Columbia LawLink

Columbia LawLink is an exclusive community for Columbia Law School students and alumni to connect with each other and the Law School. When you graduate, you will transition from being a student user to an alumni user.

Through the platform’s smart directory, you can engage with your Law School classmates and friends, as well as with alumni from across town and around the world.

You can use Columbia LawLink to:

• Find contacts in your area of legal interest.
• Connect with alumni for career advice or a professional chat.
• Find graduates who belong to your student organization.
• Join a CLS “Community” to share information with alumni groups, including the Alumni of Color Alliance, Women of Columbia Law, Columbia LL.M. Experience, and many more.
• Learn about and register for upcoming Law School events.
• Stay informed about the latest Law School news.

To Activate Your Profile:
For expedited approval of your student account, create an account with your Columbia UNI email address.

You may also log in with your existing LinkedIn or Google credentials, however, please allow 2–3 business days for account approval.

Be sure to complete these eight required fields when registering:
First Name, Last Name, Affiliation (Student), Email Address, Class Year, Degree, Legal Specialties (or interests), and the Terms of Use.

Note: You can update your legal specialties as your interests evolve!

Registration Tips

1. Currently enrolled students should choose the “Student” affiliation when registering for Columbia LawLink.
2. After registering, consider adding a suitable headshot to your profile (a professional headshot photo is recommended). Be sure that the employer names and schools listed in your profile match what is on your resume.
3. Include your most recent professional experience and legal specialty interests. This information will help others connect with you in a meaningful way.
4. Indicate if you are seeking career advice.
5. Check your profile settings to ensure you receive email notifications from other users.
6. Add [email protected] to your safe email list.

If you need assistance logging in, contact the Columbia LawLink team ([email protected]).

LawLink is a valuable resource for Columbia Law students and alumni to connect in a variety of ways on a range of topics. For example, you can set up informational meetings, get job search advice, or discuss trends in job markets around the world.

Alumni members may choose to share their insights and expertise with students seeking to expand their job-related knowledge and enhance their professional experiences. Students may use LawLink to establish contacts and become involved with the professional legal community.

Please note that in addition to the Columbia LawLink Terms of Use and Privacy Policy, students who join LawLink must abide by the specific guidelines as set forth in the University’s Student Conduct and Community Standards policy and the CLS Employment Policies for Students.

Failure to abide by these policies may result in removal from the platform by the LawLink administrators. 

All students who sign up for LawLink are expected to behave and interact with others in an appropriate, professional manner. Below are recommended guidelines. Please contact the LawLink team if you have any questions. 

Direct Messages and Networking

• Only contact alumni who have indicated they are "Willing to Help." This is indicated by a blue "Willing to Help" banner on their profile.
• We recommend sending no more than 3 direct messages within a 24-hour period. If you need additional guidance, please contact your CLS academic or career advisor for additional questions.
• Direct messages should be thoughtful and purposeful.
• Communicate and present yourself professionally and honestly.
• Manage your digital identity content and ensure it is professional.
• When a contact responds, acknowledge responses in a timely manner. 
• Following a conversation, send a brief thank you letter or email after networking with a contact.
• Please Note: This is a networking and career advice platform. For job search support, please contact the relevant Columbia Law School career service office.
• Public Interest, Government, or Human Rights Students: If you are having trouble finding relevant connections within your interest area, please contact your career advisor.

Please review the resources below, which are provided by the Offices of Career Services and Social Justice Initiatives, to leverage informational chats and networking within Columbia LawLink.

"The Art of the Professional Chat"
Written by Julie Anna Alvarez Rivera (NALP Bulletin, September 2014)

“How to Network”
Distributed by the Office of Career Services

“Guide to Networking and Informational Interviews (for Public Interest, Government and Human Rights Students)”
Distributed by the Office of Social Justice Initiatives (networking information begins on on page 97 of the Job Search Toolkit)

Take advantage of the many ways Columbia LawLink can help you connect with the community and enrich your experience as an alumnus, both professionally and personally.

Build Your Network
The directory is the heart of Columbia LawLink. Search by dozens of filters, including class, region, industry, degree, and student organization or journal.

Find Your Community
In addition to using the directory to find members of the Law School community in your region and around the world, you can:

• Seek career or professional advice.
• Indicate if you are willing to help current students or other alumni.
• Join a CLS “Community” to share information within groups, including the Alumni of Color Alliance, Women of Columbia Law, Columbia LL.M. Experience, and many more.
• Keep up-to-date with Reunion planning. 
• Register for upcoming Law School events.
• Stay informed about the latest Law School news.

Activate Your Profile:
Log in with your existing LinkedIn or Google credentials or create a new account with your Columbia UNI email.

Complete These Nine Required Fields (when registering):
First Name, Last Name, Affiliation (Alumni), Email Address, Class Year, Degree, Legal Specialties, Judicial Clerk, and the Terms of Use.

Registration Tips:

1. For expedited approval, please use the single sign-on option with LinkedIn or Google. Using your LinkedIn credentials also enables you to import job history.
2. You may also create a profile with your Columbia Law email address. Note: You may be prompted to verify your email account.
3. After registering, upload a photo, your most recent professional experience, and your legal specialties. This information will help others connect with you in a meaningful way!
4. Check your profile settings to ensure you receive email notifications from other users.
5. Add [email protected] to your safe email list.

If you need assistance logging in, please contact the Columbia LawLink team ([email protected]).

Please note that all participants of Columbia LawLink must abide by the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Failure to abide by these policies may  result in removal from the platform by the LawLink administrators. 

LawLink is a valuable resource for Columbia Law students and alumni to connect in a variety of ways on a range of topics.

Alumni members may choose to share their insights and expertise with students seeking to expand their job-related knowledge and enhance their professional experiences. Students may use LawLink to establish contacts and become involved with the professional legal community.

Please note that all members are subject to the Columbia LawLink Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. In addition, students who join LawLink must abide by the specific guidelines as set forth in the University’s Student Conduct and Community Standards policy and the CLS Employment Policies for Students.

Failure to abide by these policies may result in removal from the platform by the LawLink administrators.