In evaluating applications for admission to our Graduate Legal Studies programs, we strive to select a student body of diverse backgrounds and interests that shares a discernible commitment to excellence. We place primary emphasis on demonstrated qualities and proven skills we regard as necessary for academic success and intellectual engagement at Columbia Law School, and also highly value personal strengths that we believe predict professional distinction and public service. We endeavor to identify how and to what extent candidates have forged their values and achieved their goals – how they have actually chosen to commit their time, energies, and talents, and how they have made use of their opportunities. Applicants are evaluated, therefore, not only on their potential but by their demonstrated motivation, self-discipline and industry.
Eligibility To be eligible for admission to the J.S.D. program, applicants must hold a first degree in law. A degree in a field other than law, even if followed by a master's degree in law, generally does not suffice for admission. Applicants who have earned a law degree earned by correspondence course work or distance learning are not eligible.
Admission Standards Admission to candidacy for the J.S.D. degree is normally restricted to applicants who desire a career in law teaching and who can present evidence of impressive achievement in undergraduate law study or in subsequent scholarly or professional activities, with special emphasis on demonstrated capacity for effective legal research and writing. Applicants with experience in government service or law practice before admission are eligible for admission; those who have already begun a career in teaching law are generally preferred. As substantial experience beyond earning the law degree is generally seen as a prerequisite for pursuit of this degree, applications from very recent law school graduates are discouraged. Applicants from the United States and international jurisdictions are given equal consideration in the admissions process. Equal consideration is given to applicants completing or having completed the LL.M. at Columbia and outside applicants.
Regrettably, because of the large number of applicants from all over the world, it is not logistically possible for interviews to be included as part of the selection process. As a substitute, the Admissions Committee depends upon the insights provided by your letters of recommendation and Personal Statement. In addition to providing the Committee with a more personal sense of your individual qualities, the Personal Statement affords you an opportunity to present any special information or factors that may prove useful to the Committee's deliberations. Nevertheless, if you are in New York we invite you to visit the Law School and the Office of Graduate Legal Studies; we will be happy to meet you and answer your questions.
Applications submitted by third-party educational advisors or consultants are strongly discouraged, with the exception of applications from Fulbright or other scholarship organizations. Such applications do not in any way enhance your chances for admission to Graduate Legal Studies at Columbia Law School; in fact, unless submitted through Fulbright or another scholarship organization, they may hinder your chances or render your application incomplete, as we have no way of verifying that the application is indeed your work. The Office of Graduate Legal Studies requests that all application materials be submitted by you directly, and requires that you personally communicate all inquiries regarding the status of your file. We will not report on your status to a third-party advisor.
Communicating with the Office of Graduate Legal Studies
Due to the large volume of applications we receive, it is not possible for the Graduate Legal Studies staff to report on the progress of applications. We will send each applicant, by email, the following information regarding her or his application:
1. An automatic confirmation that we have received your online application once you click “Submit Application”;
2. Notification of missing items, if applicable; and
3. Notification that your application is complete.
Regrettably, we cannot provide information regarding the receipt of specific documents as such requests slow the processing time of applications.
You can also find answers to many of your questions under the Frequently Asked Questions section of this website. Please address all other inquiries by email to gls@law.columbia.edu. We will respond to all inquiries within two business days.
We send all admission decisions by email. Offers of admission are also sent in writing, via courier. Please be sure to provide us with a valid email address and a physical address for the courier delivery (we do not deliver admission materials to post office boxes), and to update that information as necessary. Many companies have put up firewalls which block our email messages. Therefore, we recommend that you use a personal email account (such as gmail, hotmail, or yahoo) or speak with your employer’s IT department to make sure that messages from Columbia Law School will not be blocked. All decisions are sent from gls@law.columbia.edu.
(Not applicable for J.S.D.-Associate applications; please see below.)
