The Law School at Columbia University
EDU
March 2, 2019
Law School Admissions
Application
| Director of admissions |
Nkonye Iwerebon |
| Application deadline |
February 15 |
| Full-time program application fee |
$85 |
| Part-time program application fee |
N/A |
| Besides the fall semester, can enter in |
N/A |
Admissions & Enrollment (Overall)
| Acceptance rate |
15.8% – Low |
| Median undergraduate GPA for all program entrants |
3.72 |
| Median LSAT score for all program entrants |
172 |
Admissions & Enrollment (Full-time)
| Acceptance rate |
15.8% |
| LSAT scores (25th-75th percentile) |
170-175 |
| Undergraduate GPA (25th-75th percentile) |
3.6-3.82 |
| Median undergraduate GPA for full-time program entrants |
3.72 |
| Median LSAT score for full-time program entrants |
172 |
Admissions & Enrollment (Part-time)
| Acceptance rate |
N/A |
| LSAT scores (25th-75th percentile) |
N/A |
| Undergraduate GPA (25th-75th percentile) |
N/A |
| Median undergraduate GPA for part-time program entrants |
N/A |
| Median LSAT score for part-time program entrants |
N/A |
Law School Academics
Academic Program Details
| Academic calendar |
Semester |
| Joint degrees offered |
| J.D./M.B.A. |
J.D./PH.D. Philosophy |
| J.D./M.F.A. |
J.D./PH.D. Politics |
| J.D./M.I.A. |
J.D./PH.D. Sociology |
| J.D./M.P.A. |
J.D./PH.D. Economics |
| J.D./M.P.H. |
J.D./M.P.H.I.L. |
| J.D./M.S. Journalism |
J.D./PH.D. Engineering |
| J.D./M.S.W. |
J.D./PH.D. Religion |
| J.D./PH.D. Anthropology |
J.D./PH.D. Biological Sciences |
| J.D./PH.D. History |
MS Urban Planning |
|
| Special programs offered to J.D. students (as provided by the school) |
For information on specialty programs, visit http://www.law.columbia.edu…
Clinics:…/focusareas/clinics
Centers:…/center_program
Externship:…/programs/social-justice/sji-at-cls/classes-clinics-externships/externships
JointDegree:…/jd_applicants/admissions/jointdegree
DoubleDegree:…/center_program/intl_progs/double_degree
SemesterAbroad: …/center_program/intl_progs/Semesterstudy |
| Programs/courses offered in |
| appellate advocacy |
intellectual property law |
| clinical training |
international law |
| dispute resolution |
tax law |
| environmental law |
trial advocacy |
| health care law |
|
Curricular Offerings (Overall)
| Classroom course titles, beyond the first-year curriculum, offered last year |
235 |
| Seminars |
137 |
| Positions available in seminars |
2,592 |
| Positions available in simulation courses |
444 |
| Positions available in faculty-supervised clinical courses |
155 |
| Student activities (as provided by the school) |
| For information on student activities, please visit http://www.law.columbia.edu/current_student/student_service. |
Curricular Offerings (Full-time)
| Typical first-year full-time section size taught by full-time faculty (excludes small sections) |
103 |
| Is there typically a full-time “small section” of the first-year class taught by full-time faculty (excluding Legal Writing)? |
Yes |
| Typical size of first-year “small section” |
36 |
| Positions filled in full-time program seminars |
2,080 |
| Positions filled in full-time program simulation courses |
434 |
| Positions filled in faculty-supervised full-time program clinical courses |
155 |
| Full-time students involved in field placements |
207 |
| Full-time students involved in law journals |
732 |
| Full-time students involved in advanced moot court or trial competitions |
48 |
| Full-time students enrolled in independent study |
537 |
Curricular Offerings (Part-time)
| Typical first-year part-time section size taught by full-time faculty (excludes small sections) |
N/A |
| Is there typically a part-time “small section” of the first-year class taught by full-time faculty (excluding Legal Writing)? |
N/A |
| Positions filled in part-time program seminars |
N/A |
| Positions filled in part-time program simulation courses |
N/A |
| Positions filled in faculty-supervised part-time program clinical courses |
N/A |
| Part-time students involved in field placements |
N/A |
| Part-time students involved in law journals |
N/A |
| Part-time students involved in advanced moot court or trial competitions |
N/A |
| Part-time students enrolled in independent study |
N/A |
Faculty Profile (Fall 2011)
| Student-faculty ratio |
9.2:1 – Low |
| Full- and part-time faculty |
220 |
| Full-time minority faculty |
13.4% |
| Part-time minority faculty |
8.6% |
| Total faculty |
236 |
| Total faculty (men) |
65.7% |
| Total faculty (women) |
34.3% |
| Total faculty (minorities) |
11.4% |
Class Size
Law School Ranking
|
|
|
(6) Ranking by Specialties
#23 in Clinical Training
#19 in Environmental Law
#6 in Intellectual Property Law
#2 in International Law
#4 in Law Firms Rank Schools
#12 in Tax Law
|
Law Ranking Scores
| Score |
94 |
| Peer assessment score (out of 5) |
4.7 |
| Assessment score by lawyers/judges (out of 5) |
4.6 |
| GPA (25th-75th percentile) |
3.6-3.82 |
| Median undergraduate GPA for all program entrants |
3.72 |
| LSAT scores (25th-75th percentile) |
170-175 |
| Median LSAT score for all program entrants |
