The transfer application for the Columbia Law Review consists of two elements: the Writing Component and the Personal Statement. We will share more information about the 2026 Transfer Application Process soon.
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.
Any questions about the transfer application process or the Writing Component should be directed to our Executive Notes Editor, Brandon Chambers (ene@columbialawreview.org). Questions about the Law Review in general should be directed to our Editor-in-Chief, Adam Burns (eic@columbialawreview.org).