The J.S.D. application deadline is in two parts. By December 15, 2011, all J.S.D. applicants must submit:
• GLS Online Application Form
• Application Fee (U.S. $80)
• Personal Statement (can be submitted online)
• Résumé or Curriculum Vitae (can be submitted online)
• Official Transcripts (in sealed envelopes)
• TOEFL Score, if applicable
By February 1, 2012, all J.S.D. applicants must submit the following supporting documents:
• Two Letters of Recommendation
• Dissertation Proposal and Bibliography (can be submitted online until December 15; thereafter, must be mailed to the Office of Graduate Legal Studies)
• Writing Sample
• Official Transcripts for the Fall 2011 term, if applicable
J.S.D.-Associate applicants must submit all materials by December 15, 2011, except the Dissertation Proposal and Bibliography, which is due February 1, 2012. It is preferable, however, that candidates submit their proposal and bibliography with the rest of their application by December 15.
Applications postmarked after these dates will not be processed. J.S.D. applicants are not eligible for the Early Review Program.
Provide as much information as possible on the online application. To avoid any confusion or delay in the processing of your application, please make sure to consistently use the same form of your proper name on all supporting documents and to keep us informed of any changes to your contact information (including mailing address, email address and telephone number). When mailing your supporting documents, please do not place each sheet in a separate folder or sleeve. Clearly mark your name on each supporting document, and we will match it to your online application. Do not include a printed copy of your completed online application form with your supporting documents, as doing so will significantly delay the processing of your application and the timing of your admission decision.
If you are unable to complete the application online, you may send an email to the Office of Graduate Legal Studies (gls@law.columbia.edu) to request a paper application. Include in your message the reason you are unable to complete the application online. While submitting a paper application will not affect your admission decision, it will significantly delay the processing of your application and the timing of your admission decision.
Application Fee
You must submit an application fee of U.S. $80 with your application. This fee is non-refundable and will not be credited against your tuition. The fee must be paid in U.S. dollars, and may be paid by credit card, a check drawn on a bank located in the U.S., traveler’s checks, or a U.S. bank or postal money order. Checks must have officially printed mica numbers and fraction numbers (the numbers at the bottom of the check – they may not be typed or entered by hand) and must be made payable to “Columbia University.” Traveler’s checks must be countersigned in both places and made payable to “Columbia University.” To pay by credit card, provide the following information: (1) type of card: MasterCard, Visa, or American Express; (2) the cardholder’s name exactly as it appears on the card; (3) the account number; and (4) the month and year of expiration (month first, then year). We do not accept Japanese International or Canadian Postal Money Orders; checks drawn on foreign banks (even if in U.S. dollars); wire/bank transfers; or cash. You will be able to pay the fee by credit card after you click “Submit Application” on the online application.
Application for Financial Assistance
To apply for financial assistance, check the appropriate box in the Questionnaire section of the online application, complete the Financial Aid section, and sign the Financial Aid line on the Certification Form. List all scholarships and loans to which you have already applied or to which you intend to apply. It is your obligation to notify the Office of Graduate Legal Studies within seven (7) days should other funds become available to you. Since Columbia Law School awards financial assistance mostly on the basis of need, the Law School reserves the right to reduce the amount of any financial aid it has awarded if other funds become available to you.
If you do not submit an application for financial assistance you will not be considered for financial aid, even if you request it after the admission deadline. If you think you may need aid you should complete the Financial Aid section of the online application.
Supporting Documents
Applicants have the option of submitting certain supporting documents as attachments to their online application rather than through the mail. Submitting documents electronically rather than through the mail will expedite the processing of your application. The following documents will be accepted as attachments:
• Personal Statement
• Résumé/CV
• Dissertation Proposal and Bibliography
All remaining supporting documents, including letters of recommendation, transcripts, diplomas, the Certification Form, writing samples, and the Dissertation Proposal if submitted after December 15 must be submitted by mail to the Office of Graduate Legal Studies.
