campus community, New York City, and the exemplary and innovative disciplines offered at the Law School. While on campus, students participate in a vast array of extracurricular activities, student groups, and academic programs, learning with and from one another both inside and outside of the classroom. Beyond the gates of the University, students experience all that New York City has to offer, regularly taking advantage of the abundant cultural and intellectual riches of one of the world’s most exciting cities.
AN INTRODUCTION | CO L U M B I A L AW S CH O O L
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THE C O L U M B IA C O M MUNIT Y Making its home in Morningside Heights on
discover how family-oriented the Morningside
Manhattan’s Upper West Side, only a few
Heights neighborhood is. In reality, it is a
blocks northwest of Central Park, bordering
small college town nestled within an
Riverside Park and the Hudson River,
international capital.
Columbia benefits from a culturally diverse neighborhood with a spirit all its own.
Housing accommodations for Law School students are excellent in terms of availability,
Columbia faculty and students value highly
quality, variety, convenience, and—relative
the diversity, unpretentiousness, and safety
to other New York City law schools—
of Morningside Heights. Some visitors and
affordability. All admitted first-year law
newcomers to Columbia who had envisioned
students who apply for housing by the stated
faculty and students commuting an appreciable
deadline are guaranteed housing for all three
distance to the University are surprised to
years of law school.
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C O L UM BIA L AW SCH OOL | AN INTRODUCTION
NEW YOR K C IT Y As an urban center, New York City is
With their many strengths and abilities,
representative of the many hopes, challenges,
Columbia law students contribute to the life of
and opportunities facing individuals and
New York City as much as they draw from it.
societies around the world. As such, it provides
The Law School actively encourages students
a vast living laboratory for students’ personal
to delve into the surrounding metropolis
and professional growth. Living and studying
and contribute their talents to the city
in New York, students find their intellectual
through internships, clinics, pro bono work,
assumptions and cultural preferences examined
and community service. By cultivating and
and challenged as never before.
maintaining an extensive network of alumni in all five boroughs, Columbia Law School proudly supports students in these activities.
AN INTRODUCTION | CO L U M B I A L AW S CH O O L
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C A RE E RS AFTER C OLU M B I A Columbia Law School is proud of its ability to provide students with a wide variety of career possibilities across various segments of the legal industry and beyond. Students are placed in all fields, including private sector law practice, the judiciary, government, human and civil rights, business, and academics. Whatever the students’ interests, the Law School has a team of experts whose primary focus is to assist and facilitate their professional aspirations.
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C O L UM BIA L AW SCH OOL | AN INTRODUCTION
OFFICE OF CAREER SERVICES AND
JUDICIAL CLERKSHIP PROGRAM
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
97.6%
OF 2015 GRADUATES EMPLOYED 10 MONTHS AFTER GRADUATION
PLACEMENT SUMMARY: CLASS OF 2015
The Law School consistently places a
Columbia’s Office of Career Services and
significant number of its students in one or
Professional Development offers a number
more federal and state court clerkships, to
of invaluable resources to students interested
begin a few months after graduation or one
in practicing in the private sector. Among
or two years thereafter. These clerkships
other things, counselors help students
include postings with the U.S. Supreme
develop job search strategies, assist in
Court and federal circuit and district courts,
preparing résumés and cover letters, and
as well as an array of state and specialty
conduct interview training.
courts. In any given year, approximately 100 Columbia Law School graduates begin
Through the Early Interview Program, job
clerkships with members of the federal and
postings, and other recruitment programs,
state judiciaries.
students have the opportunity to meet and interview with a large number of employers
The Law School has a Director of Judicial
in both the private and public sectors.
Clerkships who, in collaboration with a
Nearly 700 interviewers, from almost every
Faculty Clerkship Committee, develops
large urban center around the world and
programs in which judges, faculty, and
more than 70 cities within the United
alumni/ae help educate students about
States, conduct approximately 12,000
clerkship opportunities and experiences.
interviews with Columbia’s law students
The Law School provides individualized
during these programs.
clerkship counseling for students and maintains a large library of clerkship-
SOCIAL JUSTICE INITIATIVES
related resources, as well as extensive online
Social Justice Initiatives (SJI) assists students
services, to further aid students in the
individually and through programming
application process.
