Columbia Summer Funding (CSF)

How to Qualify for CSF

1. Registration

1Ls must complete the fall Mandatory Programming/Training requirements to automatically register for CSF. It is the student's responsibility to make sure they have fulfilled the requirements by the deadline to be registered. Once the fall mandatory programming requirements are completed, students will:

1. Be added to the Summer Funding group on CLS Connect.

2. Be assigned CSF checklists containing all spring and summer requirements.

All 2Ls that opted out of EIP are automatically registered for CSF. Review your checklists on CLS Connect to ensure you have been registered. Email [email protected] by November 30th to request to be registered for CSF.

2. Attend CSF 1L Mandatory Sessions

Complete the Mandatory Programming requirements on CLS Connect (1Ls only).

4. Complete the FAFSA
Submit the 2023–2024 FAFSA by January 9th if you wish to participate in CSF. After your FAFSA is submitted and reviewed, you will see the requirement as complete on your CSF checklist on CLS Connect. Please note, it may take 2-3 weeks following the deadline to see this requirement as complete on your checklist. 

The FAFSA uses your 2021 federal tax data (if applicable). Your parent’s data is not required. 

• All U.S. permanent residents and citizens must complete the FAFSA.
• Designate Columbia University (code: 002707) as the recipient school.

5. Secure a qualifying public interest or public service internship.

1. Meet with a PI/PS Office adviser. 
Discuss your plan for finding a job for the summer. You can meet in person or over the phone. Schedule an appointment via Symplicity.

2. Register for the Public Interest Legal Career (PILC) Fair.
Registration opens December 1 at 9 a.m. EST. Register for the PILC Fair by January 1 at 5 p.m. The Fair, held at NYU every February, connects employers and students through interviews for internships and permanent jobs, as well as more informally at information tables. The 2023 fair will be held February 2 and 3. Students will be able to apply to interview with employers as soon as they register. Registration is free. The 2023 Public Interest Legal Career Fair will be conducted virtually.

3. Review job search tools and resources.
These include the Public Interest Job Search Tools, other publications on the PI/PS Office's website, and sites that list jobs (including PSJD and Symplicity).

4. Apply to summer internships.
Apply to 15 to 20 summer jobs. This number can include jobs you apply to interview for at the PILC Fair.

5. Apply to interview at the PILC Fair.
Register and submit applications by 5 p.m. EST on January 12. Note: If you want to be able to apply to interview with employers at the PILC Fair, you must be registered by January 12, 2023, at 5 p.m.

6. Register for the Mock Interview Program.
Participate in mock interviews with an attorney from a NYC metro area public interest or public service provider to prepare for summer job interviews. You will receive feedback on your interview skills, which will be helpful in preparing for the PILC Fair. Check the CSF Roadmap on Campus Groups (CLS Connect) for updated program dates and registration instructions.

Past interviewers have included lawyers from the ACLU, the Manhattan District Attorney's Office, and the Bronx Defenders.

7. Attend the PILC Fair.
February 2-3, 2023