Student Leaders Resource

Student Senate is the umbrella group for all organizations, and it distributes and oversees student organization funding. The Student Senate conducts a funding application process each semester to allocate money to student organizations. Only recognized student organizations may apply for funding.

Background

Each recognized student organization that receives funding has an account number that will be solely for use by that particular student organization for expenses incurred against available funds, tracking expenses, and revenue generated. Funding provided to student organizations from Student Senate are to be spent in the term in which funding was allocated. At the end of each semester, the Student Senate may request that all unspent funds previously distributed by the Senate for student events be returned to the Student Senate account. [NB – This would not affect any funds that your organizations received through other sources, such as member dues or outside fundraising.]

Please email Student Organizations if you would like to obtain account balance information or a statement of transactions that have been posted to your organization's account during a specified period of time (a Trial Balance).

[NB – your "account balance" does NOT appear on the Trial Balance report. The figure at the end of a Trial Balance report is merely the net of revenues and expenses during the specific time of the report.]

It is imperative that your organization's Treasurer maintains an independent internal ledger as there may be significant delays between the times that a transaction occurs and when it is posted to an account. If your organization does not have a ledger, your Treasurer will need to create one. If you need an account audit, your Treasurer should contact Jeff Bagares at Student Services.

If a student group believes it has been erroneously charged by the Law School or the University for any fees, you should contact Jeff Bagares. Student Services can generally obtain copies of backup documentation for facilities charges and purchase transactions to help investigate whether your group was appropriately charged. 

Recordkeeping

While Student Services strives to maintain an electronic copy of your student organization's transactional records, we strongly recommend that your Treasurer saves all copies of all transactions and should maintain an internal ledger

External Accounts

It is strictly forbidden for any student organization to maintain external bank accounts outside the Columbia University accounting system. Non-Columbia accounts for Columbia activities jeopardize the Law School's status with the Internal Revenue Service and could nullify your organization's eligibility to use the Columbia name or to benefit from its non-profit status.

There are different ways in which student organizations can generate revenue:
 

• Student Senate Allocations - Each semester, the Law School Student Senate allocates funds to student groups through its budget process.  All inquiries regarding the Senate allocations should be directed to the Student Senate Treasurer.
   
• Dues from Members - A student organization may choose to support its activities by collecting dues from its members.  Once collected, these funds should be submitted to Student Services for deposit into the organization's Law School account.
   
• Revenue from Fundraising Events or Sales - A group may also try to raise money by selling items such as T-shirts or other promotional items, by holding events and charging admission, or through other sales or fundraising events.  (Please see the section below on Use of University Trademarks for further information.)  The procedure for depositing revenue from events for sales is identical to the one outlined above for membership dues.
   
• Outside Fundraising - If you are interested in soliciting funds from any outside source, here are the three (3) steps that your organization must follow:
   

A solicitation letter (“the ask”), which is usually no more than one page in length. In the solicitation letter, please include what (events, projects, causes) you are planning and how they will be implemented given the present environment (i.e., the event’s modality). If possible, explain how you intend to use the funds; you don’t have to go into great detail or delineate your budget. Instead, provide a broad overview of the expected expenses and the total cost.


Below is suggested language to be included in your letter:


"If there are firms that did not get to hold an event in the Spring of 2023, you are encouraged to offer the firm an event in the fall to honor the prior commitment based on their contribution for the 2022-2023 year."

A donor form, a separate document detailing donor giving levels and benefits, as well as donor information (i.e. a donor form).

A list of firms to which you plan to send the sponsorship materials.
 

Once Jeff has reviewed your solicitation package, you should submit the package, together with your prospective donor list (e.g., the names of the law firms or other entities that you seek to solicit), to Margaret King at the Development Office ([email protected]) and Nancy Merriman of Career Services ([email protected]) for their review. Please copy Jeff on these communications.

Please note that no solicitation package may be distributed to potential donors until the Development Office has approved your submission. You should allow at least ten (10) business days for the Development Office’s review and approval process, so be sure to plan ahead and incorporate this intervening period into your event-planning timeline.