to explore the role of a public interest lawyer in nonprofit organizations, government agencies, international human rights organizations, academia, and other areas, including pro bono service in private law firms. SJI is available to provide support and advice through individual one-on-one ad77.7% LAW FIRMS 6.7% PUBLIC INTEREST 6.7% JUDICIAL CLERKSHIP 5.2% GOVERNMENT 3.5% BUSINESS 0.2% ACADEMIA
vising, group information sessions, and yearround public interest programming. Among other services, SJI works with students to help craft their résumés and conducts mock interviews and related activities to facilitate
“The Columbia faculty was instrumental in my clerkship application process. Professors willingly and freely took time to navigate the competitive hiring process. I can safely say that I would not have secured my clerkships without the Columbia faculty, their support, and Columbia’s robust connections with the judiciary.” Dennis Fan ’15 Law Clerk, Judge Denny Chin (2d. Cir.) for 2015; Law Clerk, Judge James E. Boasberg (D.D.C.) for 2016
public sector job placement. AN INTRODUCTION | CO L U M B I A L AW S CH O O L
21
CAREERS IN LAW TEACHING
in the law school teaching market. Support
During the spring semester, the Program
The Teaching Program also offers semester
includes counseling sessions, assistance
turns its attention to current students. More
and year-long fellowships for graduates who
Columbia Law School ranks third among
in preparing application materials,
than half the faculty participate in weekly
wish to transition from practice to teaching
the nation’s law schools in the number of
individualized advice at every point in the
lunchtime workshops on selected topics
but who have not had the time to develop
its graduates who have become members
process, and a special full day Moot Job
aimed at introducing students to short- and
their scholarship. Each year, several Teaching
of the legal academy. The faculty and
Talk Workshop. In 2015, more than 40
long-term strategies for preparing for the
Program Fellows are in residence at the
Law School alumni in teaching are
faculty members and 10 Law School alumni
law school teaching market. Sessions include
Law School, working with faculty on their
enthusiastically committed to continuing
participated in this event, helping candidates
such subjects as developing a scholarly
research projects and participating in the
this long tradition. Beginning in the early
sharpen their job presentations.
agenda, pedagogy, the J.D./Ph.D. path, and
ongoing intellectual life of the Law School
summer, attention is devoted to those Law
the transition from practice to the academy
through such activities as attending and
School graduates seeking an opportunity
(in both public and private law).
presenting at faculty research workshops.
PROGRAM
22
C O L UM BIA L AW SCH OOL | AN INTRODUCTION
“Starting right away with Legal Methods in your first year at Columbia, followed by the foundation curriculum, you get to take classes as a 1L student with some of the best legal minds in the world. The professors at Columbia are not only expert scholars, they are incredible teachers who use various instruction methods to ensure their students understand the intricacies of whatever area of law they teach.”
THE CURRICULUM
Melanie Jolson ‘16 AN INTRODUCTION | CO L U M B I A L AW S CH O O L
23
FIRST-YEAR FOUNDATION CURRICULUM Fall Semester Legal Methods: This three-week intensive course, which typically begins in mid-August, serves as an introduction to legal institutions and processes and the skills necessary for professional interpretation of case law and legislation. Incoming law students are indoctrinated into the sources, forms, and development of Anglo-American law, the analysis and synthesis of judicial precedents, the interpretation of statutes, the coordination of judgemade and statute law, and the uses of legal reasoning. Legal Practice Workshop I: Taken in conjunction with Legal Methods, this course provides intensive training in the research, writing, and analytical skills needed in legal practice through written assignments placed in practice contexts, seminar discussions, and personal conferences. Civil Procedure: Students learn the principal elements of the civil litigation process, including elements of a fair procedural system, jurisdiction over parties, phases of a lawsuit with an emphasis on pleadings, discovery and pre-trial adjudication, subject matter jurisdiction, the effects of prior adjudication, complex litigation, and alternatives to formal adjudication. Contracts: An introductory course in contract law, this course focuses on consideration and other bases for enforcing promises, the bargaining process including precontractual liability, the requirement of a writing (statute of frauds), policing the bargain for unfairness, remedies for breach of contract, performance and breach, and failure of basic assumptions (mistake, impracticability, frustration). Other topics that are explored are within the context of construction contracts, contracts for the sale of goods, contracts for the sale of land, employment agreements, family agreements, and other significant types of agreements. Torts: An introduction to the different bases of tort liability, the various functions of tort law, and the relationship of tort law to other legal areas, students investigate noncontractual wrongs for which private compensation is sought under the common law, including negligence, strict liability, intentional torts, defamation, and the right of privacy. Spring Semester Required Courses
