Prospective Students

Students focus on the practice of being an appellate litigator and on methods of securing meaningful appellate change. They attend seminars in connection with handling appeals to prepare them for clinic work and legal employment after graduation.

The Appellate Litigation Clinic trains students to serve as lead counsel in civil appeals on behalf of individuals and organizations. Students take primary responsibility for developing case strategy, advising clients, communicating with opposing counsel and co-counsel, and drafting and filing appellate briefs.

Collaboration is therefore central to the clinic’s structure. Students:

Work in small teams to complete a major briefing project early in the term. Workshop arguments
Edit one another’s writing
Develop strategy collectively while coordinating closely with supervisors, teaching assistants, and other stakeholders.

The remainder of the clinic is dedicated to ongoing advocacy, reform projects, and additional appeals, with the possibility of oral argument or internal moot presentations. The clinic is frontloaded and fast-paced, requiring sustained engagement and responsibility throughout the semester.

Alongside casework, students engage in a classroom seminar component that explores the role of appellate lawyers, the structure and function of appellate courts, and the broader ethical and social implications of appellate advocacy within the civil justice system.

Applications are due on Tuesday, April 14th, 2026

The Appellate Litigation Clinic is a one-semester, seven-credit clinic. The clinic will meet on Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 1:20 to 3:10 p.m. in the fall 2026 semester. Students taking the clinic must register for both the seminar component (three credits) and project component (four credits). The one-semester clinic satisfies Columbia Law School’s experiential-credit requirement for J.D. students.

Requirements

The clinic takes on civil appeals across a range of social and economic issues that affect everyday New Yorkers.

Applicants to the clinic should demonstrate that:

They want to deepen their understanding of preparing written and oral legal arguments.
They are excited about engaging in their personal and professional development, both in school and outside of the classroom.
They are committed to fighting for the public interest, broadly defined.

Students with all levels of experience are invited to apply; no specialized background or degrees are needed and there are no prerequisite or co-requisite courses.

Seminar

Clinic students attend semi-weekly seminars, bridging theory and practice, and building on their fieldwork. Students in seminar reflect on their pending cases and broaden their view of appellate practice, learning how to make the appellate system fairer for the communities that it serves.

Projects

Students in the clinic are paired with clients and placed on appeals based on their personal preferences. Students engage in start-to-finish representation of those clients, from briefing through argument. Throughout the semester, students have the opportunity to take on more complex appellate cases and other appellate-reform projects.

Apply

Applications for the fall 2026 semester open in spring 2026. Students apply through the Law School’s process for experiential learning courses. The clinic does not normally conduct interviews, but may do so. Applicants are encouraged to use the standard application form to articulate their personal goals and how the clinic connects with those goals. Students with questions should reach out to Associate Clinical Professor of Law Dennis Fan.

Vivian Zhao smiles in front of a hilly landscape.

“The clinic is a very collaborative environment where I made new friends and learned how to work well in small teams.”

—Vivian Zhao ’27

“The clinic was the most rewarding experience of my time in law school. It sharpened my lawyering skills in ways no classroom [experience] could, and it showed me the real impact of a legal education through helping my client achieve something deeply meaningful.”

—Gabriel Castro ’26

“One of my favorite experiences of the clinic was getting to work with our client, a small cultural nonprofit. Learning and telling their story taught me valuable lessons about how to take a client-centered approach to advocacy.”

—Brandon Chambers ’27

“Going into the Appellate Litigation Clinic, I expected to hone my legal writing and research skills. I was surprised to realize just how much appellate advocacy relies on teamwork, coordination with trial counsel, and strategic thinking about how our cases shape the broader legal system. I am grateful to have experienced what client-centered representation truly requires.”

—Brandon Eliason ’27

Claire Atkerson smiling in front of a Columbia building.

“Before joining the clinic, I thought of appellate litigation as abstract and law-focused. The Appellate Litigation Clinic challenged that assumption and taught me how deeply client-centered appellate work can and should be. The most meaningful part of my team's work was interacting with our client, and I'm proud of the work we did for them to secure stable housing.”

—Claire Atkerson ’27

“I cannot imagine a more supportive environment to take on my first real case than this clinic, where Professor Fan, the TAs, and my peers were all equally committed to helping me grow into the best advocate I can be. I also met lifelong friends whose dedication and drive inspired me daily and whose companionship, generosity, and humor made every busy moment a fond memory.”

—Joy Zhao ’27