Student organizations' checks for deposit must be brought to Student Services, located at Big Warren, 4th Floor, ideally within one week of receipt to avoid check expiration.  It is your responsibility to keep a copy of the check for your records and to track if a check bounces. Please deposit as follow:

• To deposit sponsorship checks – please use this FORM. (instructions here)
   
• To deposit membership dues, sales, royalties, and non-sponsorship checks, please use this FORM.  Handwritten forms will not be accepted.
   
• All checks must be written to Columbia Law School and should have your organization’s name in the memo line.
   
• Foreign/International checks or cash deposits are never accepted.                                          

Checks mailed by vendors and donors in response to outside fundraising solicitations will be delivered to Student Services. When a check is received, your organization’s Treasurer will be notified. At that time, it is the responsibility of the Treasurer to complete the appropriate deposit form. Student Services will then forward the check to the Development Office or the Business Office for deposit. 

NB – IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT EITHER YOUR TREASURER OR FUNDRAISING CHAIR KEEP TRACK OF CHECKS THAT ARE EXPECTED AND RECEIVED IN ORDER TO ENSURE THAT ALL CHECKS ARE PROCESSED AND THAT THE FUNDS ARE ALLOCATED TO YOUR ORGANIZATION’S ACCOUNT.

All checks, mails, and packages are to be mailed to:

Columbia Law School
℅ Name of Student Organization
435 West 116th Street Box B-25
New York, NY 10027                

Transferring Funds

For a student organization wishing to support another group's event or contribute to an activity, the preferred method is a departmental transfer. The sponsoring student organization must e-mail Jeff Bagares and copy the student organization's president and treasurer they are sponsoring the following details:

• The name of the student organization receiving funds and its AG number;
• The amount being contributed; and
• The reason or the name of the event.

To request payment of any kind, please use the Student Organizations Request Form. 

Do I need a contract? Please check this out.

There are different methods for the Law School to pay for an organization's expense. In order for the Law School to pay a vendor directly, the vendor must be approved and in the University's vendor system. For a vendor to be added to the University's system, you should email the following information to [email protected]:

1. Payee's Name
2. Email Address
3. Payment Type

Before engaging a new vendor for your event, you should inform them of the University's billing procedures and time constraints in payment. 

Only the student organization treasurer can request a letter of credit (loc) from the Student Services Office. Please fill out this FORM and complete the following steps:

• Confirm that you have sufficient funds in your organization's account to cover the loc.
• Confirm that the vendor you have chosen still accepts letters of credit.
• Attach a copy of the "proof of event" – which can be any announcement of your event, such as a Google Group email.
• Provide the following information:
  • Vendor
  • Person Making Purchase
  • Name of your Organization
  • Purpose
  • Event Date
  • Location
  • Attendees #: List full names and unis of attendees if 10 or fewer 

Tips may be added to the LOC at the time they are handed to the vendor, but the tip amount cannot exceed 10% pretax. LOCs may also be used for off-campus approved vendors if you have fewer than 29 attendees at your event. Gatherings of 30 or more attendees require a formal event contract. Catered events with wait staff strictly require a purchase order. 

You can find the vendors who may accept Letters of Credit HERE. Please confirm with the vendor you have selected on the list if they still accept letters of credit.

Student organizations are encouraged to hold events at venues outside of Columbia University. Vendors providing services for meetings and events that require a contract, submit their contract for vetting in advance of the event. Once vetted, an amendment may be created and sent to the vendor for signature. If the vendor does not require a contract, but Columbia requires one for events of 30 or more attendees, please contact student organizations and we will draft a contract. Please upload all contracts and agreements HERE.

We strongly encourage you to choose from one of these vendors that have already been vetted and approved by Columbia University.

If the vendor you plan to use is not in the University's financial system, it will take approximately one to two additional weeks to add it.  Student Services can verify whether or not a venue is in the financial system by speaking to Jeff Bagares.

