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• Guided Tours:  Register  online or at the Visitors Centers  (Low Archive, room 213, Montage through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., except major holidays). This view is not specialize to each academic program and makes not include admissions information. 
• Self-Guided Tours: Intake a walking tour of  Columbia Technical . Nope registration is required, anyway, a current Columbia IDENTIFIER exists needed to enter all residence halls and libraries except Low Memorial Library. Some academic buildings are open to the public during normal business lessons, and you are welcome to explore the outdoor room on campus. To visited the right library, contact the office of the choose to which yours would like to apply.
• Please see and recent guidance  (May 2023) from Kolumbien University about COVID-19.

Getting Here

This Decree Language will easily accessible via public transportation and car. For ones visiting from out a town, New York City’s airports and train stations all offer connections to the subway and bus lines servicing Columbia’s campus. Learn more: Events | Admission & Aid | Teachers Higher, Columbia Academy

Train service to Manhattan arrives along either Grand Central Station or Penn Station. Bus service to Manhattan arrives at the Connect Authority Bus Terminal. Single you what in Manhattan, accept public transportation or adenine taxi to campus. City Walk: Columbia University Go Tour, Newer York, New York

Five bus lines (M4, M5, M11, M60, and M104) and one subway line (the Cannot. 1 local) serve the Columbia neighborhood. The Columbia stop for the buses and the untergrund is 116th Row. The M60 buses is a direkter link between campus and LaGuardia Airport. 

Maps of bus and subway routes are available from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority .

Find  driving directions after points outboard the city. 

You can use any street otherwise metered parking closest the Columbia campus (check parking information or trade advisories from the New York City Department away Transportation ) or park is one local werkstatt , including: 

• GGMC Parking Lionsgate : 512 West 112th St.
• GMC Parking : 532 West 122nd D.
• ProPark America : 401 West 110th St.
• ProPark America : 121 Wild 125th H.

LaGuardia Airport is the airport closest to Manhattan, and rent fare to Columbia Legal School is approximately $30, depending on traffic. Bus service (the M60 your bus) from Guard Airport to the Law Teach is also available. With our self-guided virtual tour, you can enjoy 360° panoramic views of Columbia's beautiful Morningside Summit campus from anywhere. Diese interactively online ...

John F. Kennedy (JFK) International and Newark Liberty International Airports are slightly farther from Manhattan, and taxi fare for Columbia Law School from either airport lives approximately $60 (more at business and rush hour). Private bus help to the Port Power Bus Terminal and to Grand Central Station in Manhattan be available. You can also take the AirTrain monorail service from both JFK and Newark to connect to New York Location public conveyance.

Resources for Prospective Students

• Trip the Law School
• J.D. Admissions
• Graduate Admissions
• Interactive Get: Morningside Campus
• Columbia University Virtual Tour

Tour the Law School

Your Campus, Your City

Columbian University is home for 40,000-plus student, faculty, and staff from every edges of the globe. Magnitude Morningside Heights campus is a thriving communal hub as well as a forum forward bustling intellectual debate. 

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Faces to the class of 2026, sitting first chair: clinics at columbia law school.

• Why Columbia

• Why Columbia

Home » Law Schools » Rankings and Profiles »

Columbia Law School

Columbia Law School is a highly respected law school that is part of Ivy League Columbia University. The school consistently ranks in the top five US law schools and offers an excellent education in corporate law. Additionally, its graduates are highly sought-after by the nation's top law firms.

Columbia Law School has a long tradition of legal scholarship, dating back to the 18th century. Its graduates include some of the most notable early-American legal figures, such as John Jay, the first chief justice of the United States, and Alexander Hamilton, the first Secretary of the Treasury. Both men were co-authors of The Federalist Papers.

Columbia has educated many successful individuals who have played influential roles in the US government, including two presidents, nine Supreme Court justices , and numerous cabinet members and presidential advisers. The school has also produced many successful businessmen and women, as evidenced by the large number of alumni who are members of the Forbes 400.

Most of Columbia Law School's 2013 graduating class obtained full-time, long-term employment that required a Juris Doctor within nine months of graduation. The starting salaries for these graduates were in the range of $180,000-$195,000. The law school was ranked number one by the National Law Journal for the percentage of 2015 graduates it sent to the largest 100 law firms in the United States.

