The transfer application for the Columbia Law Review consists of two elements: the Writing Component and the Personal Statement. Please find an overview of key transfer application dates below.
July 1, 9am ET: Students that have registered to participate in the CLR transfer application process receive the application packet and instructions via email.
July 8, 12pm ET: Deadline for students to register to participate in the CLR transfer application process.
July 15, 12pm ET: Deadline for CLR transfer application submissions.
July 21: Transfer students who are selected to join the Review are notified.
July 27–28: Full day orientation for all incoming CLR members. Attendance is required. Please note, there will be a virtual option available for students who will be based outside of NYC for the summer. Student editorial duties will begin the day after orientation concludes.
Writing Component
The Writing Component consists of (1) a closed-universe prompt that asks you to analyze a legal question and fact pattern presented, and (2) a citation exercise. Writing exercise topics vary from year to year. In the past, students have been asked to write an essay justifying a position on a cutting-edge legal issue, a bench memo, or a classic law school-like issue spotter response.
All the information you will need to complete the Writing Component—including relevant, modified Bluebook rules—will be included in the packet. You will not be permitted to consult with anyone else or to use any outside sources. The citation exercise will be weighted less heavily than the writing exercise.
The time allotted to complete the Writing Component affords an opportunity to produce a well-organized and sophisticated piece, taking into account that transfer students will likely be working during the same period. As such, the component is not designed to take the entire period, but rather to accommodate the varied obligations of students during that time.
Personal Statement
In addition to the Writing Component, the Review requires each transfer applicant to submit a Personal Statement. This statement is intended to offer applicants an opportunity to share information about their life experiences, work experiences, areas of legal interest, or other relevant information that will help them contribute to the work and the community of the Review. There is also a brief second essay that will assess applicants for their soft-skill contributions to the team. More information about the Personal Statement and the Short Response Question will be available in the transfer student application packet.
Logistics
To apply, please follow the steps below:
- Fill out this form to register for the CLR transfer student application.
- Within two business days, you will receive an email from our Business Office (business@columbialawreview.org) confirming your registration and assigning you an anonymous applicant ID number that you will use instead of your name in all application materials. The deadline to register is Monday, July 8 at 12pm ET.
- You will receive the transfer application packet on Monday, July 1 at 12pm ET or at a reasonable time thereafter (or at a reasonable time after you register if you registered after the application opened on July 1).
- Complete your application by following the instructions in the transfer application packet. Those instructions include only using your anonymous applicant ID number, and not your name, on all documents.
- Email your completed application to the Business Office (business@columbialawreview.org) prior to the transfer application deadline on Monday, July 15 at 12 PM ET.
Any questions about the transfer application process or the Law Review in general should be directed to our Editor-in-Chief (eic@columbialawreview.org). Questions about the Writing Component should be directed to our Executive Notes Editor (ene@columbialawreview.org).