Please note: Students may never sign a contract on behalf of student organizations or the University. 

• Speaker Agreement

Vendors providing education and training services such as seminar facilitators, leaders, presenters, and speakers, need to complete and sign a Speaker Agreement which needs to be submitted by the student organization for signature to [email protected] with the subject: Speaker Agreement _Vendor’s Name_Date
 

Speaker Agreement Form

• Performance Agreement

Vendors that are performers or professional artists, actors, musicians, orchestras, ensembles, DJ’s, dancers, and magicians, need to complete and sign a Performance (Artist Agreement) which needs to be submitted by the student organization to student [email protected] with the subject: Performance Agreement_Vendor’s Name_Date

Performing Artists - Individual Only
Performing Artists - Individual with Props
Performing Artists - Company/Tropes

• Writer Agreement

Vendors providing author/publication services need to complete and sign a Writer Agreement which needs to be submitted by the student organization for signet to [email protected] with the subject: Writer_Agreement_Vendor’s Name_Date

Writer Agreement

• Photographer/Videographer Agreement

Vendors providing photography and videography services need to complete and sign a Photographer/Videographer Agreement which needs to be submitted by the student organization for signature to [email protected] with the subject: Photographer/Videographer Agreement_Vendor’sName_Date

Photographer/Videographer Agreement

If the vendor will only be providing photography or cinematography with no editing or production, no PO is needed.  If the services are performed on campus and the supplier brings equipment on site that needs to be set up, e.g. lights, sets, tripods. Electrical wiring, etc… a Certificate of Insurance is required. No insurance is required if the supplier is only using hand-held equipment: 

Certificate of Insurance

Student Services has access to a limited use credit card, which we refer to as the P-card.  Of particular importance to student organizations, the card may use to purchase business-related, non-travel, goods and limited services under $2,500 per transaction. All P-Card transactions must have legitimate business purposes and must comply with P-Card Policy and other University policies. If you would like to use the P-Card, please fill out this FORM.

The following items have been approved for purchase using the P-Card:

Books
Subscriptions
Memberships
Conference fees
Postage
Supplies and materials (not available at Staples)
Promotional items from Approved Promotional Vendors
Food/Meals delivered on campus (strictly delivered and consumed on campus)
 

If you are uncertain if the P-Card can be used for a purchase, please email [email protected].

Restricted Items

The following is a list of common items that are NOT approved for purchase using the P-Card. Please refer to the Purchasing Card Policy Appendix for a comprehensive list of restricted items and do NOT purchase any of these items using the P-Card. If you are uncertain if the P-Card can be used for a purchase, please contact [email protected].

Personal items
Alcoholic Beverages
Flowers, greeting cards, candy, fruit baskets
Purchases from Edible Arrangements
Gifts/prizes/awards of any kind
Gift cards and gift certificates of any kind for any reason
Purchases using personal PayPal accounts
Catering
Food Off-Campus
Online auctions (i.e. eBay, Craigslist)
Groupon
Cloud Hosting, Cloud Storage and File Sharing services
Any promotional items with University Logo or trademark or any branded product not purchased thru an approved Licensed Vendor.

Invoice (for approved vendors only)

To request an invoice to be paid, upload the  following documents HERE and be mindful of possible prerequisites for certain types of goods and services

1. Proof of event - event flyer, agenda, email, or invitation reflecting the business purpose of the activity
2. Invoices - an official document submitted to a Law School Student Organization by a vendor requesting payment for goods or services. The invoices should include the following:

• Supplier/Payee Name
• Bill-to-Address (Name of Student Organization)
• Payment Remit Address
• Invoice Date
• Invoice Number
• Description of goods or services
• Amount Due

Please note that Columbia University is a tax-exempt organization. Sales tax should never be included in the amount to be paid. You can obtain a tax-exempt form by requesting it to [email protected]

Check Requests(for approved vendors only)

Under exceptional circumstances, it may be necessary to request a check for approved vendors as advance payment for goods or services, or in payment to individuals who are non-Columbia University personnel.