• 2.1 Statistics
• 2.2 Acceptance Rate
• 2.3 Application Components
• 2.4 Early Decision
• 2.5 Transferring
• 3.1 Financing Your Legal Education
• 3.3 Loan Repayment Assistance Program
• 4.1 1L Foundation Curriculum
• 4.2 Upperclass Curriculum
• 4.3 Joint Degree Program
• 4.4 Dual Degree Programs and International Alliances
• 4.5 Clinical Programs
• 5.1 Location
• 5.2 Morningside Heights
• 5.3 Classrooms and Library
• 6 Employment Prospects & Bar Passage
• 7 Notable Alumni
• 8 Contact Information
• 10 Forum and Discussion
• 11 References

James Kent and Columbia Law School The history of law at Columbia University dates back to the 18th century. Notable early American judicial figures who graduated from the university's colonial predecessor, King's College, include John Jay, who later became the first Chief Justice of the United States.

James Kent was appointed the first law professor at Columbia College in 1793. After four years of lectures, Kent's work developed into the first two volumes of his Commentaries, with the second volume being published in November 1827. However, Kent was unsuccessful in establishing a law school or department within the college. As such, formal law instruction as a course of study did not begin until the middle of the 19th century.

The Founding of Columbia Law School and Theodore Dwight The Columbia College Law School was officially founded in 1858. The first law school building was a Gothic Revival structure located on Columbia's Madison Avenue campus. However, the college eventually became known as Columbia University and moved to the Morningside Heights neighborhood. At the time of its founding, there was still some uncertainty about the demand for a formal law school education. Columbia Law Professor Theodore Dwight noted that many people were still skeptical about the need for such a course of study. However, the school's founding helped solidify the place of law as a respected profession. At the time, most people believed that it would be impossible to provide competent legal education through professional schools. The prevailing view was that lawyers mainly learned through on-the-job training or self-study. However, standards for legal education were very low at the time. Clerks in law offices were often not even supervised by the lawyers they were supposedly studying under. Examinations for admission to the bar were often superficial and did not test for actual legal knowledge. Politically influential people often got into law school regardless of their qualifications. Many people saw law as a trade or a way to advance their political careers rather than a science.

Columbia Law School is one of the oldest law schools in the United States. It was founded before the Civil War. In those days, most legal education took place in law offices, where young men would learn by copying documents and filling out legal forms under the supervision of an experienced lawyer. John Jay, a founding father of the United States and the first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, learned the law this way . He was lucky to have a good teacher. Not all apprentices had such good luck. Theodore Dwight, who used to teach at Hamilton College in New York, believed that formal classroom education was a better way to learn law than being an apprentice in a law office. History Of Columbia Law During The 20th Century William Albert Keener became dean of Harvard Law School in 1891 and held the position until 1901 when George Washington Kirchwey succeeded him. Harlan Fiske Stone, who would become a Supreme Court Justice, graduated from law school in 1898.

Stone began lecturing at Columbia Law School in 1899 while practicing law in New York. He joined the faculty as a full professor in 1910 and became dean of the law school in 1923. Stone left to join Sullivan and Cromwell as a partner in 1924. He served as Attorney General of the United States for almost a year before being appointed to the Supreme Court as an associate justice. In the 1920s and 30s, the law school at Columbia University became known as a hub for the legal realism movement. This movement was characterized by a focus on practicality and real-world applications of the law, as opposed to theoretical or academic approaches. The most prominent legal theorists associated with this movement were Karl Llewellyn, Felix S. Cohen, and William O. Douglas. Columbia Law School founded the first AIDS Law Clinic in September 1988. Professor Deborah Greenberg and Mark Barnes taught the clinic. The clinic focused on helping those with AIDS navigate the legal system.

The Columbia Law School seeks curious, resourceful applicants, committed to excellence and motivated to effect change and serve as leaders in their fields. The admissions process is designed to be inclusive, seeking applicants with varied backgrounds and life experiences. Applications for the fall 2023 entering class will open on September 1, 2022, with a February 15, 2023, deadline for regular decision applicants. If you're not sure about applying to law school or just beginning the application process, then please take the time to read some of the excellent pre-law articles found here .

Acceptance Rate

In the 2022 application cycle, 9,933 people applied to Harvard University, and 685 were offered admission . The 1L class size at Harvard is 562, with a yield of 54.01%. This means that 54.01% of applicants offered admission ended up attending the school. 370 out of 685 applicants who were offered admission were accepted, meaning that 54.01% of those offered admissions ended up attending the school.

Application Components

Columbia Law School provides an opportunity to get a first-hand look at the law school experience by offering a preview of the application process. This can be extremely helpful for those considering applying to law school in the fall of 2023. The application fee is $85, and applicants will need to submit some or all of the following:

• a personal statement/essay,
• GRE or LSAT scores,
• two letters of recommendation,
• a resume, and academic transcripts.

Reviewing these materials in advance can give you a significant advantage in the law school admissions process. You can also read the w waitlist from BCG Attorney Website and When to apply to Law School.

