Public Interest and Human Rights Law

Public interest law is a top priority at Columbia. The Law School has developed an exceptional public interest program through public interest courses, innovative clinics, and opportunities for hands-on experience in the field. Students continuously create many new organizations and journals devoted to public interest issues. Columbia is also among the few law schools in the country to require pro bono service before graduation.

Columbia's Center for Public Interest Law has made the Law School's commitment to playing a role in its community more tangible by developing projects with legal organizations in Harlem and Washington Heights, and throughout the U.S. and the world. The School also benefits from strong ties to other organizations and lawyers who confront the tremendous need for legal assistance in New York City and elsewhere. The Center brings leading social justice advocates to campus and provides practical assistance to students committed to work in the public interest.