Constitutional Law: This course introduces students to constitutional law, providing a foundation for more specialized courses on the Constitution and for public law courses generally. It explores the theory of the Constitution and its antecedents; judicial review, in terms of its justification and development, as well as its legal and political significance; the nature of our federal system, the growth of national power and of limitations on state authority, and the abiding significance of the states; the separation of powers and varieties of checks and balances in the U.S. government; and the theory and content of individual rights under the 24
Constitution, the development of the principal rights over 200 years by Constitutional amendment and judicial interpretation, and the jurisprudence of the Judiciary in its role as the guardian of rights under the Constitution and under civil rights acts. Criminal Law: Often viewed as a device for controlling socially undesirable behavior, criminal law, its major problems, and its administration are explored in this course, with an emphasis on the issues that necessarily arise in the formation and application of a satisfactory penal code. Foundation Year Moot Court: Part of the requirement for the Legal Practice Workshop, each student is required to write a brief and argue the case orally. The Foundation Moot Court requirement may alternatively be met by satisfactory participation in an equivalent intermural moot court competition, upon prior approval of the Faculty Director of the Moot Court Program. Legal Practice Workshop II: A continuation of the research, writing, and analysis skills built in Legal Practice Workshop I, this course emphasizes appellate advocacy. Students research, write, and argue an appellate brief through the Foundation Year Moot Court program or one of the alternative intermural competitions. Property: A central social institution, property law poses fundamental questions about efficiency and fairness that are mediated through the legal system. This course examines the nature of ownership, government regulation, and the legal devices for allocation and development of land resources. The evolution of today’s questions—ownership of music, control of body parts and of endangered species, and rights to spectrum, among many others—are considered, applying traditional legal concepts. Elective Course Options
First-year students are able to choose one elective course during the spring semester. Recent offerings have included: Administrative Law Advanced Contracts American Legal History Antitrust and Trade Regulation Commercial Finance Constitution and Foreign Affairs Corporations Critical Legal Thought Empirical Analysis of Law Evidence Family Law Federal Income Taxation Global Constitutionalism Human Rights International Law Japanese Law and Legal Institutions Labor Law Law and Development Law and Neoliberalism
C O L UM BIA L AW SCH OOL | AN INTRODUCTION
Law and Contemporary Society Lawyering for Change Transnational Litigation For detailed course descriptions, please refer to our online Curriculum Guide (law.columbia.edu /courses). UPPERCLASS CURRICULUM The following list of courses, seminars, and clinics constitute the course of study originally approved by the Faculty of Law for the academic years 20152016 and 2016-2017. You can expect some changes to be made. To view the official and updated course of study, please consult our online Curriculum Guide (law.columbia.edu/courses), where you will find comprehensive descriptions of the curriculum, special programs, law journals, and opportunities for independent study, community externships, court clerkships, and moot court experiences. Administrative Law and Public Policy
Administrative Law Disability Law Educational Equality: The Role of Law Energy Regulation Health Law Immigration Law Lawyering for Change Legislation and Regulation Refugee Law and Policy Regulation of Financial Institutions Securities Regulation The Media Industries: Public Policy and Business Strategy Seminars: Advanced Securities Regulation Advanced Seminar on State Attorneys General Antitrust in Action Constitutional War Powers Contracts, Collaboration, and Interpretation Democracy and Distribution False Advertising Law Food Law and Policy Genetics and the Law Information Privacy Latin America: Challenges to Progress Law and Policy of Homelessness Law Enforcement, Regulation, and Compliance: Role of the State Attorneys General Law of the City of New York Law, Media, and Public Policy Mental Health Law Public Education Policy Seminar and Practicum Public Law Workshop Race and Poverty Law US Civil and Criminal Enforcement of International Cartels Vision, Action and Social Change Civil Procedure and Dispute Resolution