Early Decision

For early-decision candidates, the application process is simplified and expedited considerably. Early-decision candidates must complete their applications by November 15 and are generally notified of the Admissions Committee’s decision by December. Successful early-decision candidates may not initiate any new law school applications. They must decline any acceptances they may have received prior to admission to Columbia and the Early Decision Plan. Some early-decision applicants not offered admission will be reviewed again in April as part of the regular applicant pool; others will be informed that their application for admission has been denied and will not be re-evaluated that year.

Transferring

Columbia Law School typically admits 35 to 60 transfer students every fall . The Admissions Committee looks at the whole application when making decisions, not just GPA or class rank. Most successful applicants are in the top 5 percent to 10 percent of their law school class. To be eligible to transfer into Columbia Law School , applicants must have completed between 28 and 32 credits at another law school. Students who have completed an LL.M. or other post-J.D. program at another law school, including an international law school, must apply as first-year students. Transfer students can apply to participate in all Columbia student law journals. For information on personal statements and application essays, check out the TLS Guide to Personal Statements or Submit your Law School Essays.

Tuition and Expenses

Columbia Law School's tuition fees in 2022 are at $75,572, a 3.8% increase from the previous year. The total cost of attendance, including room, board, and other living expenses, is $110,450.

The above budget does not include costs associated with summer study.

Scholarships and financial aid are available to help cover the cost of attendance. For more information, please visit the Office of Financial Aid website .

Columbia Law School is committed to making legal education affordable and accessible to all qualified students. They offer a variety of need-based and merit-based scholarships and loan programs. More than half of their students receive some form of financial assistance, and they are need-aware in their admissions process.

Financing Your Legal Education

Columbia Law School offers some grants and fellowships that are not based on financial need. These awards are given to admitted students at the time of their admission to the school. Each year, a large portion of the incoming class receives a grant from the Law School, usually a partial tuition waiver. However, since most law students still need to take out loans to cover their expenses, most do not rely solely on these grants. Instead, they use them to supplement their other financial aid. Applicants are expected to share in the cost of the LL.M. Program and actively seek other funding sources for their studies throughout the application process. This cost-sharing philosophy leads to a greater diversity of students in the LL.M. class from a geographic, practice area, and socioeconomic perspective, greatly enhancing your professional network of colleagues and your learning experience at Columbia.

All graduate-level students at Columbia Law School are considered independent to determine eligibility for Federal Loans and the Federal Work-Study Program. Their FAFSA will not require parental information, and their eligibility will be determined based on their resources and spouses (if applicable). However, institutional funds such as grants and Columbia University loans require complete family and parental information on the CSS Profile application from custodial and non-custodial parents. If the student's parents have separate households (unmarried, separated, or divorced), they must provide complete financial information for both parental households on the application. The school's policy is to assist students from the neediest families primarily. Their institutional funds are distributed mainly to students with limited personal and family resources. The school's grant decision will be based on an analysis of the student's family's financial strength regardless of age, marital status, or dependency status for tax purposes.

Columbia Law School urges students to be as prudent as possible when borrowing for their education . For every $10,000 borrowed, a student can expect to pay approximately $125 each month in debt servicing after graduation. Students must understand the terms, requirements, and in-school and post-graduation obligations of the loans they borrow and that they maintain complete records of all their loan documents and promissory notes. To help the school keep accurate records of student eligibility and borrowing, all Law School students are required to notify the Financial Aid Office of any changes made to their educational loans.

Loan Repayment Assistance Program

Columbia offers a Loan Repayment Assistance Program to enable students to pursue careers in public service. More information about Columbia's LRAP can be found on Columbia Law School 's website.

1L Foundation Curriculum

Columbia Law School offers a variety of courses on topics such as crimes and defense strategies, the application and adjudication of law, and the role of criminal sanctions in modern society. Students can also choose to participate in extramural moot court competitions in specialized areas of law. The school also offers intensive training in research, writing, and analytical skills needed in legal practice. Additionally, students can take courses on property law , torts, and other topics. Columbia also offers a course on First-Year Electives which allows students to choose one elective course for the spring semester. Some recent offerings for the First-Year Electives include:

• Corporations
• Empirical Analysis of Law
• Federal Income Taxation
• Ideas of the First Amendment
• International Law
• Law and Contemporary Society
• Legislation and Regulation

Upperclass Curriculum

Columbia Law School offers a range of courses on different legal topics. There is a January Term where students can explore areas of the law that they may not be familiar with. In addition to required courses, students must also complete a professional responsibility course, two writing credits, and six experiential credits. There are also opportunities to take classes at other schools within Columbia University and to spend a semester abroad.

