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Columbia Law School Military Association

The Columbia Law School Military Association (CLSMA) is a nonpolitical, nonpartisan social group dedicated to promoting camaraderie and networking among Columbia Law School military veterans and civilian students, to explore and develop local veteran-related volunteer and pro bono opportunities, and to stimulate thoughtful discussion about the military and its role in modern society. Military service is not a prerequisite to membership, and many of our members have no personal connection to the military. We also welcome non-U.S. military veterans who have served in other nations, and those who are still serving, either on Active Duty or in a Reserve component.

Most of CLSMA's formal activities fall into three categories, described below our official mission statement:

CLSMA's Mission

Our mission is to promote camaraderie and networking among veterans and students, as well as to stimulate discussion and education on various aspects of military culture.

Veteran Admissions Outreach

If you are a veteran or current military service member interested in applying to Columbia Law School, please reach out to us! The best way to contact us is by email at [email protected]. We are happy to answer questions and discuss our experiences going through the application process as military veterans, as well as discuss life at CLS generally. We also present a military veterans admissions webinar every fall with officers from the admissions office and encourage you to attend to learn more!

NYC Veteran Pro Bono Work

Many CLSMA members are passionate about using their legal education, coupled with their experience in the military, to provide assistance to local military veterans. We are in the process of creating a Spring Break Caravan to permit students to do just that. Our members have also partnered with the New York Legal Assistance Group to set up experiential learning for CLS students to provide legal aid to NYC veterans, earning credit as they do so. If you are interested in learning more about these programs or volunteering to participate, please email us at [email protected].

Assistance for Clerkships and Employment

CLSMA members help one another navigate the legal employment process, including for clerkships and legal internships during summer breaks. We typically conduct networking events with area law firms' veterans affinity groups and also connect students to veterans doing legal work in government and non-profits. We also partner with other area law schools' veterans groups, namely at NYU and Fordham, to increase our networking reach and enable our members to explore diverse legal careers.