A check request is usually required under one of the following circumstances:

• If a vendor requires pre-payment and will not invoice for a payment.
• If reimbursement of payments by individuals not affiliated with the University is required. 

Check request should NOT be used for:

• Compensation for University employees.
• Travel expenses or advance.
• Purchases properly processed through the Purchasing Office or that require purchase orders (e.g., equipment, supplies, entertainment, website creation, DJs or bands, performing artists, etc.) as well as an invoice.
• Stipends.
• Personal service vendors (consultants). 

Under the exceptional circumstances listed above, Student Services can submit a check request to the Business Office Staff, but must do so at least five (5) weeks before you will need the check.

We strongly advise students to sign up for ACH direct deposit in advance if they are planning to request reimbursement. This way, students will receive payment faster and directly into their bank account. Please be aware that it may take several weeks to process a reimbursement request and the Law School cannot guarantee that it will issue a reimbursement before a student is required to pay for a charge that appears on their credit card statement. The Law School will not reimburse students for any finance charges incurred on a personal credit card. So before a member of your organization pays for any expenses out-of-pocket, explore with Student Services whether that is the only payment method available. Expenses over 120 days old will require a justification for the delay in submission, so please submit your reimbursement HERE  within 30 days when expenses were incurred. Expenses must be submitted within 1 year of the transaction date; failure to submit within 365 days will result in non-reimbursement of expenses.  Please note that rapid covid tests and gift cards are non-reimbursable expenses.  The University is strictly enforcing this policy.

The payee is expected to obtain receipts for all expenses. A receipt may take many forms (i.e. cash register receipts, copy of an order form, web receipt or confirmation). A complete receipt must identify:

• Date of purchase
• Vendor name
• Itemized list and unit price of the purchased items
• Total amount

Receipts are strictly required for the following expenses:

• Airfares/rail
• Hotel/lodging
• Car rental

Proof of Payment

The payee is also expected to obtain proof of payment for all expenses. Proof of payment is usually included in the receipt with a notation of:

• “Cash tendered”
• Paid
• A zero balance due
• Debit/credit card payment (card type, last four digits of card and/or signature)

Required additional documentation:

• Proof of the event

Certain goods and services require the issuance of a Purchase Order (PO). A requisition, which is a request for a Purchase Order, must be submitted to Student Organizations in order to be initiated. Any goods and services that require the issuance of a Purchase Order, cannot be ordered and work cannot commence until a requisition has been approved by Central Purchasing and a Purchase Order has been issued. Central Purchasing can and has in the past rejected Purchase Order requests for work already completed. If you have questions, please contact the studentorganizations@law.columbia.edu.


Goods & Services Requiring a PO

The following requires the issuance of a Purchase Order prior to commencing work when the amount of the purchase is $2,500 or more:

• Promotional Purchases

The following requires the issuance of a Purchase Order prior to commencing work when the amount of the purchase is $10,000 or more: Advertising, Printing, Subscriptions, Rental Services

The following requires the issuance of a Purchase Order prior to commencing work: Graphic Designers, Audio/Video Editors, Software/Licensing, Translators (on-campus), Interpreters (on-campus), Catering (on-campus), Business & Strategic Consultants, General Research

 Noteworthy:

• PO eligible vendor profile must be available in the University System.
• Work must not commence until after the PO has been approved. NO work can be billed until PO is issued.
• PO in the amount of $10000 or more required a minimum of two(2) competitive bids
• Consultants must include their travel expenses on the invoice as part of their service as it is work-related and therefore taxable to them. 

Request a PO

Submit a request to [email protected] with the Subject: Purchase Order - Vendor Name and include all appropriate information, and attach all required documents for a requisition to be initiated.