Admiralty Law Civil Procedure
Evidence International Commercial Arbitration Torts Transnational Litigation Seminars: Advanced Civil Procedure: Scholarly and Lawyerly Perspectives Advanced International Commercial Arbitration Advanced Seminar on State Attorneys General Advanced Trial Practice Class Actions Construction Industry Law: Transactional Practice, Dispute Avoidance and Resolution International Arbitration in Latin America International Investment Arbitration Interplay of Civil and Criminal Law Law Enforcement, Regulation, and Compliance: Role of the State Attorneys General Native Peacemaking Negotiation Workshop New York Civil Practice Science and the Courts Trial Practice Commercial, Corporate, and Securities Law
Advanced Corporate Law Advanced Corporate Law: Mergers and Acquisitions American Contract Law Antitrust and Trade Regulation Bankruptcy Law Capital Markets Regulation Commercial Finance Complex Deal Structuring: Spin-offs and IPOs Contracts Corporate Finance Corporate Reorganization and Bankruptcy Corporations Deals Derivatives Law and Regulation Financial Crises, Regulatory Reforms Financial Statement Analysis and Interpretation International Business Transactions International Commercial Arbitration International Securities Regulation Payment Systems Private Investment Funds Regulation of Financial Institutions Securities Regulation Strategic International Commercial Transactions The Media Industries: Public Policy and Business Strategy Unfair Competition and Related Topics in Intellectual Property Seminars: Advanced Bankruptcy: Deals and Issues in the Current Environment Advanced International Commercial Arbitration Advanced Securities Regulation Black Letter Law/White Collar Crime Capital Markets: Development, Structure, and Policies Class Actions
Comparative Corporate Capitalism Construction Industry Law Contracts, Collaboration, and Interpretation Corporate Governance and the Public Corporation Corporation in Modern Society Corporations in Court: Strategic Decision-Making in Major Litigation Deals Litigation Deals Workshop Deals Workshop: Dealmaking in Mergers and Acquisitions Deals Workshop: Public Mergers and Acquisitions Deals Workshop: The Art of the Deal Deals Workshops: The Art of the Deal and Transactional Legal Strategies Entrepreneurship Environmental Issues in Business Transactions Exploring the Role of the General Counsel International Banking and Financial Law International Bankruptcy and Insolvency International Commercial Arbitration Practicum International Investment Arbitration Issues on Global Regulatory Reform Law and Political Risk Law and Sports Law and the Music Industry Nonprofit Institutions Pretrial Commercial Litigation Real Estate M&A and Restructuring Deals Workshop Technology and Venture Capital Transnational Bankruptcy Constitutional Law
Supreme Court The First Amendment and The Press Criminal Law
Domestic Violence and the Law Topics in Sexuality Law Vision, Action and Social Change
Comparative Criminal Law Criminal Adjudication Criminal Investigations Criminal Law Evidence Federal Criminal Law Jurisprudence of War Juvenile Justice The Law of Genocide
Health/Health Care and the Law
Seminars: Advanced Trial Practice Black Letter Law/White Collar Crime Drugs, Law and Policy Internal Investigations Interplay of Civil and Criminal Law Mental Illness and Criminal Defense National Security Investigations and Prosecutions Science and the Courts Sentencing Topics in Criminal Prosecution and Defense Trial Practice US Civil and Criminal Enforcement of International Cartels Victims’ Rights
History and Philosophy of Law
Education Law
Educational Equality: The Role of Law Educational Policymaking and the Courts Topics in Education Law
Advanced Constitutional Law: Religious Liberty American Constitutional Law: Special Topics in Federal Courts American Constitutional Law Constitution and Foreign Affairs Constitutional Law Educational Equality: The Role of Law Federal Courts Global Constitutionalism Ideas of the First Amendment Immigration Law Indian Constitutional Law Topics in Education Law
Seminars: Public Education Policy Seminar Practicum
Seminars: Advanced Constitutional Law: Reading the Constitution American Jurisprudence: Judicial Interpretation and the Role of Courts Church and State Law and Regulation of Social Media Law of the City of New York Legal Interpretation Media Law Mental Illness and Criminal Defense Native American Law Proportionality, Constitutional Rights and Their Limitations Religious Minorities in Supreme Court Litigation September 11 and the Rights of Noncitizens
