A hallway in Jerome Greene Hall has the shadows of a grid of windows on the wall.

Research Centers and Programs

Columbia Law School’s research centers and programs reflect the breadth of our faculty’s expertise and the exceptional quality of their scholarship. Through their rigorous research, faculty experts explore foundational, emerging, and interdisciplinary areas of the law. In addition to convening academics, policymakers, judges, and business leaders from around the globe, centers and programs offer students valuable opportunities to collaborate with experienced scholars and researchers.

Find a Center or Program

Richard Paul Richman Center for Business, Law, and Public Policy

The Richard Paul Richman Center for Business, Law, and Public Policy—a joint venture of Columbia Law School and Columbia Business School—fosters dialogue and debate at the intersection of business, law, and public policy. Columbia faculty involved with the center conduct rigorous curricular and research initiatives in order to produce real-world solutions to complex interdisciplinary challenges. The center’s offerings also include a dual J.D./MBA degree, an executive education program, a Blue Sky Workshop that facilitates knowledge sharing, public lectures, conferences, and forums.

 

Sabin Center for Climate Change Law

The Sabin Center for Climate Change Law develops legal techniques to fight climate change, trains students and lawyers in their use, and provides the public with up-to-date resources on key topics in climate law and regulation. The center works closely with scientists at Columbia University’s Earth Institute as well as governmental, nongovernmental, and academic organizations around the world.

 

Areas of Study

Studio for Law and Culture

The Studio for Law and Culture at Columbia University (SLC) is an intellectual home for the study, research, and scholarship on the intersection of law and culture. In addition to hosting fellowships, events, and workshops, SLC supports projects that explore dual interpretations of the law—as both a strict institutional doctrine and as a regime for ordering social life, constructing cultural meaning, and shaping group and individual identities. 

 

The Charles Evans Gerber Transactional Studies Center

The Charles Evans Gerber Transactional Studies Center brings together a range of activities, from courses and experiential learning opportunities to workshops and research, to help students develop the transactional skills needed for legal practice. Leveraging Columbia Law School’s historical strength in corporate law and financial regulation, the center fosters curricular innovation, cultivates multidisciplinary scholarship, and encourages professional development through conferences and roundtable discussions.

 

The Earth Institute at Columbia University

Widely recognized as the world’s foremost organization addressing the challenges of global sustainable development, The Earth Institute comprises 850 scientists, postdoctoral fellows, staff, and students who work across many disciplines to find solutions for problems in public health, poverty, energy, ecosystems, climate, natural hazards, and urbanization.

Areas of Study

The Reuben Mark Initiative for Organizational Character and Leadership In-House Counsel Program

The Reuben Mark Initiative for Organizational Character and Leadership leverages the intellectual capital of Columbia Business School and Columbia Law School to design courses and programs that teach the leadership skills and strategies necessary to create an optimal organizational culture. The initiative’s In-House Counsel Program offers students innovative and rich courses, research, and programming exploring the role of the in-house counsel as strategic partners and leaders within companies and organizations.