1L Roadmap

  1. Community Life
  2. Student Life
  3. Roadmaps
  4. 1L Roadmap

A month-by-month snapshot of many of the key things to know and do during 1L year.

Orientation

  • Attend orientation events. 

Academics

  • Submit your classroom seating requests in LawNet.
  • Focus on your Legal Methods and Legal Practice Workshop (LPW) studies.
  • Consider forming a peer study group.
  • Meet with your academic adviser.

Careers and Professional Development

Student Life

  • Participate in student organization orientation events. 

Academics

  • Attend information sessions on various opportunities, such as moot court, international opportunities, and dual degree programs.
  • Attend the Global @ CLS information session to learn about the wealth of international opportunities at Columbia Law School.
  • Attend the Study Abroad General Info session to learn about international semester study programs for the fall or spring of your 3L year, as well as  international dual degree programs that entail spending your entire 3L year abroad.  Speak with your career adviser about how this may impact your professional goals.
  • Consider applying for the specialized moot court program (deadline in mid-September) as an alternative for Spring LPW II.
  • Attend programming related to your academic progress/success.

Careers and Professional Development

  • Attend programming to learn about various legal practices, career pathways, and how to prepare for your job search.
  • Complete your job search application materials based on the CLS format and guidelines for the sector you are applying for.
  • Meet with your career advisers.
  • Get feedback on your draft application materials from your career advisers; upload your resume/cover letter for public sector opportunities to the PI/PS application review portal.
  • Check for early deadlines for public interest/public service summer internship applications.
  • Read Symplicity evaluations of prior summer internships.
  • Attend The Scoop program to speak to upperclass students about their summer internships.
  • Apply for the Davis Polk Leadership Initiative Fellowship and/or Innovation Grant.
    • Fellowship applications will open in late August and will be due in mid-September.
    • Grant applications will be open in late August and will be accepted on a rolling basis until spots are filled.

Student Life

  • Attend programs about adjusting to law school, self-care, and other health and wellness programming.
  • Continue to participate in student organization orientation events, including the Block Party.

Academics

  • Use the CLS Writing Center for additional help with legal research and writing.
  • Request an Academic Coach through the Academic Coaching Center.
  • Prepare for your midterm exams.
  • Learn about your options for your January Legal Methods II course and your spring elective.

Careers and Professional Development

  • Attend the Intro to Summer Funding Program to learn about the Columbia Summer Funding (CSF) & Human Rights Internship Program (HRIP) details. Attendance is required as part of summer funding registration.
  • Complete the required checklist by December 1 to participate in Columbia Summer Funding (CSF) and/or the Human Rights Internship Program (HRIP): applicable to students working in public interest, public service, or judicial internships. (You can opt out later, but you cannot receive funding if you miss important program deadlines.)
  • Finalize your job search application materials.
  • Continue to meet with your career advisers.
  • Research 1L summer job opportunities and employers.
  • Begin applying for 1L summer internships in public interest, government, and/or judicial internships and continue to attend career-related programs.
  • Build your network. Attend networking programs and events.
  • If you want to work internationally in human rights next summer, submit an application for the Human Rights Internship Program (HRIP) starting October 1.
  • Attend programming on and begin applying for summer judicial internships.

Student Life

  • Attend required Community Citizenship events.
  • Attend the Spring Break Pro Bono Caravans information session and apply to participate.
  • Attend Wellness Week events.

Academics

  • Prepare for fall exams and attend programming related to academic success.
  • Pre-register for spring courses.
  • Begin applications for international dual degree programs (for your entire 3L year abroad you must apply during your 1L year). Apply for a semester abroad or the Paris Global Alliance program for your 2L spring semester. (Study Abroad Application open November 26-February 7)

Careers and Professional Development

Academics

  • Focus on your exams. Meet with your academic adviser, professors, and teaching assistants as needed regarding exam prep.

Careers and Professional Development

  • Continue applying for summer positions through job postings on Symplicity, the Public Interest Legal Career (PILC) Fair at NYU, and other sources. Reach out to your career advisers as needed.
  • Register for and participate in the Practice Interview Program hosted by OPSC.
  • Network with employers in your hometown by attending events during the winter break.

Student Life

Academics

  • Prepare for the spring semester by looking over your class and exam schedule.
  • Connect with your fall term professors for feedback on exams/coursework.
  • Continue to build your skills by attending programs on learning from the fall term, getting to know faculty, and more.
  • Begin thinking about 2L clinics, externships, or other experiential learning.
  • Attend the final International Semester and Dual Degree Study Info Session about applying for CLS’s semester, global alliance, and dual degree programs for your 2L spring or your entire 3L year. (Application closes the first week of February; you must apply in your 1L year for the Dual Degree programs.)

