3L Roadmap

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A month-by-month snapshot of many of the key things to know and do during 3L year.

Academics

  • Pre-Register for fall courses, taking advantage of your academic and career advisers as you plan your schedule.
  • If you are submitting a paper for a Moot Workshop, do so by the deadline.
  • For questions about the Bar exam and admission requirements (including the MPRE which is a separate bar admission requirement), please review Registration Services' Bar Certification page and the National Conference of Bar Examiners' Comprehensive Guide to Bar Admission Requirements, a 50-state survey of bar admission rules and requirements.

Careers and Professional Development

  • You can now apply for federal or state clerkships at any time as a 3L, with peak hiring season to occur typically in the Spring and immediately after graduation.  Talk to an adviser in the Office of Judicial Careers (OJC) to develop your application strategy, including 3L coursework. If you secured a clerkship over the summer, be sure to inform OJC and consider serving as a mentor to other 3Ls or 2Ls who apply later in the Academic Year.
  • If you plan on taking the New York Law Exam (NYLE) in September, complete the New York Law Course online and register for the NYLE by the August deadline.
  • Apply/bid for Fall On-Campus Interviews (OCI), keeping in mind that most public sector employers have mid-August application deadlines. (Both public and private sector employers will participate).
  • If you are participating in the Early Interview Program (EIP), attend. See counselors in the Office of Private Sector Careers (OPSC) for advice on callbacks and offer acceptance/deferral. If you have accepted a clerkship, seek advice on how to communicate this to your 2L summer employer.
  • If you are pursuing a public interest or public service position, continue working with the Office of Public Interest/Public Service Law & Careers (PI/PS Office) on applications for postgraduate government honors programs, postgraduate fellowships (including Columbia-funded postgraduate fellowships), or public interest jobs. Make sure to register for the PI/PS Office’s postgraduate fellowship newsletter. Note that job and fellowship deadlines can be as early as late summer. 
  • Several Columbia-funded fellowships have application deadlines in the fall. Meet with a PI/PS Office adviser, review the PI/PS Office’s online fellowship materials for specific dates, and plan accordingly.
  • If you are considering entering the law teaching market this year or in the future, reach out to the Careers in Law Teaching Program for assistance in preparing your Faculty Appointments Register (FAR) application.

Academics

  • Take advantage of the Add/Drop period and academic advising provided by Student Services as you finalize your courses and exam schedule.
  • If you will be serving on your journal’s editorial board, review the Journal Credits Overview to learn about the credit you may earn in connection with this work, as well as other types of journal-related credit.
  • If you are considering spending the spring term in Washington, D.C. as a part of the Externship on the Federal Government, attend the information session, then apply.
  • Register for the Major Writing requirement by the end of the Fall Add-Drop period.
  • Attend the Global @ CLS information session to learn about the wealth of international opportunities at Columbia Law School.

Careers and Professional Development

  • Attend PI/PS Office Mondays and other practitioner events.
  • Participate in the Fall On-Campus Interview (OCI) program for public and private sector postgraduate jobs.
  • If you are applying for government honors programs, do so by the deadlines. (Some are as early as Labor Day.)
  • Attend OJC programs and other judicial events and lectures. Reach out to former faculty or work supervisors about clerkships, and talk with an OJC adviser about how to best prepare to apply after graduation.
  • If you plan on taking the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE) in November, register by the September deadline.
  • Continue to meet with your career advisers in the PI/PS Office, OPSC, and OJC to navigate postgraduate job and fellowship applications and offers.
  • Apply for the Davis Polk Leadership Initiative Fellowship and/or Grant.
    • Fellowship applications will open in late August and be due Monday, September 11.
    • Grant applications will open in late August and will be accepted on a rolling basis until spots are filled.

Student Life

  • Get involved in a pro bono project. Projects must be completed by March 1 of 3L year. 
  • If you are graduating in October, register your pro bono hours in LawNet by Sept. 15.

Academics

  • Begin to plan for spring courses by attending faculty-led panels, student-to-student info sessions, and faculty office hours. Meet with your advisers in Student Services, OPSC, OJC, and the PI/PS Office. (Make appointments via Symplicity.)
  • Attend the Experiential Learning Application Overview to learn about clinics, externships, and other experiential learning opportunities in the spring term. Attend the Experiential Learning Information Fair to learn more about these offerings. (Applications will be due later in the month.)

Careers and Professional Development

  • Attend OJC, PI/PS Office, and OPSC programs and other events and lectures.
  • Several Columbia-funded fellowships have application deadlines in the fall and spring semesters. Meet with a PI/PS Office adviser, review the PI/PS Office’s online fellowship materials for specific dates, and plan accordingly.

Student Life

  • Attend the Spring Break Pro Bono Caravans information sessions to learn about exciting public service opportunities in the United States and abroad.
  • If you haven’t completed your pro bono requirement, register your plan to complete the pro bono requirement with the Pro Bono Office. 

Academics

  • Pre-register for spring classes and the January term.
  • Keep an eye out for emails from Registration Services regarding fall exams. Take note of the deadline to reschedule exams.
  • Reach out to professors about opportunities for serving as a Research Assistant (RA) or Teaching Fellow (TF) during the spring semester.
  • If you are due to graduate in May, apply for the May degree.

Careers and Professional Development

  • If you plan on taking the New York Law Exam (NYLE) in December, complete the New York Law Course online and register for the NYLE by the November  deadline.
  • Attend the Bar Application Information Session.
  • If you plan on taking the February Uniform Bar Exam in New York, register by the November 30 deadline.
  • Several Columbia-funded fellowships have application deadlines in the fall and spring semesters. Meet with a PI/PS Office adviser, review the PI/PS Office’s online fellowship materials for specific dates, and plan accordingly.