All documents should be double-spaced with a 12-point font and standard margins (one inch on all sides). Your name should be listed at the top of each page of each document (in the format of “Surname, First name”) and in the document title when it is saved (i.e., Surname, First name – Personal Statement). Attachments must be in .pdf or Microsoft Word format. We strongly recommend submitting documents in .pdf format if they were created with a non-English version of Microsoft Word. A free version of .pdf conversion software can be downloaded from www.cutepdf.com/Products/CutePDF/writer.asp.
1. Personal Statement
You must upload to the online application a detailed Personal Statement describing your background, academic interests, the program of study you wish to follow and your reasons for doing so. You should prepare this statement without assistance from others. The format of the statement should not exceed three double-spaced pages using a 12-point font with standard margins. We will not consider your application without a Personal Statement, and will not accept a résumé or curriculum vitae in place of the statement.
2. Résumé or Curriculum Vitae
While résumés are not required, we encourage you to upload one to the online application for consideration as part of your application. If you are applying for the Associate-in-Law Program, you must include your résumé with your application.
3. Transcripts and Diplomas (Columbia Law School does not require or provide a form to accompany your transcripts and diplomas.)
You must submit an official transcript and, where applicable, a diploma or proof of degree from each college, university, graduate school and law school you have attended, whether or not you earned a degree. If you are unable to submit original documents, you may submit certified copies. If the originals are not in English, you must submit an official, certified translation of each document in addition to the original document. If you are in school at the time you submit your application, please send us your most recent transcript with your application, and send us an updated one once your fall grades are available. If your rank does not appear on your transcript, we must receive a separate, official statement of rank from your law school. If your law school does not rank its graduates, we must receive an official statement from the law school to this effect. Transcripts and diplomas cannot be uploaded to the online application; submit them in sealed envelopes issued by your University.
4. TOEFL iBT or TOEFL/TWE (Test Of English as a Foreign Language/Test of Written English)
Columbia University’s institution code is 2163; the Law School’s code is 03.
All applicants except those whose native and working language is English or who earned their first law degree entirely in English in an English-speaking country must take the TOEFL iBT or the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and the Test of Written English (TWE). (No other examination is required.) We do not accept the IELTS or any other exam in place of the TOEFL. The minimum scores required for admission are:
• TOEFL iBT: 105 overall score, with 26 on Reading and Listening sections and 24 on the Speaking and Writing sections;
• Paper-based exam: 620 overall score, with 59/60 on the Structure/Writing and Reading sections, 60/61 on the Listening section, and 5.0 on the TWE.
If your scores fall below these levels, your chances of admission could be adversely impacted even if other factors in your application are strong. You must decide whether to repeat the test based on how far below these scores your results fall; we cannot make this decision for you.
You should register for and take the TOEFL by the December 15 deadline. Although you may include a copy of your student score report with your application, Columbia must receive the official test results directly from ETS. Waivers of the TOEFL requirement are rarely granted, and are granted at the sole discretion of the Office of Graduate Legal Studies. Therefore, if you request a waiver you should assume the request will be denied and make arrangements to take the test by the deadline. Requests for waivers on the grounds that you have run out of time to take the exam or work primarily in the English language will not be granted.
5. Letters of Recommendation (Columbia Law School does not require or provide a form to accompany your letters of recommendation.)
We require two original letters of recommendation from your law school professors, employers, supervisors, or other persons qualified to appraise your academic potential for graduate legal studies. At least one letter should come from a law school professor. If you have work experience, one letter should also come from a work supervisor. "To Whom It May Concern" letters (which tend to be very general), letters from family friends, and letters from prominent persons who have not supervised your work are not helpful.
