Social Committee

The Senate Social Committee directs our CLS-wide social events - making decisions on venue, budget, timing, and all other aspects of many of the Law School’s most beloved events. Information on event details and RSVPs are communicated to all students through email. Below is a high-level overview of our work.

Our committee also runs the annual Columbia Law School apparel store, open to students only, with custom CLS-themed merchandise designs you can’t find anywhere else. This store historically opens once a semester.

Our Priorities

  • Hosting high-quality, affordable events that appeal to the CLS student body
  • Planning our events at every stage to be maximally inclusive of all students, including dietary and religious obligations
  • Supporting a range of large and small events to cater to different student wants and needs

Our Biggest Events

We love kicking off the semester by throwing a party for the whole school - and providing an avenue for our incoming LLM, transfer, and 1L students to connect with each other. To welcome our incoming students (and welcome back our returning friends!), we throw an annual welcome party at the start of the semester. Students enjoy free food, drinks, and music, usually at an NYC bowling alley and arcade. 

We plan an Halloween-themed costume party to kick off the Halloween weekend. All students are invited to celebrate and show off their costumes at our party, which is typically at a Manhattan rooftop venue.

We invite our CLS community – and their plus-ones! – to celebrate Valentine’s Day at our annual party. This is typically hosted at a Manhattan club venue, though can be subject to change.

Columbia Law School Barristers’ Ball is the annual dance for the entire CLS student community. Though the theme changes every year, attire is suggested black-tie. This is typically hosted at a waterfront venue in Chelsea, and includes a cocktail-style dinner and open bar for our students and their guests.