Student Life

Academics

  • Focus on your exams, meeting with your academic adviser as needed for exam prep.

Careers and Professional Development

  • Several Columbia-funded fellowships have application deadlines in the spring. Meet with a PI/PS Office adviser, review the PI/PS Office’s online fellowship materials for specific dates, and plan accordingly. Apply for other positions as well.

Student Life

  • Take advantage of counseling hours and check out other Law School and university-sponsored wellness programs.

Academics

  • Add/Drop as needed and take note of your final schedule, including exams.
  • Register for the Minor Writing requirement by the end of the Spring Add-Drop period.
  • Pick up your fall term exams and take advantage of your professors' posted office hours if you need to discuss them.

Careers and Professional Development

  • If you plan to take the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE) in March, register by the January deadline.
  • If you are considering applying for clerkships now, make an appointment with OJC to learn about the application process. Set aside time to begin your research of courts and judges for potential future term years.
  • If you are interested in a career in academia, attend the weekly Careers in Law Teaching workshop.
  • If you are considering public service or public interest law as a career, attend the PI/PS Office’s Planning and Financing Your Public Interest Career series and other public interest programs throughout the spring term.
  • Apply to be a Parker Fellow at the International Court of Justice (you must have a thorough command of French, among other requirements). 
  • Participate in the Spring On-Campus Interview (OCI) program (OPSC and the PI/PS Office).
  • Continue to consult postgraduate fellowship deadlines and work with your adviser in PI/PS Office on applications for fellowships and positions.

Student Life

  • If you are graduating in February, submit your pro bono hours in LawNet by January 15.

Careers and Professional Development

  • Complete the Graduate Employment Survey in Symplicity.
  • If you plan to take the New York Law Exam (NYLE) in March, complete the New York Law Course online and register for the NYLE by the February deadline.
  • Attend info sessions on bar exam prep, character and fitness, and other bar-related concerns.
  • If you are interested in a career in academia, attend the weekly Careers in Law Teaching workshop.
  • Participate in the Spring On-Campus Interview (OCI) program (OPSC and the PI/PS Office).
  • Continue to consult postgraduate fellowship deadlines and work with your adviser in the PI/PS Office on applications for fellowships and positions.

Student Life

  • Fulfill your 40-hour pro bono requirement and submit your hours by the March 1 deadline (with the exception of Spring Break Caravans or pre-registered spring break projects).
  • Attend graduation orientation.
  • Vote for student graduation speakers.

Academics

Careers and Professional Development

  • If you plan to apply for state or federal clerkships after graduation, Friday, March 15th, is the suggested deadline by which you should request a clerkship recommendation letter from potential faculty recommenders for classes taken, or research or teaching assistant work, completed in any prior semester. This provides you and your faculty recommenders time to speak about your clerkship application strategy. Follow OJC’s guidance on faculty recommendation letters in its Courseworks page or speak with an OJC adviser for best practices.
  • Complete the Graduate Employment Survey in Symplicity if you have not done so already.
  • If you are entering public service or public interest, attend the information sessions about postgraduate life hosted by the PI/PS Office.
  • If you are considering a career in the private sector, attend the Transition to Practice Workshop hosted by OPSC and the Davis Polk Leadership Initiative.
  • Continue to consult postgraduate fellowship deadlines and work with your adviser in the PI/PS Office on applications for fellowships and positions.

Student Life

Academics

  • Continue to be mindful of communications regarding graduation requirements and meet with academic advisers in Student Services as needed.
  • For May Graduates: Major Writing and Minor Writing must be completed by the first day of the month preceding the month by which you anticipate graduating (April 1). 

Careers and Professional Development

  • If you are taking the New York Bar Exam, attend a Handwriting Sample Session.
  • If you plan on taking the July Uniform Bar Exam in New York, register by the April 30 deadline.

Academics

  • Focus on your exams.
  • Enjoy graduation!
  • If you will apply for clerkships after graduation, be certain to ask for any remaining faculty clerkship recommendation letters (or updates, if necessary, to reflect any spring term updates) by no later than Friday, May 17th.

Careers and Professional Development

  • If you plan to take the New York Law Exam (NYLE) in June, complete the New York Law Course online and register for the NYLE by the May deadline.
  • Keep an eye out for relevant deadlines and information about clerkships from OJC.  Many recent graduates secure clerkships immediately after graduation so be prepared to interview in May and early June.
  • For public interest careers, review the Enhanced LRAP application and Public Interest Bridge Loan application and submit by deadlines.

Careers and Professional Development

  • Prepare and apply for federal and state clerkships by early June, including asking faculty for clerkship recommendation letters, in advance of or in tandem with the rising 3L class. This is the peak hiring season for recent CLS graduates! Be prepared to interview for clerkships in May-July.
  • Study for the bar exam.
  • For public interest careers, review the Enhanced LRAP application and Public Interest Bridge Loan application and submit by the deadlines.
  • If you are working in public interest or government in New York City or Washington, D.C., attend the PI/PS Office’s summer networking events.
  • If you want to keep tabs on grad news from the PI/PS Office, sign up for their grad newsletter.
  • Consider mentoring a law student or coming back to campus to speak on a panel or meet with students.
  • If you have great job openings at your organization, agency, judicial chambers, or firm, please share them with OPSC, OJC, or the PI/PS Office.
  • Let OPSC, the PI/PS Office, and/or OJC know if you switch jobs or need help transitioning in your career—they are available to provide resources and support throughout your career.