Required Information

• Vendor Name
• Purchase Order Amount
• Start and End Dates
• SpeedChart Key & SpeedChart Description (where the PO is being charged to)
• Goods/Service Summary (what the Purchase Order is for)

Required Documents

• Quote(s) – Purchases over $10,000 require a minimum of two bids
• Client List – If the vendor is not able to provide a list of customers, an email is required stating the reason.
• Resume/Company Brochure
• Scope of Work (SOW)
• Certificate of Insurance (COI) – Only applicable if the service was provided on-campus, view sample of a Certificate of Insurance
• NYS Liquor Permit – If applicable
• Service Provider Agreement – If applicable
• Independent Contractor Certification (ICC) – Required each time they are engaged. “The Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York” must be listed as the Certificate Holder and under Description of Operations it should read "The Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York, its trustees, officers, agents and employees as additional insured."

You must never pay for a PO out of pocket.  Further, all contracts or agreements must be reviewed by the University to ensure compliance with all University regulations.  

Donations

The University has a strict policy in compliance with IRS guidelines when it comes to issuing payments for contributions or donations; not all entities can receive this type of payment. We strongly encourage you to always check with us in advance, before offering this type of payment to other entities. This way we can confirm that Columbia University and the IRS does allow contributions/donations to them. You can do this by submitting a vendor request to [email protected] along with their contact information, W-9 Form, and essentially their 501(c)(3) certificate. 

Honorarium

An honorarium payment is a gratuitous payment to a lecturer or a professional person outside the University community (not a University faculty or staff members) as an expression of thanks. It is taxable income and is reported to the Internal Revenue Service. A payment is not treated as honorarium if the payment is for specified services rendered by a service provider / independent consultant, University student or employee.  Honorarium payments should not exceed $250. 

To request an honorarium payment for an in-class speaker/lecture or a professional person from outside the University community (not a University faculty or staff member) as an expression of thanks, submit the following documents: Proof of event (event flyer, agenda, email, or invitation reflecting the business purpose of the activity) and honorarium letter (office letter on organization letterhead, addressed to the payee, including the amount of the honorarium and signature of department authority

Student Prizes & Awards

Awards to Columbia students who receive Financial Aid must be submitted to the Financial Aid office for processing. Awards to Columbia students who do not receive Financial Aid, or payments to non-Columbia students, may be submitted to the Business Office for processing, and do not need to go through the Financial Aid office. If your department does not know whether or not a student receives Financial Aid, check with the Financial Aid office first to determine the appropriate route for payment. Please note, prizes are won in a competition; awards are achieved or granted.

To request a prize or award for a qualified Columbia student, submit the following documents: Proof of event (event flyer, agenda, email, or invitation reflecting the business purpose of the activity) and Prize or Award Letter (official letter on department letterhead, addressed to the payee, including the amount of the award or prize, and signature of department authority).

The following language must be included in the description of services:

• Prize for a Columbia student who won in a competition (include the name and details of competitive event).
• Award for a Columbia student who does not receive Financial Aid, or, non-Columbia student award, or, Scholarship or fellowship (stipend) for a Columbia student who does not receive Financial Aid, or, non-Columbia student scholarship/fellowship / stipend.

Any item that incorporates Columbia Law School or any of its trademarks may be ordered only through one of the University’s approved vendors. 

The companies approved are licensed by Exemplar Associates to use Columbia trademarks on a wide array of promotional giveaway items and gifts for University departments and groups. Each company is affiliated with the Fair Labor Association and has agreed to comply with Columbia's Code of Workplace Conduct.

Logos, Banners, and Visual Style

Columbia Law School student organizations are allowed to have their own logo and/or banners. The student organization's logo/banners can be used for the following purposes:

• To promote student group events within the Law School and throughout Columbia University Campuses.
• To promote Columbia Law School Student organizations at conferences, workshops, career fairs, etc. 
   

Use of School Name

In the text of letters, advertisements, and other documents, please use the full name of our school ("Columbia Law School”) wherever possible. If you need to use a shortened name, you may use “Columbia Law” but you may not use simply "CLS". We also recommend that you use the full name of your student organization instead of simply relying on the acronym.
 