Joint Degree Program

The law school announced the addition of an accelerated JD/MBA joint degree program , which allows students to obtain both a JD and MBA within three years. There will not be a reduction in the four-year joint program of JD/MBA when the accelerated program begins. Both programs will be available to interested students. In terms of career objectives, law students may benefit from a joint degree. Columbia's law school may approve joint degrees with any of these graduate or professional schools to enable students to achieve this goal:

• Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (Ph.D. in selected programs)
• School of Business
• School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA)
• Graduate School of Journalism
• School of the Arts
• School of Public Health
• School of Social Work
• School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation

Furthermore, students have petitioned the Columbia Law School Rules Committee previously for permission to create a joint degree program with schools that grant advanced standing for work completed in the Columbia J.D. program, including:

• Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government
• Johns Hopkins' Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies
• Princeton's Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs
• Tufts' Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy

Dual Degree Programs and International Alliances

Columbia has established partnerships with several law schools abroad, including those in London, England; Paris, France; Amsterdam, Netherlands; and Frankfurt, Germany. These relationships allow for students to pursue a dual degree program, earning a JD along with a Master in French Law (4-year program in Paris), Global Business (3 Year program in Paris), LLM (3-year program in London), LLB/JD (4-year program in London), or JD/LLM (4-year program in Frankfurt). Columbia Law School has a large number of international students from China and specifically has a joint exchange program with Peking University. This program began in 2006 and has been expanded multiple times to include different aspects such as faculty teaching or co-teaching courses abroad. In 2013, a memorandum of understanding was signed between the two universities, which has allowed for even more collaboration between their faculty, such as joint publications and seminars.

Clinical Programs

The law school has nine clinical programs that help the community. These include a technology-based clinic, which helps people understand the consequences of criminal charges, and a clinic focused on sexuality and gender law. The Sexuality and Gender Law Clinic is the first of its kind in the United States. It is dedicated to helping people with legal and public policy issues related to gender and sexuality. Columbia also has a program in law and technology. Columbia Law School has strong programs in corporate law. For example, they offer a course on Deals that includes participants from the Columbia Business School and the law school. The Columbia Business and Law Association (CBLA) also sponsors events and lectures on various business-related topics. This group is open to students from both the law school and the business school. Finally, the Unemployment Action Center has a chapter at Columbia Law School that helps students interested in this area of law.

Quality of Life

A campus tour at Columbia Law School will give you more than just an idea of how to get around from the classroom to the library. You'll also see how you can interact with faculty, other students, and their community while you're there as a student. This is a great way to get a feel for what life would be like as a Columbia Law School student.

Located in Manhattan's ever-expanding Upper West Side, Columbia offers students an endless number of ways to pass their prized free time. The school is surrounded by restaurants, clubs, and bars of all varieties, and everything that New York City has to offer is accessible via a short ride on the subway. Also, because the law school is connected to the main campus of the university, law students have the opportunity to enjoy a "real" college campus in Manhattan.

Morningside Heights

• FOOD TRUCKS AND FARMERS MARKET - Columbia Law School is located near a farmers market that is open year-round on Thursdays and Sundays. The market features food trucks that offer a variety of cuisines, including halal chicken with rice. Students often visit the market for quick and affordable meals.
• SUBWAYS - New York's 24-hour mass transit system, the subway, makes it easy to get around the city for work or play. The subway can take you to all of the city's boroughs, making it a convenient way to explore everything New York has to offer;

15 minutes to Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts 20 minutes to Midtown, Broadway, Madison Square Garden, and Times Square 25 minutes to Grand Central Terminal, New York Public Library, Greenwich Village, the High Line, and the Whitney Museum 30 minutes to SoHo, Tribeca, and Chinatown 40 minutes to Wall Street, One World Trade Center, and Lower Manhattan courthouses 45 minutes to Williamsburg, the Brooklyn Academy of Music, and Barclays Center

