Columbia Law School has been "internationalizing" U.S. legal education since its founding before the American Civil War.  Long before global markets and instant worldwide communications forced U.S. practicing lawyers to become aware of laws outside the territory of the United States, Columbia faculty and its students were developing the precepts and principles of public international law, international economic law, and comparative law.  Starting in the mid 1800's with such luminaries as Francis Lieber and into the twentieth century with Philip C. Jessup, Wolfgang Friedman, Telford Taylor and Oscar Schachter, to list but a few, Columbia has consistently been at the fore in these significant areas of study.  Current emeriti faculty continue this tradition of excellence - Louis Henkin, the architect of human rights and foreign relations law and a legend in the field of human rights law, and Richard Gardner, a leader in international law and diplomacy have furthered how law is studied and understood.  They are now joined by a new generation of international law professors who are conducting cutting-edge research, and infusing the curriculum with new and innovative scholarship and teaching. 

Over the past ten years, Columbia's already rich programs in international and comparative law experienced a significant growth. We have developed innovative double degree programs and semester study abroad programs. The number of international internships has grown significantly, and we are using technology to bring the world around us into our classrooms by creating innovative videoconferenced courses, conferences and symposia. 

Columbia has deliberately built an institution that is both broad and deep by approaching globalization on multiple fronts: courses, exchange programs, journals, research, an international faculty and student body. Our program is solid, distinct, and diverse in scope.

The Law School's international reach is not limited to the classroom.  Our students, faculty, and centers' activities reach far beyond Jerome Greene Hall, and continue to have a formidable impact on the international community. On an institutional level, the Law School is also reaching out and collaborating with foreign educational institutes, governments and NGOs all over the world.  CLS students, faculty, centers and programs have created a web of alliances in every region, so that its international impact is felt globally.