Student Organization Logo Approval Process

The use of the Columbia Law School and/or Columbia University name, logo or crest, as well as other symbols and marks that are representative of Columbia University, may be used only with formal permission of the University. The policy restricts the use of the Columbia name or other impressions on business cards, advertisements, posters, letterheads, and clothing or in any communication to nonmembers of the Columbia University community without prior approval. You can see the information HERE.

• If designing a new logo, you may want to reconsider using the University lion, which is the University’s athletic mascot.
• Your Logo should show an association with the Law School so instead of using “Columbia University” it should say “Columbia Law School”.
• You must have your student organization's name.
• No one is allowed to modify the crown or overlay decorations on it.
• If you are using the crown, which belongs to many other entities within the University, you must use the Columbia Law Crown and add your student organization name
   

Columbia Law School Visual Style
(Logo, Colors, Photography, Letterhead, and, Posters)

A consistent visual style and voice can positively influence how people view Columbia Law School. Columbia Law School's Communications Team created guidelines for colors, logos, photography, and typography to help you maintain the Columbia Law brand identity. Everything you say and do on behalf of the Law School is part of that living brand and conveys the Law School's story. You can view these guidelines at law.columbia.edu/communications/visual-style.

Organization letterhead must be approved by the Law School before it may be used on behalf of your organization. If you are interested in creating letterhead, please speak with Jeff Bagares. Following approval, you may go to the Faculty Secretariat in Jerome Greene Hall, Room 711 to obtain stationery. Please remember that your organization will be responsible for any charges incurred.

Website

If your organization would like to create a website on the Law School's domain, contact the Law School's IT Team at [email protected]. All web pages should be housed on the Columbia University Law School server, which is run by the Columbia Law School Information Technology Department. If you are unsure whether your group has a web page, please contact Jeff Bagares and the IT helpdesk at [email protected].

All student organization web pages must comply with both the Law School's and the University's policies about web page creation and usage, as well as with federal laws such as copyright laws and restrictions on data transmissions. Please thoroughly familiarize yourself with the Law School's and the University's policies and recommendations, which can be found at the following links:

• https://finance-admin.law.columbia.edu/content/technology-student-organizations
• http://cuit.columbia.edu/web-publishing
• http://cuit.columbia.edu/cuit/it-policies

You should specifically note the following, as stated in the Columbia University policies:

1) Columbia University does not sponsor, review or monitor the contents of the personal home pages of its faculty, students, or staff on websites using University facilities, nor does the University endorse the contents of any such personal home pages.

2) You are personally responsible for what you do on the network as a member of the Columbia community.

3) No University system or network may be used for any purpose or in a manner that violates University rules or regulations or federal, state, or local statutes or regulations.

4) Use of University systems or networks for commercial purposes, except where explicitly approved, is strictly prohibited.

As members of the Law School community, you are expected to exhibit professionalism, courtesy, and respect for the rights of others. Your organization's web page should reflect this responsibility.

Further, the following disclaimer must appear prominently on the home page of your organization's web page:

“Columbia University and Columbia Law School do not sponsor, review or monitor the contents of World Wide Web sites on University facilities, nor does the University or the Law School endorse the contents of any such web page.”

You should also consider how to best utilize your student organization's website to publicize events in advance and to create a "web presence" so that people are updated on your organization's activities in general.
 

Email Accounts

Your organization has a unique email account. The outgoing board should have the password for the account. If you are unable to access your email account or if you are a new student group in need of an email account, please contact the Law School's IT Helpdesk ([email protected]). In your email, please copy Jeff Bagares ([email protected]) so that he can approve your request.

A member of your student organization should be assigned to monitor this email account, as it is the primary means for people to communicate with your group. It might be wise to have the person in charge of the account forward all emails to an account that they regularly check, in order to make sure that your group receives important emails.
 

G: Drive

It is important that your organization has a folder on the Law School's G: drive to store your organization's financial ledger and other important documents. This will greatly facilitate your group's ability to pass on critical operational information from outgoing to incoming boards. It is much less efficient and potentially detrimental to your organization to have to transfer electronically stored records from laptop to laptop each year. To have a folder created, e-mail the Law School's IT Helpdesk ([email protected]). In your email, please copy Jeff Bagares ([email protected]) so that he may approve your request. 