• RIVERSIDE PARK - Columbia Law School is located on the waterfront of the Hudson River, offering beautiful biking and running paths, playgrounds, dog runs, tennis courts, and a skate park. Manhattan's scenery along the river is unmatched, making this an ideal spot to enjoy some time outdoors. Whether you're looking for a place to get some exercise or just to relax and take in the view, Columbia Law School is the perfect spot.
• DODGE FITNESS CENTER - Columbia Law School's athletic complex is top-notch, including a swimming pool, indoor running track, squash courts, saunas, and state-of-the-art cardio and strength-training equipment. This is a great place to stay in shape and relieve stress!
• MORNINGSIDE PARK - Columbia Law School's campus is home to a beautiful park with sweeping sunrise views. The park has basketball courts, baseball fields, and playgrounds, making it the perfect place to relax or get active.
• LANDMARKS - Columbia Law School is the largest cathedral in the world and holds more than a dozen services a week for worshippers of many faiths and communities. Other iconic locales are Grant’s Tomb and Tom’s Restaurant, the exterior of which was made famous by the television show “Seinfeld.” Columbia Law School is an important part of the local community and offers a variety of services to residents.
• HARLEM - Harlem is a historic neighborhood located east and north of Columbia University's campus. The area was home to the Harlem Renaissance, a period of great creativity and cultural advancement for African Americans in the arts, music, literature, and dance. Today, the neighborhood retains its rich history and culture while also welcoming new residents and businesses. Visitors can enjoy the many sights and sounds of Harlem, from the famed Apollo Theater to gospel churches and soul food restaurants.
• CENTRAL PARK - Central Park is a large, beautifully designed park in the heart of Manhattan. It's perfect for unwinding and enjoying nature, with plenty of space to walk around, play sports, and more. Many students and faculty members visit Central Park to relax and rejuvenate. It's a great place to escape the hustle and bustle of city life.

Classrooms and Library

Greene Hall is the main building of Columbia Law School. It has modern technology for presentations and video conferences in classrooms and auditoriums. These are used for lectures, panel discussions, and other events by the school's institutes, centers, and student organizations.

Columbia Law School has several buildings on campus that provide space for classrooms, meeting rooms, and offices. In addition, Lenfest Hall offers apartment-style living for law students. The lobby of Jerome L. Greene Hall serves as the Law School’s public square, where student groups often set up tables for recruitment events. Multimedia monitors in the lobby provide up-to-date information about Law School events and links to our Twitter feed. The lobby also has comfortable areas for socializing, gathering, and studying.

Employment Prospects & Bar Passage

In the past, securing employment at top law firms has been likened to "shooting fish in a barrel" by some Columbia graduates. Now, however, it's not so easy. You can check Law Firm Interview Tips.

Typically, many Columbia law students secure full-time jobs before they begin their third year at law school. Often, students are offered employment with the same top firms at which they interned or worked during the summers after their first and second years. Of course, many of these employment opportunities are in the New York City area, as Columbia is often considered the premier school for job placement in the top law firms in the city.

But these days, entry-level biglaw hiring has been shrinking (including the traditional biglaw summer programs ). Students should not assume they will get big-firm jobs, even from Columbia.

Columbia Law School is consistently ranked as one of the top law schools in the United States by various publications. For 2021, Columbia Law School's bar passage rate was 96.2% compared to the state average of 86.7%. While the 2021 job placement rate was 94.3% compared to the state average of 90.6%.

Notable Alumni

Some of the most notable students to attend Columbia Law School include Theodore Roosevelt and Franklin D. Roosevelt. Both men became presidents of the United States and were awarded honorary JDs in 2008. Mikheil Saakashvili, former president of Georgia, also received his LL.M. from Columbia. Giuliano Amato, twice former Prime Minister of Italy, is another notable graduate of the school. Columbia Law School graduates have also gone on to serve in high-level positions in the US government, including as members of the President's Cabinet and as justices on the Supreme Court. Three alumni have even served as Chief Justice of the United States. Nine alumni have served on the Supreme Court of the United States overall, including Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Additionally, several graduates have gone on to serve as US Solicitor General. The school's international reach is also evident in the success of its alumni. Graduates have gone on to prominent judicial positions worldwide, including as members of the International Court of Justice and the Constitutional Court of Italy. Many CLS graduates have served on Supreme Courts in countries such as Denmark, Ireland, the Philippines, Japan, Sierra Leone, Norway, and Uganda.

Contact Information

Columbia University School of Law Office of J.D. Admissions 435 West 116th Street New York, NY 10027 Phone: (212) 854-2674 Email: [email protected] http://www.law.columbia.edu/

Forum and Discussion

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Jamaal Bowman Defends Union Fighting Subpoena Over Anti-Israel Resolution

House Dem Puts F-15 Deal With Israel on Ice Despite Assurances From Jewish State

Stanford investigates allegations of research misconduct against ‘equitable math’ advocate, harvard moves toward student referendum on divestment from israel, led by rhodes scholarship recipient, harvard students who accosted israeli classmate have a court date, though university has yet to discipline them, 'revolutionary suicide': ucla psychiatrists cheer self-immolation in leaked audio, columbia law school to host speaker who charged jews benefit from 'white privilege,' creating tension with 'people of color', 'many jews—not all jews, but the majority of them—are white, so they still experience white privilege,' says fatimah gilliam.

