Flower boxes outside Jerome Greene containing purple petunias

Strategic Initiatives

Community Life
Strategic Initiatives

Discover how Columbia Law School is building upon its distinguished legacy while also embracing an ambitious vision to shape a more just, well-governed, and prosperous future.

Students socialize with alumni and employers at the Public Interest/Public Service reception.

Investing in Public Interest/Public Service

At Columbia Law, we believe that serving others and advancing the public good should be a part of every lawyer’s professional pathway. Through unprecedented investments, we have expanded programming and deepened financial support for students pursuing public sector careers, both while they are in law school and as they begin their careers.

Students sit at long tables next to a bank of windows and beneath a mezzanine.

Reimagining the Law Library

The Law School is undertaking a multi-year project to renovate—and fully reimagine—the Law Library into a marquee space befitting its place at the nexus of student learning, groundbreaking scholarship, and community life.

Students pose for a group selfie at the 26th Annual Paul Robeson Gala.

Diversity and Inclusion

At Columbia Law, we seek to create community across communities. With a highly diverse faculty and student body, we challenge students to learn from perspectives and experiences different from their own. Opportunities abound for students to join an affinity group, participate in a service trip, or attend an event or a conference.

Curricular Innovation

Our curriculum is designed to prepare students to lead across sectors, industries, and phases of their careers. Clinics and externships allow students to work with real clients on live issues affecting their lives and communities. Innovative opportunities, like the Davis Polk Leadership Initiative and the In-House Counsel Program, equip graduates to be versatile, practice-ready professionals.

Student Life

The student experience is all-encompassing. From a wide array of student organizations to high-quality facilities, we are committed to ensuring that the experience of being a law student at Columbia is one that empowers students while supporting their personal and professional growth. Co-curricular initiatives, such as Lawyers, Community, and Impact and the Dean’s Distinguished Speaker Series, help students dissect, apply, and contextualize what they learn in the classroom.