Careers and Professional Development

  • Attend OJC’s Clerkships 101 during the J-Term.
  • Continue to research summer job opportunities, apply for jobs (and follow up on applications already submitted), and meet with your advisers in the PI/PS Office, OPSC, and OJC to discuss your progress. For any judicial internships requiring transcripts, aim to have your materials finalized before grades are released so that you may submit as soon as possible. Update any previously submitted applications with your 1L fall transcripts.
  • Continue to attend career-related programming, such as Careers in Law Teaching workshops, and the Planning and Financing Your Public Interest Career series.
  • Register for and participate in the public interest practice interview programs (Jan/Feb).
  • Participate in the Virtual Spring On-Campus Interview (OCI) program for 1Ls (for public interest/government and private sector).
  • Review your Spring CSF Checklist and complete the requirements to remain eligible to receive Columbia Summer Funding. (You can opt out later, but you cannot receive funding if you miss important program deadlines.)
  • If you are participating in the Human Rights Internship Program (HRIP), attend the opening event.

Academics

  • If applicable, review the Curricular Practical Training (CPT) Information website and process PowerPoint presentation.
  • Apply by February 7 for a 2L spring semester program abroad or for international dual degree programs in Paris, London, or Frankfurt that entail spending your entire 3L year abroad. (You must apply for these dual degree programs during your 1L year, as you will plan your 2L year accordingly to fulfill all J.D. requirements.)
  • Attend the 1L Experiential Learning Lunch to learn about taking a clinic, externship, or other experiential opportunity in the 2L academic year.
  • Consider Research Assistant (RA) and Teaching Fellow (TF) positions. These positions can be during 1L summer for pay and/or 2L year for credit.

Careers and Professional Development

  • Attend the Virtual Public Interest Legal Career (PILC) Fair to interview and table talk with potential 1L summer employers.
  • Continue to research summer job opportunities, apply for jobs (and follow up on applications already submitted), and meet with your advisers in the PI/PS Office, OPSC, and OJC to discuss your progress.
  • Attend individual firm receptions to learn about private sector employers.
  • Continue to attend career-related programming such as the PI/PS office’s events with practitioners, OJC’s Judicial Speaker Series, and OPSC workshops and information sessions.
  • Attend the Columbia Summer Funding Mandatory Payment Session. This is required for all students participating in CSF. Review your Spring CSF Checklist for registration details.
  • If you are participating in the Human Rights Internship Program (HRIP), attend the Training & Orientation program sessions (T&O).

Student Life

Academics

  • Attend the information sessions hosted by Experiential Learning to learn about experiential enrollment and about the deadlines to apply for 2L academic year clinics, externships and other experiential learning opportunities that will satisfy the experiential credit requirement.
  • Attend Student Service panels to start learning about the Law School’s writing requirements, what journal work entails, and why joining a journal might be right for you.

Careers and Professional Development

  • Continue to attend programming related to your career interests. This includes weekly Careers in Law Teaching workshops, lunchtime panels, and other programming offered by the PI/PS Office, OJC, and OPSC.
  • If you are participating in the Columbia Summer Funding Program, apply for additional summer funding opportunities and consult the Additional Summer Funding checklist.
  • Continue to attend HRIP T&O program sessions if you are participating in HRIP.

Student Life

Academics

  • Attend the information session to learn about becoming a moot court student editor and teaching fellow in the Moot Court/LPW program.
  • Attend programs on note writing.
  • Look out for correspondence from Registration Services regarding fall pre-registration.

Careers and Professional Development

  • Attend 1L summer internship preparatory programs on how to succeed, professionalism, ethics, cultural competency, and resilience to prepare for your summer internship.
  • Report your 1L summer employment information to LawNet if you are participating in CSF, or to the CSF Opt-Out Form if you’ve accepted a private sector or non-CSF eligible placement.

Academics

  • Focus on your exams.

Careers and Professional Development

Student Life

  • Apply on LawNet to become a moot court student editor and LPW teaching fellow for your 2L year. 

Academics

  • Start brainstorming possible note topics and faculty note supervisors.
  • Explore opportunities for RA and TF positions during your 1L summer or 2L year by reaching out to professors in whose classes you excelled during your first two semesters.
  • Pre-register for fall classes and meet with your various advisers as needed as you plan your schedule.

Careers and Professional Development

  • Meet with PI/PS advisers if pursuing public interest/government.
  • Keep an eye out for emails about deadlines for Virtual Fall On-Campus Interviews (OCI).
  • Complete an employment evaluation for your 1L summer position on Symplicity.
  • Get a writing sample for clerkships. If you are considering applying for judicial clerkships after 2L, obtaining a writing sample from a summer internship (and ensuring that you have permission to use it) will be helpful moving forward.
  • If you participated in the Columbia Summer Funding Program and are interning at a public interest organization, consider extending your work for a week, without pay or academic credit, to fulfill your pro bono requirement.
  • If you have any questions or difficulties during your summer job, reach out to any of the career advisers. We're here to help!

Student Life

  • Participate in the Columbia Law Review’s Write-On competition.
  • Apply to journals through the regular journal application process.
  • Start thinking about doing pro bono projects in the fall and explore different opportunities.
  • Consider joining a new student organization.

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