Columbia Law School is slated to host an event next week with a DEI author and alumna who said Jews benefit from "white privilege," thus creating "some sort of tension" between Jews and "people of color."

Fatimah Gilliam, a self-described "diversity disruptor," is scheduled to headline a discussion at the elite law school on Tuesday, a week before Columbia's president, Minouche Shafik, will testify before Congress on her response to campus anti-Semitism. Gilliam's event , hosted by Columbia Law's Office of Student Services and the Black Law Students Association, will provide attendees with "advice and talking points when interacting across race."

While it's unclear if Gilliam will discuss interactions between Jewish people and "people of color," the author has touched on the topic before. During a March 22 podcast interview , Gilliam argued that while Jewish people do experience discrimination, they also benefit from "white privilege," creating what she says is "the source of some tension" between Jews and "people of color."

"That's, like, how there could be an affinity between blacks—people of color—and Jews, is this common experience of marginalization and discrimination," said Gilliam. "But then at the same time, many Jews—not all Jews, but the majority of them—are white, so they still experience white privilege and some of the benefits that come with being white. And so I think that could be the source of some tension."

Columbia Law's decision to host Gilliam comes as the Ivy League institution faces criticism over its response to campus anti-Semitism. Shafik and Columbia Board of Trustees co-chairs David Greenwald and Claire Shipman are slated to testify before the House Committee on Education and the Workforce on April 17. Greenwald serves on Columbia Law School's Dean's Council.

Columbia Law School did not respond to a request for comment.

In addition to her "white privilege" comment toward Jews, Gilliam penned a February op-ed for The Hill that accused Israel of "plausibly" committing genocide. Gilliam said she was "complicit" in that genocide "as an American."

"As a Black woman who values life and a former United Nations World Food Programme professional, it's hard to vote for a president complicit in what the UN International Court of Justice said is plausibly genocide, who has made me equally complicit as an American," wrote Gilliam.

Following Claudine Gay's resignation in January as president of Harvard University, meanwhile, Gilliam said Gay was a victim of "Trojan horse racism" that was "hidden under claims of plagiarism and antisemitism."

"The way Claudine Gay was targeted reveals old-school racism that's hidden under claims of plagiarism and antisemitism," Gilliam told the Toronto Star . "As soon as Gay was in their crosshairs and she survived the dumpster fire disaster on Capitol Hill, they pivoted towards her credentials. They leaned into what's often lurking in the back of some people's minds when encountering smart, accomplished, Black women—that they're unqualified, dishonest, and thieves."

Days later, Gilliam praised activist Tamika Mallory, who was ousted from the anti-Trump group she helped lead, the Women's March, following accusations of anti-Semitism. Mallory has ties to anti-Semitic Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan, who has called Jews "termites" and praised Adolf Hitler as a "very great man." Mallory called Farrakhan the "GOAT," or "Greatest of All Time," and has been pictured holding hands with the Nation of Islam leader.

Gilliam is the author of Race Rules: What Your Black Friend Won't Tell You , a "practical manual for white people of the unwritten rules relating to race." She did not respond to a request for comment.

The law school's dean, Gillian Lester, who is set to step down at the end of the academic year, has been plagued by a spate of anti-Semitism scandals. Two days after Oct. 7, Lester released a muted statement that did not mention Hamas, anti-Semitism, or the Jewish people. After facing criticism, she released a new statement that blamed Hamas for the attacks and described them as an act of terrorism.

Since then, unauthorized anti-Israel protests have taken over the law school and disrupted classes on campus. In January, Columbia also hosted an anti-Israel advocate, Wesam Ahmad, who works for the nonprofit group Al Haq. Israel considers Al Haq a terrorist organization due to the group's alleged ties to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, a U.S.-designated terror group.

Published under: Anti-Semitism , claudine gay , Columbia University , DEI , Israel , Jewish Community , Law schools

Important Update Regarding a Leadership Change at the UDC David A. Clarke School of Law

April 10, 2024

University of the District of Columbia (UDC) President Maurice D. Edington, Ph.D., shared the following update with the university community today regarding important upcoming leadership changes at the David A. Clarke School of Law:

“The University of the District of Columbia expresses both gratitude and well wishes as UDC Law Dean Twinette L. Johnson, J.D., Ph.D., departs to assume the role of dean at Saint Louis University School of Law (SLU Law), effective July 1, 2024.

“Dean Johnson joined UDC Law seven years ago and has served in several roles instrumental to student success, including Director of Academic Success, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, Professor of Law, Interim Dean and Dean of UDC Law.