Family Law
Environmental Law
Climate Change Law Energy Regulation Environmental Law International Environmental Law Oil and Gas Law Seminars: Advanced Climate Change Law Environmental Issues in Business Transactions Advanced Family Law: Pre-Nups, Property Distribution, and Alimony in Divorce Family Law Seminars: Domestic Violence and the Law Topics in Jewish Law Gender and the Law
Advanced Family Law: Pre-Nups, Property Distribution, and Alimony in Divorce Family Law Gender Justice Lawyering for Change Seminars:
Intellectual Property
Antitrust and Trade Regulation Computers, Privacy and the Law Copyright Law Information Privacy Law in the Internet Society Patents The Media Industries: Public Policy and Business Strategy Trademarks Unfair Competition and Related Topics in Intellectual Property
Disability Law Health Law Public Health Law
Seminars: Genetics and the Law Jewish Law and Ethics: Biomedical Ethics Mental Health Law
Seminars: Art, Cultural Heritage, and the Law Comparative Mass Media Law Counseling the Digital Innovator Current Issues in Copyright Drafting and Negotiating Intellectual Property Documents False Advertising Law Information Privacy Intellectual Property in the Digital Age Law and Regulation of Social Media Law and Sports Law and Theatre Law and the Music Industry Law and Visual Arts Media Law Science and the Courts Technology and Venture Capital The First Amendment and The Press Theories of Property
American Legal History Empirical Analysis of Law Ideas of the First Amendment Law and Contemporary Society Law and Philosophy Law, Culture, and Notions of Justice Seminars: Animal Law Biblical Jurisprudence Contracts, Collaboration, and Interpretation Critical Human Rights Theory Jewish Law and Ethics: Biomedical Ethics Legal Theory Workshop Native American Law Nuremberg Trials and War Crimes Law Problems in Legal Philosophy of Law The Anatomy of Autonomy: From Personhood to Personification Topics in Jewish Law
International, Foreign, and Comparative Law
Human Rights
Human Rights Immigration Law Refugee Law and Policy The Law of Genocide Seminars: Civil Rights Lawyering in the Modern Era: Theory and Practice Critical Human Rights Theory Cuba: Law, Policy, and Transition Extractive Industries and Sustainable Development Human Rights at Home: Advancing U.S. Social Justice Human Rights, Law, and Development Workshop International Human Rights Advocacy International Humanitarian Law Labor Rights in a Global Economy Law and Policy of Homelessness Mental Health Law Mental Illness and Criminal Defense Native American Law Nuremberg Trials and War Crimes Law September 11 and the Rights of Noncitizens Transitional Justice
African Legal Theory, Law and Development Comparative and International Antitrust Constitution and Foreign Affairs Global Constitutionalism International Business Transactions International Commercial Arbitration International Environmental Law International Law International Taxation Jurisprudence of War Law and Development Law and Legal Institutions in China Law of the W.T.O. Refugee Law and Policy Strategic International Commercial Transactions The Law of Genocide The United States and the International Legal System Transnational Litigation
Seminars: Advanced International Commercial Arbitration Art, Cultural Heritage, and the Law China and International Law Comparative Corporate Capitalism Comparative Mass Media Law Cuba: Law, Policy, and Transition Enforcing International Law Extractive Industries and Sustainable Development
AN INTRODUCTION | CO L U M B I A L AW S CH O O L
25
Fighting Corruption in Sports Foreign Direct Investment and Public Policy Geopolitics of Law and Conflict on the Korean Peninsula Human Rights, Law, and Development Workshop International Arbitration in Latin America International Banking and Financial Law International Bankruptcy and Insolvency International Commercial Arbitration Practicum International Human Rights Advocacy International Humanitarian Law International Investment Arbitration International Investment Law Issues on Global Regulatory Reform Korean Legal System in the Global Economy Latin America: Challenges to Progress Labor Rights in a Global Economy Law and Political Risk Nuremberg Trials and War Crimes Law Transitional Justice Transnational Bankruptcy US Civil and Criminal Enforcement of International Cartels Labor and Employment Law
Disability Law Labor Law
Seminars: Employment Discrimination Litigation Law and Sports Vision, Action, and Social Change Law and Economics
Capital Markets Regulation Financial Crises, Regulatory Reforms Law and Development Seminars: Cuba: Law, Policy, and Transition Economics, Law and Public Policy Extractive Industries and Sustainable Development Fighting Corruption in Sports Law, Humanities, and the Social Sciences