Letters of recommendation must be written by the recommender on official letterhead and addressed to the Office of Graduate Legal Studies. If your recommenders are unable to print the letters on official letterhead, ask them to include an explanation as to why they are unable to do so. You must also include a work email address for each recommender so we can contact her/him should we have questions about the letter or your candidacy. (If your recommenders cannot write in English, please submit certified translations together with the original letters.) We reserve the right to disqualify letters written or translated, in part or whole, by the applicant. Letters of recommendation cannot be uploaded to the online application; submit both letters in sealed envelopes with the recommender’s signature across the back flap.
Please do not submit more than two letters. Part of compiling a strong application for admission is determining which two recommenders will be best able to evaluate your ability to pursue and succeed in graduate legal studies. Even if you indicate that you are submitting more than two letters of recommendation, we will consider your application complete once we have received two letters of recommendation and all other required supporting documentation.
6. Certification Form
Before you submit the online application, you will be required to answer questions about the veracity and integrity of your application on the electronic Certification Form. A printed copy of your entire application, including the Certification Form, is available once you have completed the submission process.
7. Writing Sample
You must submit a writing sample originally written in English (translations of works originally written in another language do not qualify). Writing samples will not be returned.
8. Dissertation Proposal and Bibliography
You must submit a dissertation proposal and bibliography. Your dissertation proposal must be written in English and be in the range of 2,500 words (ten double-spaced pages), with a meaningful working title, and include a two-page bibliography that lists relevant works that proved significant in the formulation of your thinking about your project. The proposal can be uploaded to the online application until December 15; thereafter, it must be mailed to the Office of Graduate Legal Studies. The substance of the proposal should:
1. Demonstrate the originality of the research project, taking into account existing work and scholarly directions;
2. Indicate the importance of the project within your larger field of study;
3. Indicate the building blocks or units of consideration that you expect to create as organizational and structural controls in the development of the dissertation, and the methodologies that you expect to employ; and
4. Acknowledge whatever problems or difficulties you foresee in formulating and completing the project. Every project has its difficulties, and part of every good scholar’s equipment is a clear awareness of them.
In sum, the proposal should convey your current level of mastery and control for an effort that will demand a great deal of time, independent research, and further study.
9. Research Agenda (J.S.D.-Associate applicants only)
J.S.D.-Associate applicants should include a brief proposed research agenda and a brief statement regarding relevant teaching experience and teaching aspirations as part of the Personal Statement.
You must submit all supporting documents that cannot be uploaded to the online application by courier or mail, including the Certification Form, transcripts, diplomas, letters of recommendation, writing samples , and the Dissertation Proposal and Bibliography (unless submitted online by the December 15 deadline). All documents must be postmarked no later than the application deadlines. Send all required materials to:
Office of Graduate Legal Studies
Columbia University School of Law
435 West 116th Street, MC 4036
New York, NY 10027-7297
Faxed or emailed application materials will not be accepted. If you plan to send your application by courier, please note that Columbia University does not accept courier deliveries on holidays, Saturdays or Sundays.
All application materials become the property of the Graduate Legal Studies program and as such will not be returned to you under any circumstances. Applications postmarked after the application deadlines will not be processed.
Please note: If you submit an online application, you should not include a printed copy of your completed online application with your supporting documents, as doing so will significantly delay the processing of your application and the timing of your admission decision.
Admission decisions for the J.S.D. Program are generally made by mid- to late May. We send all admission decisions by e-mail. Offers of admission are sent in writing also, via courier. Please make sure that you provide us with a valid e-mail address and a physical address for the courier delivery (we do not deliver admission materials to post office boxes), and that you update that information as necessary. Many companies have put up firewalls and e-mail messages get returned to us. Therefore, we recommend that you use a personal e-mail account (such as gmail, hotmail or yahoo) or speak with your employer’s IT department to make sure that messages from Columbia Law School will not be blocked. All decisions are mailed from gls@law.columbia.edu.
Deferrals of admission to the J.S.D. program are rarely granted. Each request for a deferral must be made in writing and will be decided on a case-by-case basis.
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Download Application Instructions and Application Checklist
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