172 |
| Acceptance rate |
15.8% – Low |
| Student-faculty ratio |
9.2:1 – Low |
| Graduates known to be employed at graduation |
96.3% – High |
| Graduates known to be employed nine months after graduation |
96.5% – High |
| Bar passage rate (first-time test takers) |
97.5% – High |
| State where the greatest number of first-time test takers took the bar |
NY |
| Statewide bar passage rate (first-time test takers) |
76.4% |
Law School Student Body
Student Body (Overall)
Student Body (Full-time)
| Enrollment (full-time) |
1,331 |
Student Body (Part-time)
| Enrollment (part-time) |
N/A |
| Gender distribution (part-time) |
N/A |
Attrition Rates for Full- and Part-time Students (2010-2011)
| First-year students discontinuing law school |
N/A |
| Second-year students discontinuing law school |
0.4% |
| Third-year students discontinuing law school |
N/A |
| Fourth-year students discontinuing law school |
N/A |
| Male students discontinuing law school |
0.3% |
| Female students discontinuing law school |
N/A |
Law School Cost
Financial Aid Contact Information
| Financial aid director |
Charles DeRubeis |
| Financial aid phone |
(212) 854-7730 |
| Financial aid application deadline |
March 1 |
Expenses
| Tuition and fees |
| Full-time: $52,902 per year |
| Room and board |
$16,810 |
| Books |
$1,518 |
| Miscellaneous expenses |
$3,740 |
| Is the tuition the same for first-, second-, and third-year students? |
Yes |
| Does the university offer housing restricted to law students? |
Yes |
| Does the university offer graduate student housing for which law students are eligible? |
Yes |
| Does the university offer a public-interest scholarship program to current J.D. students? |
Yes |
Grants (Full-time students)
| Students receiving grants of less than one-half tuition |
37.4% |
| Students receiving grants of one-half tuition or more but less than full |
9.6% |
| Students receiving grants of full tuition |
1.7% |
| Students receiving grants of more than full tuition |
0.8% |
| Median grant amount |
$13,200 |
| Grant range (25th–75th percentile) |
$8,000–$24,000 |
| Full-time students receiving grants |
49.4% |
Grants (Part-time students)
| Students receiving grants of less than one-half tuition |
N/A |
| Students receiving grants of one-half tuition or more but less than full |
N/A |
| Students receiving grants of full tuition |
N/A |
| Students receiving grants of more than full tuition |
N/A |
| Median grant amount |
N/A |
| Grant range (25th–75th percentile) |
N/A |
| Part-time students receiving grants |
N/A |
Indebtedness
| Average indebtedness of 2011 graduates who incurred law school debt |
$132,743 |
| Proportion who borrowed |
77.2% |
| Does the school offer a loan repayment assistance program for 2011 J.D. graduates? |
Yes |
Law School Library
Library Information Resources
| Print titles (excluding nonbook titles) |
410,468 |
| Microform titles |
25,491 |
| Electronic titles |
32,297 |
| Other non-book titles |
663 |
| Total titles |
468,919 |
| Volumes (excluding microforms) |
945,423 |
| Volume equivalent microforms |
268,854 |
| Total volumes and volume equivalents |
1,214,274 |
| Number of volumes in the collection that are stored off site and are systematically retrievable |
285,252 |
| Library’s online catalog or website includes links to electronic titles or databases made available by another campus library or consortia |
Yes |
Library Schedule of Operation
| Number of hours per week library is open on a regular schedule |
104 |
| Number of hours per week professional staff are on duty on a regular schedule |
72 |
| Number of hours per week only full-time support staff are on duty on a regular schedule |
32 |
| Number of hours per week only students or other part-time staff are on duty on a regular schedule |
0 |
| Number of hours of reference service provided per week on a regular schedule |
59 |
| Number of weeks per year library operates on an abbreviated schedule |
4 |
| Number of hours per week library is open on an abbreviated schedule |
40 |
| Number of hours per week professional staff are on duty are on an abbreviated schedule |
40 |
| Number of hours per week only full-time support staff are on duty on an abbreviated schedule |
0 |
| Number of hours per week only students or other part-time staff are on duty on an abbreviated schedule |
0 |
| Number of hours of reference service provided per week on an abbreviated schedule |
35 |
| Number of weeks per year library operates on expanded schedule |
8 |
Information Technology
| Department(s) responsible for the law school information technology operations |
law school information technology department, university information technology department |
| Approximate number of full-time-equivalent information technology staff (excluding hourly students and other temporary staff) |
18 |
| Number of open, wired network connections available to students in the law library (excluding computer labs) |
42 |
| Number of open, wired network connections available to students in classrooms |
2,504 |
| Number of open, wired network connections available to students in computer labs |