Anthropology and the Law Empirical Analysis of the Law Human Identity and the Scientific Revolution Law and Development Seminars: Critical Human Rights Theory Genetics and the Law Latin America: Challenges to Progress Public Education Policy Seminar and Practicum Science and the Courts The Anatomy of Autonomy: From Personhood to Personification The Psychology of Racial Justice and Policing University of American Life Vision, Action, and Social Change National Security Law
Constitution and Foreign Affairs Global Constitutionalism 26
International Law Jurisprudence of War Seminars: International Humanitarian Law National Security Investigations and Prosecutions September 11 and the Rights of Noncitizens The Legal History of National Security Professional Responsibility and the Legal Profession
Professional Professional Practice Professional Practice Professional Lawyer Professional
Responsibility Responsibility Issues in Business
Responsibility Issues in Public Interest Responsibility for the Transactional Responsibility in Criminal Law
Seminars: Exploring the Role of the General Counsel Law Firm Finance and Management Law and Political Risk Legal and Ethical Obligations in Complex Litigation The Changing World of Large Law Firms Vision, Action, and Social Change Property, Real Estate, and Trusts and Estates
Property Real Estate Development Real Estate Finance Real Estate Transactions Trusts and Estates
Seminars: Art, Cultural Heritage, and the Law Construction Industry Law: Transactional Practice, Dispute Avoidance and Resolution Drafting and Negotiating Commercial Real Estate Documents Drafting Wills and Trusts Real Estate M&A and Restructuring Deals Workshop Theories of Property Racial, Economic, and Social Justice
Disability Law Educational Equality: The Role of Law Immigration Law Law and Development Law, Culture, and Notions of Justice Lawyering for Change Professional Responsibility Issues in Public Interest Practice Educational Policy Making and the Courts Seminars: Civil Rights Lawyering in the Modern Era: Theory and Practice Democracy and Distribution Human Rights at Home: Advancing U.S. Social Justice Law and Policy of Homelessness
C O L UM BIA L AW SCH OOL | AN INTRODUCTION
Native American Law Native Peacemaking Public Education Policy Seminar and Practicum September 11 and the Rights of Noncitizens The Anatomy of Autonomy: From Personhood to Personification The Psychology of Racial Justice and Policing Transitional Justice Vision, Action and Social Change Taxation
Complex Deal Structuring: Spin-offs and IPOs Corporate Taxation Federal Income Taxation International Taxation Partnership Taxation Taxation of Financial Instruments Seminar: Democracy and Distribution Income Tax and Inflation Torts
Mass Torts Torts Seminars: Advanced Tort Practice Class Actions Clinics
Adolescent Representation Challenging the Consequences of Mass Incarceration Community Enterprise Environmental Law Human Rights Immigrants’ Rights Incarceration and the Family Lawyering in the Digital Age Mediation Sexuality and Gender Law Externships
Arts Law Bronx Defenders: Holistic Defense City and State Policy Advocacy Community Defense Constitutional Rights Enforcement: Capital Punishment, Life Imprisonment and PostConviction Relief Copyright Dispute Resolution Criminal Appeals Domestic Violence Prosecution Federal Appellate Court Federal Court Clerk: Eastern and Southern Districts of New York Federal Government in Washington, D.C. Federal Prosecution: U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern and Southern Districts of New York Immigration Defense New York Attorney General’s Office: Advancing Social and Environmental Justice Pro Bono Practice and Design
Representing NYC: New York City Law Department Trusts, Wills, and Estate Planning Undocumented and Unaccompanied Immigrant Youth United Nations Journals
American Review of International Arbitration Business Law Review Human Rights Law Review Journal of Asian Law Journal of Environmental Law Journal of European Law Journal of Gender and Law Journal of Law and the Arts Journal of Law and Social Problems Journal of Race and Law Journal of Tax Law Journal of Transnational Law Law Review Science and Technology Law Review
AP PLIC A TION I NFOR M A T I ON A N D F I N AN C I AL R ESO U R C ES APPLYING TO COLUMBIA LAW SCHOOL
The admissions process at the Law School is designed to identify and select a student body of diverse backgrounds and interests that shares a discernible commitment to excellence—individuals who have demonstrated unusual promise for distinguished performance at the Law School and, subsequently, for high service to the legal profession and the community. In evaluating the applications of the approximately 6,000 candidates who seek
2016 - 2017
DATES & DEADLINES
qualities and proven skills we regard as necessary for academic success and intellectual engagement at Columbia.
on financial need and are awarded by the Office of Admissions at the time an
PARTICIPANTS ARE NOT EXPECTED TO CONTRIBUTE TO ANNUAL LOAN PAYMENTS IF CALCULATED INCOME IS LESS THAN $50,000.