Print Services

Columbia University Print Services (located in the basement of the School of Journalism on Broadway and 116^th Street) can provide Law School groups with a broad range of services, including printing services, poster design and enlargement, copying, brochures, invitations, and flyer printing. To pay for these services, your student organization will need to provide Printing Services with a "chart string." The chart string for each organization is available from Student Organizations. Your organization will be later charged for any services provided. For more information, please visit print.columbia.edu
 

Mailboxes, Mail Services, and Postage

All student organizations should arrange for all mail, including invoices, donor checks, and packages, to be sent to:

Columbia Law School
c/o Student Organization Name
435 West 116^th Street Mailbox B-25
New York, NY 10027

The Information Center and Student Services will notify the student organization President and/or Treasurer when mail has arrived.  

Students may leave packages to be mailed via USPS with the Information Center, located on the first floor of Jerome Greene Hall.  Students can also obtain metered postage from the Information Center. The postage cost will be charged directly to your student organization's Law School account.

Student Services Fax Machine

Student Services maintains a fax machine for organizations to send and receive faxes. The incoming fax number is 212-854-2440. The recipient's name and the student organization must be clearly marked on all incoming and outgoing faxes.

If you are hosting a program that you believe meets the state requirements (available on the NY Courts website), please review this detailed Guide to CLE Accreditation at CLS. If, after reviewing the guide, you would like to apply for credit for your participants, please complete this form at least 3 weeks prior to your program.

Columbia is committed to insuring that events and programs are accessible to all students, including those with disabilities. Disability Services has created this checklist to assist student clubs, administrators, and meeting or event planners to create programs that are accessible to all. The purpose of this guide is to provide information for event planners about the elements of disability access that will foster full participation. Advance planning and communication is critical to making events accessible. Providing key details related to an event in advance, such as the agenda, format and activities, will help participants determine what accommodations may be needed. This will allow the participant to request the necessary accommodations to best access the event.

 You can find helpful information at the Event Accessibility Checklist when planning an event or reach out to Lauren Levy at [email protected]. 

The recording or live streaming of events raises serious issues regarding privacy and consent not simply for the invited speaker, but also for attendees. Our students, faculty, staff, and guests' privacy must be respected by event organizers and every precaution must be taken to protect such privacy, even at the expense of publicity for the event or event speakers.  For student organization events on the Law School campus, requests to have an event recorded or live-streamed should be made to [email protected].

Obtaining Consent to Record or Live Stream

Prior to the event, every guest speaker should sign a Columbia University School of Law Speaker Permission Agreement, a link to the form which can be found here.

If obtaining a signed consent form is not possible with respect to a particular guest, then prior consent via email must be obtained.   

In addition, if the recording is going to be made public via any medium—or if the event will be live-streamed—the consent of all audience members who may appear or be heard during a Q&A session must be obtained by informing audience members of the recording and/or live streaming via:

1)      A prominently displayed notice at all entrances to the event space; and

2)      An announcement at the start of the event and a reminder announcement at the beginning of any Q&A period.

Further, an alternative method for questions must be provided (e.g., providing index cards for written questions that can be passed to the moderator), so that audience members who do not wish to be recorded still have the opportunity to ask a question.

Recording by Guest Speakers

Neither guest speakers nor any other non-University party may record or live stream an event at the Law School. Where consent has been obtained (as described above), a student organization may share the Law School's recording with a guest speaker only for that speaker's personal use.

Student organizations that are sponsoring trips, either domestic or international, should consult with Jeff Bagares from the Office of Student Services regarding their travel plans 2-3 months in advance of the dates you have intended. When you plan to attend student organization trips, you are representing Columbia University and the Law School. All ethical standards must be followed while you are away.

Each student attending a student organization sponsored trip must comply with the pre-departure travel requirements that can be found HERE. You can find more resources about international travel at Globaltravel.columbia.edu