"I faced a tough decision when choosing where to go to law school. But in the end, it was a diversity of interests and experiences that I didn't see at any other school that convinced me." -Jennifer Kronick
The Size "Columbia's Law School size is perfect. There are enough students to help battered women and foster children, advocate for tenants, get involved with arts law, or whatever. But it's small enough to enjoy a sense of community." Brad Croteau
The New York City Location "There are so many opportunities for getting involved in activities outside of the school, such as international human rights work, to reinforce your interests. Plus, you're part of Columbia's community, where there's a lot of racial and economic justice work that can be done right in the neighborhood." Maxine Sleeper
The Student Body "In selecting students, Columbia takes into account what people have done with their lives, not just their test scores. I wanted law school classmates who had already accomplished things and who had a wide range of interests?even if they weren't the same as mine. There's no divide between people who came here for public interest law and those who did not." Will Moore
An Exceptional Faculty "Columbia's faculty includes many of the ?stars' of public interest law. Whatever their specialty, professors frequently animate their classes by using examples from their current work?whether they're working on cases related to civil rights, the environment, labor, or other areas of the law." Katie Feiock
The Alumni and Reputation "It is great knowing that a lot of doors will be opened by getting my education here." Lynnise Phillips
The Curriculum "I was surprised by how many law classes have a public interest component. Even professors of civil procedure, torts, and corporations offered examples from a public interest perspective." Dana Wallack
The Extracurricular Activities "The most surprising thing about law school was how much was going on?there's no shortage of conferences, panel discussions, field trips, pro bono projects. . . No matter how far-reaching your interest, you're going to find it. I even got to go to the World Conference on Racism in Durban as a research assistant for Columbia Law professors." Anurima Bhargava
The Summer Internships "I was very impressed with Columbia's Human Rights Internship Program, Public Service Fellowships and Arts Law Fellowships. There also is an abundance of opportunities exclusively for Columbia second-year students, including work in leading civil rights firms around the country." Colin Starger
The University's Resources "With other prestigious graduate programs at the schools of Social Work, International and Public Affairs, Urban Planning, Business, Education, and Public Health, Columbia law students have the options of joint programs and cross-registration. It's a large university setting, which means there are a lot of resources to draw on." Alex Karam
The Support "Columbia offers a tremendous amount of support?from the faculty, the staff, other students, and the graduates. Whatever I want to do, it seems they're always offering help." Matt Draper
Financial Aid "Columbia's loan-repayment program is what is enabling me to go straight to a public interest job after law school. I couldn't have done it otherwise." Rodrigo Sanchez-Camus
