The view of Butler Library from the steps of Low Library

The J.D. Experience

Find unmatched opportunities to engage with the law through Columbia Law School's interdisciplinary approach to a modern legal education.

The world looks to Columbia Law. Be ready when the world looks to you.

To study at Columbia Law School is to immerse yourself in an intellectually stimulating environment with all the benefits of a great university.

In courses, clinics, and cocurricular programs, you’ll develop dynamic connections with faculty members, working with them on impactful research that will create new knowledge and advance society’s understanding of the development and application of the law. In addition to taking a broad array of foundational courses in the law, you will gain experience related to your interests by curating your coursework and participating in clinics, research centers, externships, and other opportunities related to robust areas of study. Regardless of your chosen path, you will be guided by our world-class faculty who shape how the law is understood as well as the public discourse on today’s most pressing issues.  

Professor Harcourt and students

Program and Curriculum

Columbia Law School offers more than 300 innovative courses in both emerging and traditional areas of law. The faculty continually develop new seminars and workshops to address current legal issues, enabling students to engage with complex social, political, and legal problems and then learn to develop actionable solutions. Or, broaden your horizons by spending a semester abroad or prepare for a career in international law by obtaining a dual degree at a university overseas.

Explore the Possibilities
Students talking to Professor

Research and Scholarship

Columbia Law faculty are gifted and accomplished leaders in their respective areas of expertise and dedicated teachers and mentors to our students. Work with them in the classroom and in centers and programs, student journals, and other opportunities on research that advances the understanding and application of law in the United States and around the world.

Meet Our Faculty
Washington DC columns

Public Interest/Public Service

The Law School offers a wide range of public interest and public service opportunities, to support pathways to human rights or social justice advocacy, a career in government or at a nonprofit, or pro bono lawyering at a private firm. No matter what your area of interest, you can find ways to incorporate service into your academic program and career.

Get Involved
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Columbia University

Access the vast curricular and extracurricular resources of our historic Ivy League university. Satisfy your curiosity, broaden your options, and accelerate your career path. As a Columbia Law student, you can take up to 12 credits across the university or apply to enroll in one of our 10 dual and joint degree programs at Columbia or with external partners.  

Discover Dual and Joint Degrees
A student sits in Jerome Greene Hall with her laptop.

Careers

Columbia Law graduates have long been sought after by the world’s top employers. Our students become leaders at eminent social justice organizations, law firms, businesses, NGOs, governmental entities, and academic institutions. 98 percent of 2024 graduates were employed 10 months after graduation. Individualized guidance and resources tailored to every sector of the law are available through the Office of Private Sector Careers, the Office of Public Interest/Public Service Law and Careers, the Office of Judicial Careers, and the Careers in Law Teaching Program.

Find Career Resources
Columbia's campus at night with a view of skyscrapers downtown

Campus and City Life

At Columbia Law School, you will find your home in the world’s most vibrant city—the crossroads of culture, finance, advocacy, media, and law. Live and study in historic Morningside Heights on the west side of Manhattan, a friendly neighborhood with a college-town vibe. From campus, it’s just a short trip to your externship with the New York Attorney General’s Office, a federal court, or the United Nations, or your job interview at a top law firm or NGO. Columbia Law also offers priority housing for all first-year incoming students who choose to live on campus for three years.

Get to Know the Community
Students gather outside Low Library.

Student Life

there is no single way to be a Columbia Law School student. Your remarkable classmates will inspire you with their intelligence, ambition, and determination to make a difference. With more than 85 student organizations to choose from, you will find shared interests and develop relationships with allies, mentors, and lifelong friends.

Explore Life at Columbia Law
Female students gather around a computer

Connect with the Office of Admissions

The Columbia Law School Admissions team connects with prospective students through a wide range of events, both in person and virtual. These programs are designed to provide insight into our application process, academic offerings, and the dynamic community that defines Columbia Law.

Connect with us
Udoka Okafor

Udoka Okafor ’20

“At Columbia Law School, students do substantive legal work in classes, clinics, and externships where our studies are applied to real-world issues. It's exciting to see that the work I do has an impact.”

Austin Collier smiles outside Jerome Greene Hall.

Austin Collier ’21

“The Law School allows me to explore what Columbia and New York City have to offer outside of the traditional law school classroom through the greater university and experiential learning programs.” 

Suz Kroeber smiles while sitting on a bench on Revson Plaza.

Suz Kroeber ’21

“Columbia has perhaps the most generous LRAP program, and that alone is going to allow me to do  what I am passionate about: Go straight into public service.”

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