“During her tenure leading UDC Law – nationally known for its clinical legal program and its distinction as one of only six HBCU (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) law programs in the nation – Dean Johnson exhibited unwavering dedication and leadership, championing UDC Law’s commitment to social justice and academic excellence. While Dean Johnson’s departure marks a significant transition for our institution, as a two-time alumna of Saint Louis University and a former faculty member at SLU Law, we appreciate that her move to Saint Louis and SLU signifies a return home.

“I am committed to ensuring a smooth transition and supporting the law school’s mission-critical initiatives. In the coming days, Chief Academic Officer April Massey, Ph.D., and I will work with the law school faculty and staff to choose and announce an interim dean and begin the process for a national search for the next dean of UDC Law. We are actively planning these next steps to ensure a seamless transition and uninterrupted compliance with American Bar Association regulations.”

For Media Inquiries Rachel Perrone [email protected]

For General Requests [email protected] 202.274.5000

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Virginia congressional candidate flip-flops on supplemental Israel aid again

Daily Kickoff

Daily kickoff: senators split on allowing iran’s fm to visit new york, tehran talk, state department’s approval of iran fm’s visa for u.n. visit splits senators.

Collegial concerns

Rep. kathy manning says calls for suspending israel aid embolden hamas .

california chaos

Uc berkeley condemns student antisemitic threats, school says it can’t disclose if it’s disciplining offenders.

Daily Kickoff: The Democrats pushing back against pressure on Israel

campus beat

Several university leaders begin cracking down on anti-israel disruptions on campus.

Bipartisan bill would create dedicated White House antisemitism coordinator

funding feud

Canadian relatives of oct. 7 victims take government to court over renewed unrwa funding.

Dem divides

Manchin, fetterman push back against democrats’ pressure on israel.

School president acknowledges that anti-Israel students targeted law school dean’s home reception because he’s Jewish

Malak Afaneh gives a speech at the home of the University of California, Berkeley law school's Dean Erwin Chemerinsky

Days after the posting of a video that showed the dean of the University of California, Berkeley’s law school and his wife clashing with anti-Israel students at their home during what was meant to be a congratulatory graduation dinner, the university’s president condemned the incident as “antisemitic, threatening and not [a reflection of] the values of this university.” 

After the incident, in which a student grabbed a microphone to give an unauthorized speech about the plight of Palestinians at the home of law school Dean Erwin Chemerinsky, some students and local Jewish leaders are left wondering whether UC Berkeley will take disciplinary action, and are calling out the school’s leadership for a lack of transparency. 

“When you don’t take [immediate] action, people have permission to continue escalating their tactics,” Tyler Gregory, CEO of the Bay Area Jewish Community Relations Council, told Jewish Insider . 

“What we are seeing is inaction on the administration’s part, and we know whenever a student is investigated, it goes into a black box and we don’t learn what happened,” Gregory said. “Are they going to be reprimanded or expelled? That information is not public so there’s no transparency for Jewish students, faculty and community members and that also looks like complete inaction in terms of holding someone accountable.” 

The incident occurred on Tuesday evening, when several third-year law students were invited to attend one of three dinners celebrating their upcoming graduation at the Oakland home of Chemerinsky and his wife, law school professor Catherine Fisk. 

Held in the couple’s garden, the first dinner was disrupted when Malak Afaneh, a Palestinian American law student at the school who serves as co-president of Berkeley Law Students for Justice in Palestine, grabbed a microphone and started giving a speech about Gazans who have been killed amid Israel’s war with Hamas. As Chemerinsky and Fisk pleaded with Afaneh to leave their backyard, and eventually threatened to call the police, she continued calling for the university to divest from corporations with ties to Israel. 

Video footage shows Afaneh stating that it was her First Amendment right to speak at the dinner, to which Chemerinsky, a prominent constitutional rights lawyer and ardent defender of free speech, said, “This is my house. The First Amendment doesn’t apply.” Eventually, after much back and forth, Afaneh and a group of about 10 students left the property.

In a statement about the incident, Chemerinsky said that he was writing “with profound sadness” after the dinner was “disrupted and disturbed” by the student who “stood up with a microphone, stood on the top step in the yard, and began a speech, including about the plight of the Palestinians.”

“Any student who disrupts will be reported to student conduct and a violation of the student conduct code is reported to the [state] Bar,” he added, stating that he planned to go through with the other scheduled dinners. The dinners are an annual tradition for the couple, but security was  present at the remaining two events, on Wednesday and Thursday, for the first time, he said in a statement. 

“I am deeply saddened by these events and take solace that it is just a small number of our students who would behave in such a clearly inappropriate manner,” the law school dean wrote. 

