Columbia Law School

Columbia Law School
source
Name	Columbia Law School
Established	1858
Type	Private
Parent	Columbia University
Location	Morningside Heights, Manhattan, New York City, New York (state)
Dean	Dean of Columbia Law School
Students	1,300 (approx.)
Faculty	200 (approx.)

Contents

Columbia Law School Columbia Law School is a professional graduate school located in Morningside Heights, Manhattan affiliated with Columbia University. It has longstanding influence on American Bar Association practice, Supreme Court of the United States advocacy, and international legal scholarship, producing leaders in United States Senate, United States Congress, United States Department of State, and multinational law firms such as Cravath, Swaine & Moore and Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom. The school is known for its historical ties to prominent jurists, policymakers, and scholars associated with institutions like The New York Times, United Nations, and International Court of Justice.

History

Founded in 1858 during the expansion of professional education in New York City, the school grew amid debates involving figures connected to Tammany Hall and reformist movements tied to Progressive Era. Early leaders and alumni intersected with constitutional moments including appointments to the Supreme Court of the United States and roles in the Roosevelt administration. During the 20th century, the school expanded under influences connected to cases arising from Brown v. Board of Education era jurisprudence and Cold War legal frameworks shaped by actors at Department of Justice and the Central Intelligence Agency. Faculty and graduates engaged with international law during the formation of United Nations organs and participated in drafting instruments parallel to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

The campus sits in Morningside Heights, Manhattan near Butler Library and adjacent to Columbia University Irving Medical Center and Barnard College. Law School facilities include historic halls and modern towers near Low Memorial Library and the Alma Mater (statue), with moot courtrooms used for competitions tied to organizations such as American Bar Association and International Criminal Court advocacy simulations. The library collections overlap with holdings at Columbia University Libraries and special collections relevant to litigation history associated with firms like Sullivan & Cromwell and archives of public figures who served in United States Department of State and United States Supreme Court clerking networks.

The curriculum emphasizes doctrinal courses connected to constitutional law exemplified by cases from the Supreme Court of the United States, transactional courses linked to practice at firms like Davis Polk & Wardwell, and clinics engaging with matters before bodies such as the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea and Inter-American Court of Human Rights. Degree offerings include the Juris Doctor and advanced degrees parallel to programs at Harvard Law School, Yale Law School, Stanford Law School, and joint degrees with Columbia Business School and Columbia School of International and Public Affairs. Specializations cover areas tied to entities like the Securities and Exchange Commission, Federal Reserve System, and litigation practice in federal forums including the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.

Admissions are highly selective, drawing applicants linked to undergraduate institutions such as Harvard College, Yale College, Princeton University, University of Pennsylvania, and Barnard College. The school has consistently appeared in rankings alongside U.S. News & World Report top law schools and is evaluated in contexts referencing The Times Higher Education Supplement and international comparisons with University of Cambridge and University of Oxford. Graduates frequently secure clerkships with judges on the Supreme Court of the United States and the United States Court of Appeals and obtain positions at firms including Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton and Latham & Watkins.

The faculty includes scholars who have served in roles at United States Senate, the United States Department of Justice, and as advisers to the United Nations; many have authored works cited in decisions by the Supreme Court of the United States and articles in journals like the Columbia Law Review. Research centers engage with topics connected to institutions such as the World Bank, International Monetary Fund, and the Federal Trade Commission; centers often collaborate with the American Civil Liberties Union and the Human Rights Watch on policy reports. Specialized centers examine intersections with the Securities and Exchange Commission regulation, technology issues relating to firms like Google and Facebook, and international arbitration tied to cases in the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes.

Student organizations include chapters and journals that interact with external institutions like the American Bar Association, host speakers from United Nations, and organize competitions with counterparts at Harvard Law School and Yale Law School. Clinics provide experiential opportunities involving litigation before the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York and policy placements at entities such as the Brookings Institution and Council on Foreign Relations. Cultural and professional groups maintain ties with alumni networks at firms like Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom and international institutions including the European Court of Human Rights.

Alumni have held positions as justices on the Supreme Court of the United States, cabinet posts in administrations such as the Roosevelt administration and Trump administration, and leadership roles in United States Senate and United States House of Representatives. Graduates have become partners at firms like Cravath, Swaine & Moore, judges on the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, executives at The New York Times, and diplomats serving at the United Nations. The alumni network also includes authors and scholars whose works influence doctrine in decisions by the Supreme Court of the United States and regulatory practice at agencies such as the Securities and Exchange Commission and Federal Trade Commission.

Category:Law schools in New York City