Clinics

Work on behalf of real clients and gain experience as a counselor, mediator, litigator, advocate, and educator by participating in one of our clinics.

In Columbia Law School’s pioneering clinics, learn the practical art of lawyering by providing pro bono counsel for individuals, communities, and organizations that might not otherwise have access to high-quality representation. Faculty offer you feedback and guidance as you hone skills such as interviewing clients and witnesses, drafting legal documents, and mediating among parties with disparate interests.

Law School clinics are members of Morningside Heights Legal Services, Inc., a public interest law firm housed at Columbia Law School. Each clinic consists of fieldwork and a seminar. Under the supervision of faculty, staff attorneys, and fellows, clinic participants perform impact litigation, direct services representation, collaborative investigations, media campaigns, and grassroots advocacy.

Clinics are time-intensive. Students are expected to devote an average of 21 hours per week to their clinic work, which includes classroom and class preparation time.

Credits

Each clinic awards 7 points of experiential credit which fulfills the ABA and Columbia Law School experiential learning requirement.
Full-year clinics provide 7 credits in the fall and 5 credits in the spring.
To learn whether a clinic offers a major or minor writing credit opportunity, read each clinic course description.