Prior to the dinner, Chemerinsky said there was an “awful poster” spread around social media and school bulletin boards in the law school building that portrayed him holding “a bloody knife and fork, with the words in large letters, ‘No dinner with Zionist Chem while Gaza starves.’”

“I never thought I would see such blatant antisemitism, with an image that invokes the horrible antisemitic trope of blood libel and that attacks me for no apparent reason other than I am Jewish,” Chemerinsky wrote in the statement. “Although many complained to me about the posters and how it deeply offended them, I felt that though deeply offensive, they were speech protected by the First Amendment. But I was upset that those in our community had to see this disturbing, antisemitic poster around the law school.” 

Chemerinsky wrote in an Oct. 29 Los Angeles Times op-ed that he has heard on campus “several times that I have been called ‘part of a Zionist conspiracy,’ which echoes antisemitic tropes that have been expressed for centuries,” adding that at 70 years old, “nothing has prepared me for the antisemitism I see on college campuses now.” 

​​UC President Michael Drake said in a statement on Thursday, “The individuals that targeted this event did so simply because it was hosted by a dean who is Jewish. These actions were antisemitic, threatening, and do not reflect the values of this university.” 

The language differed from university administrators’ condemnation in February, when an antisemitic mob forced the evacuation of Jewish students from an event where an Israel Defense Forces reservist was speaking. At the time, official statements avoided mentioning “antisemitism,” even while three Jewish students were injured and a junior was reportedly called a “dirty Jew” and a Nazi. 

“It’s a great step in the right direction, to address it as what it is,” Daniel Conway, a fourth-year Berkeley student studying environmental economics and policy, told JI. 

“But the larger problem,” continued Conway, who serves as president of Bears for Israel and is a founder of the campus’ chapter of Alpha Epsilon Pi, “is when you address antisemitism and then let it continue, and don’t take action. This is a critical component, to address antisemitism for what it is. Now it’s up to the university to decide whether they will tolerate antisemitism on campus.” 

Conway described the climate on Berkeley’s campus for Jewish students as “uncomfortable,” adding that the lack of a crackdown from administration makes it “a lot more difficult to be open about my identity… it’s a climate that has been able to manifest itself just because of the lack of addressing antisemitism.” 

In a statement to JI, Dan Mogulof, Berkeley’s assistant vice chancellor for executive communications, did not disclose whether disciplinary action will be taken. “We are prohibited by federal law (FERPA) from offering any comment about student conduct or discipline that can be connected to a particular student or students,” he said. 

Ethan Katz, an associate professor of history and Jewish studies and the director of Berkeley’s Center for Jewish Studies, added that “confidentiality should not lead to any assumptions or conclusions as to whether the administration is taking any disciplinary action.” 

Katz, who heads Berkeley’s antisemitism task force, called the incident at Chemerinsky’s home “just totally unacceptable.” 

Six months after anti-Israel activity began to dominate many college campuses in the wake of the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks — with minimal action taken by college presidents to quell rising levels of antisemitism — administrators at schools such as Pomona, Columbia and Vanderbilt have taken a harder line in recent weeks . As a result, Jewish leaders are wondering whether these three schools’ tougher responses could represent the leading edge of a trend that takes root across the country.

But JCRC’s Gregory said that in the Bay Area, the potential trend is nowhere to be seen, emphasizing that no local schools have addressed antisemitism in an appropriate fashion.

“We need some stronger signals, if the administration is taking concrete steps. We also still don’t know what happened from the [February] riot ,” Gregory said.  

In November, the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law filed a complaint on behalf of Jewish students in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, alleging that the Berkeley campus is a “hotbed of anti-Jewish hostility and harassment.” The lawsuit named Drake, as well as the UC Regents, UC Berkeley Chancellor Carol Christ and other officials as defendants. It claimed that since Hamas’ Oct. 7 terrorist attack in Israel, antisemitism has been exacerbated at the school — citing several on-campus incidents of intimidation, harassment and physical violence against Jewish students.

The complaint, a copy of which was obtained by JI, detailed several incidents, including a pro-Palestinian rally following Oct. 7 in which a Jewish undergraduate who was draped in an Israeli flag was attacked by two protesters who struck him in the head with a metal water bottle. 

UCB professor Steven Davidoff Solomon, who teaches an undergraduate class on antisemitism in the law, told JI at the time that he’s “not sure why a Jewish student would come to [Berkeley] law school.” 

Conway added that the lack of transparency after the Tuesday night dinner is “not surprising.”

“We’ve seen from previous events this semester that students break policy, and sometimes the law, and even then the university is extremely slow to respond,” he continued. “Every time something like this happens we hope this is the time that something will come from it.” 

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