applicant is admitted to the Law School. There is no separate application for these
EARLY DECISION APPLICATION DEADLINE: NOVEMBER 15, 2016
fellowships. Each year a substantial portion
REGULAR DECISION APPLICATION DEADLINE: FEBRUARY 15, 2017
of the entering class receives a Law School
TRANSFER APPLICATION DEADLINE: JULY 15, 2017 FINANCIAL AID APPLICATION DEADLINE: MARCH 1, 2017
GRADUATES MAY ELECT TO PARTICIPATE IN THE COLUMBIA LAW SCHOOL LRAP, THE FEDERAL PUBLIC SERVICE LOAN FORGIVENESS PROGRAM, OR A COMBINATION OF THE TWO PROGRAMS.*
grant in the form of a partial tuition waiver. However, the largest form of financial aid for all law students is educational loans, with most students borrowing to finance a part, or
FINANCING YOUR LEGAL EDUCATION
Admissions decisions at Columbia Law School are made without regard to an
GRADUATES MAY JOIN THE PROGRAM UP TO 7 YEARS AFTER GRADUATING. L RAP LOANS ARE PARTIALLY FORGIVEN FROM YEARS 3 UP TO 5 AND FULLY FORGIVEN ON AN ANNUAL BASIS IN YEARS 5 TO 10.
all, of their educational expenses. For more information, please visit: law.columbia.edu/admissions/jd/apply
admission to the Law School each year, we place primary emphasis on demonstrated
COLUMBIA LAW SCHOOL LRAP SUMMARY
number of fellowships that are not based
2016–2017 TUITION & EXPENSES
S POUSAL EDUCATIONAL DEBT SERVICE UP TO $10,000 MAY BE INCLUDED IN REPAYMENT FORMULA.
Tuition $63,048 Fees $2,317 Room & Board $17,738 Books & Supplies $1,575 Personal Expenses $4,000 Health Insurance $2,862
P ROGRAM ELIGIBILITY PROVISIONS ARE AVAILABLE FOR GRADUATES ON PARENTAL LEAVE OR IN PART-TIME EMPLOYMENT.
*All terms apply to Class of 2008 and beyond. Please consult with the LRAP administrator for terms and limitations.
We also highly value personal strengths that
applicant’s financial need. Therefore, grant
we believe predict professional distinction
applications are reviewed only after a student
These figures are for the 2016-2017 aca-
and public service. We endeavor to iden-
has been admitted. If you are interested in
demic year. Total expenses, including
tify how, and to what extent, candidates
grant assistance, you must complete your
tuition and student fees, are estimated at
the traditional LRAP, participants may
have forged their values and achieved their
application as early as possible so it can be
$91,540. Budget components are adjusted
elect to participate in both the Columbia
goals—how they have actually chosen to
evaluated soon after you have been admitted.
annually.
Law School LRAP and the Federal Public
commit their time, energies, and talents,
Students admitted under the Early Decision
and how they have made use of the oppor-
Plan are reminded that they should not
tunities before them. Applicants are evalu-
Service Loan Forgiveness Program. THE LOAN REPAYMENT ASSISTANCE
All Columbia J.D. graduates in qualifying
expect to be notified of their financial aid
PROGRAM
ated, therefore, not only on their potential
package before the end of March, at the
Columbia Law School’s Loan Repayment
assistance and there is no salary cap. In
but also by their demonstrated motivation,
earliest. We strongly recommend that all
Assistance Program (LRAP) is one of the
some cases, graduates who demonstrate
self-discipline, and industry.
applicants file the required forms by no later
most generous programs at any law school
exceptional dedication and potential
than March 1, even if they have not yet
nationally. Our LRAP program supports
for contribution to the public good are
received an offer of admission.
Columbia J.D. graduates who pursue pub-
awarded public interest fellowships, which
lic interest and public service careers by
provide enhanced loan repayment assistance
providing them with financial assistance to
to the fellows. For more information, please
service the educational debt they assumed
visit: law.columbia.edu/finaid.
