The Social Justice Initiatives program manifests Columbia Law School's belief that public interest experience should be part of the professional life of every Columbia student and graduate.
Social Justice Initiatives has primary responsibility for career services for Columbia Law School students and graduates interested in public interest, government and legal volunteer work. It provides programming and individual assistance regarding careers, summer opportunities and pro bono projects. SJI’s staff also counsels students individually about how to forge a comprehensive social justice education that includes courses, clinics, externships, pro bono projects and other extra-curricular activities.
SJI also implements and oversees Columbia’s Externship Program, in which students can take a substantive seminar and a closely-related field experience at a not-for-profit organization or governmental agency. The National State Attorneys General Program, which is under SJI’s auspices, is a research-education-and-policy center that works closely with attorneys general, academics and others.
As a result of its varied activities, SJI has an extensive network of social justice organizations and practitioners in the United States and abroad.
