The student-faculty ratio is even lower in the Law School's clinics, with one faculty member for every eight to twelve students. Beyond the classroom, students work with professors as research assistants, participating in theoretical and practical endeavors that advance legal scholarship and the practice of law. In addition to orientation activities, the academic year begins with a dinner for 1Ls and faculty members. Faculty advisors take first-year students out to dinner or lunch in the fall. Columbia also supports the development of community within the student body.
Students work in teams on classroom and extracurricular projects.
There is a wide variety of publications, clubs, and interest groups to join, and students organize study groups for mutual support and learning. Unlike the legal profession of just a generation or two ago, the world in which lawyers now practice is a professional global village. Some of the major changes in the past decade include increased internationalization, technological progress, and the continuing movement in value creation toward intellectual property. The men and women of Columbia Law School do not see themselves as detached observers of events or as caretakers of the status quo. Fired by a sense of pride and a spirit of service, they consider themselves to be hands-on participants in building legal systems and social organizations that protect justice and promote opportunity for all.