For complete information about Columbia Law School’s admissions policies, application instructions and checklist, and a
The Law School awards grant assistance
sample of our application, kindly visit the
primarily on the basis of demonstrated
“Apply” page at (law.columbia.edu/admis-
financial need. However, there are a
sions/jd/apply).
employment are entitled to its generous
while at the Law School. In addition to AN INTRODUCTION | CO L U M B I A L AW S CH O O L
27
The Cloisters
95 te rsta The New York Botanical Garden Inte The Bronx Zoo ton shing e Wa Georg Bridge
Columbia University Medical Center
The Bronx
The Audubon Biomedical Science and Technology Park
To Newark Airport
Yankee Stadium
154th Street
145th Street
The Schomburg Center for
Apollo Theater Research in Black Culture 125th Street Studio Museum in Harlem
Triborough Bridge
116th Street
Third Avenue
First Avenue
110th Street Museo del Barrio
Fifth Avenue
To LaGuardia Airport
96th Street Jewish Museum Guggenheim Museum
Central Park
Upper West Side The American Museum of Natural History
86th Street The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Whitney Museum of American Art 72nd Street
FDR Drive
The Juilliard School Lincoln Center
Queens
Roosevelt Island
Riverside Drive Hudson River
Columbia University Broadway Amsterdam Avenue
Barnard College
Park Avenue
Grant’s Tomb
Queensborough 59th Street Bridge The Museum of Car negie Hall Modern Art Radio City Music Hall Rockefeller Center The United Nations
Times Square
through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. You may speak with an admissions officer on a walk-in or call-in basis, and you do not
New Jersey
First Avenue
Greenwich Village Houston
Little Italy
and Hollnnel Tu
Chinatown
Museum of the American Indian
Wall Street New York Stock Exchange
South Street Seaport Statue of Liberty
C O L UM BIA L AW SCH OOL | AN INTRODUCTION
rg Williamsbu Bridge
Canal
schedule of classes is posted on our website and is also available at our office.
28
Queens Midtown Tunnel
14th Street
To Newark Airport
need an appointment. While we do not offer daily guided tours of the Law School, you may pick up information from our office to conduct a self-guided tour or download a copy of the self-guided tour brochure. If you wish to attend a class, the
Third Avenue
Park Avenue
34th Street Pierpont Morgan Pennsylvania Library Train Station Madison Square Garden 23rd Street
To JFK Airport
East River
Applicants and prospective students are welcome to visit Columbia Law School during regular office hours, Monday
Fifth Avenue
COME VISIT US
42nd Street Grand Central Station
ay adw Bro
Lincoln Tunnel
Tenth Avenue
Port Authority Bus Terminal
Ellis Island
Bro Bridoklyn ge
Brooklyn
RESERVATION OF UNIVERSITY RIGHTS
This publication is intended for the guidance of Columbia students and faculty. It sets forth in general the manner in which the University intends to proceed with respect to the matters set forth herein, but the University reserves the right to depart without notice from the terms of this publication. This publication is not intended to be or should not be regarded as a contract. The Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, a federal law, requires colleges and universities to prepare and disseminate information about campus crime and crime prevention programs. In compliance, Columbia maintains a website describing programs and procedures established to keep our campus safe and secure. To view this information, please visit www.columbia.edu/cu/publicsafety. Standard 504 of the American Bar Association requires that law schools advise each applicant to secure information regarding the character and other qualifications for admission to the bar in the state in which the applicant intends to practice. In some states, the Board of Bar Examiners requires that prospective lawyers register with them before they begin their legal studies. We encourage you to learn about the bar requirements in the states where you may wish to practice. Columbia University admits students of any race, color, and national or ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the University. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, gender (including gender identity and expression), pregnancy, religion, creed, marital status, partnership status, age, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, military status, or any other legally protected status in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other University-administered programs. Photographers include: Laura Barisonzi, Eileen Barroso, Cameron Blaylock, Josh Boelter/DKV, Lorenzo Ciniglio, Bill Denison, Amber De Vos, Peter Freed, Getty Images, Bruce Gilbert, Nicholas Gray, Bob Handelman, Julie Brown Harwood, Sam Hollenshead, Casey Kelbaugh, Michael Krisch, Jorg Meyer, Seth Olenick, Alan S. Orling, Nicole Pereira, Jon Reznick, Jon Roemer, Dustin Ross, Chris Taggart, and Jon Vachon
OFFICE OF ADMISSIONS C O L U M B I A L AW S C H O O L ADDRESS: 435 West 116th Street, Mail Code 4004, New York, New York 10027-7297 TELEPHONE: 212 - 854 -2670 | FACSIMILE: 212-854 -1109 EMAIL: admissions@ law.columbia.edu | WEBSITE: law.columbia.edu/admissions/jd