150 |
| Number of open, wired network connections available to students elsewhere in the law school |
332 |
| Does the law school have a wireless network? |
Yes |
| Wireless network is available |
in the law library, in classrooms, in computer labs, in administrative/faculty offices and work areas, elsewhere in the law school |
| Does the school require entering students to own a computer? |
No |
Physical Library Facilities
| Net square feet of space assigned for library purposes |
73,672 |
| Total seats available for library users |
369 |
| Details about the library and other facilities (as provided by the school) |
For a description of Columbia Law School’s Arthur W. Diamond Library, please visit http://www.law.columbia.edu/library. For a description of the law school buildings and residences, please visit http://www.law.columbia.edu/jd_applicants/visiting |
Law School Careers
Bar Statistics (Winter and Summer 2010 administrations)
| State where the greatest number of first-time test takers took the bar |
NY |
| Bar passage rate (first-time test takers) |
97.5% – High |
| Statewide bar passage rate (first-time test takers) |
76.4% |
Class of 2010 Graduates
| Total graduates |
430 |
| Graduates known to be employed at graduation |
96.3% |
| Graduates known to be employed nine months after graduation |
96.5% |
Class of 2010 Graduates-Class Breakdown at Graduation
| Graduates whose employment status is unknown |
0.9% |
| Graduates whose employment status is known |
99.1% |
| Graduates known to be employed at graduation |
96.3% |
| Graduates known to be enrolled in a full-time degree program |
1.2% |
| Graduates known to be unemployed and seeking work |
0.9% |
| Graduates known to be unemployed and not seeking work |
0.7% |
Class of 2010 Graduates-Class Breakdown at Nine Months
| Graduates whose employment status is unknown |
0.9% |
| Graduates whose employment status is known |
99.1% |
| Graduates known to be employed nine months after graduation |
96.5% |
| Graduates known to be enrolled in a full-time degree program |
1.2% |
| Graduates known to be unemployed and seeking work |
0.7% |
| Graduates known to be unemployed and not seeking work |
0.7% |
Starting Salaries of Graduates Employed Full-time (Class of 2010)
| 25th percentile private sector starting salary |
$160,000 |
| Median private sector starting salary |
$160,000 |
| 75th percentile private sector starting salary |
$160,000 |
| Percent in the private sector who reported salary information |
100% |
| Median public service starting salary |
$58,000 |
Areas of Legal Practice (Class of 2010)
| Percent employed in academia |
0.5% |
| Percent employed in business and industry |
3.9% |
| Percent employed in government |
4.6% |
| Percent employed in all judicial clerkships |
11.8% |
| Percent employed in law firms |
76.1% |
| Percent employed in public interest |
3.1% |
| Percent employed in an unknown field |
0.0% |
Employment Location (Class of 2010)
| Graduates employed in-state |
68% |
| Graduates employed out-of-state |
30.3% |
| Graduates employed in foreign countries |
2% |
| Number of states where graduates are employed |
28 |
| New England (CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT) |
3.2% |
| Middle Atlantic (NY, NJ, PA) |
68.7% |
| East North Central (IL, IN, MI, OH, WI) |
1.7% |
| West North Central (IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD) |
0.7% |
| South Atlantic (DE, DC, FL, GA, MD, NC, SC, VA, WV) |
11.5% |
| East South Central (AL, KY, MS, TN) |
0.5% |
| West South Central (AR, LA, OK, TX) |
1.7% |
| Pacific (AK, CA, HI, OR, WA) |
9.3% |
| Mountain (AZ, CO, ID, MT, NV, NM, UT, WY) |
1.0% |
| Employment location unknown |
0.0% |
Career Services
(Data appear as originally submitted by this school)
| Career services operations |
The Career Services Office offers many educational and recruitment-based programs each of which is designed to meet the specific needs of each of the three J.D. classes and the international LL.M. students. For more info: http://www.law.columbia.edu/careers. |
Job Type
| Bar admission required/anticipated (e.g., attorney and corporate counsel positions, law clerks, judicial clerks) |
97.1% |
| Bar admission required/anticipated – percent employed in full-time positions |
100.0% |
| J.D. preferred, law degree enhances position (e.g., corporate contracts administrator, alternative dispute resolution specialist, government regulatory analyst, FBI special agent) |
1.9% |
| J.D. preferred – percent employed in full-time positions |
100.0% |
| Professional other (jobs that require professional skills or training but for which a J.D. is neither preferred nor particularly applicable; e.g., accountant, teacher, business manager, nurse) |
1.0% |
| Professional other – percent employed in full-time positions |
100.0% |
| Non-professional other (job that does not require any professional skills or training or is taken on a temporary basis and not viewed as part of a career path) |
0.0% |
| Non-professional other – percent employed in full-time positions |
N/A |
