An Interview with Julie Sculli, Assistant Dean, Office of Graduate Degree Programs
Dean Sculli, or Julie as she’s known to most of my LL.M. class, was a strong favorite when I asked my LL.M. batchmates who they’d like to learn more about. Julie works with the Office of Graduate Degree Programs, where she helps design the LL.M. class and supports students navigating the nine-month program.
I had an opportunity to sit with Julie for a detailed and free-wheeling chat about her work with LL.M.’s, her decision to pivot to a career in legal education, and her tips for graduate students this year. She gave some of the best advice I’d come across so far—to keep reminding ourselves of why we came here in the first place, as law school and New York City overwhelm, exhaust, and (oddly at the same time) make us feel like we’re not getting enough done.
Julie, thank you so much for agreeing to sit for an interview with the Verdict. I thought I’d start by asking you to describe the LL.M. program in your words, to introduce the LL.M. program to the larger student body.
JS: The heart of the LL.M. program is the students. I would describe our LL.M. students as incredible—and I mean that word, incredible—this year coming from 63 jurisdictions by citizenship, who have experience practicing law and bring diverse perspectives that elevate the discussion in and out of the classroom.
How would you describe the LL.M. degree, maybe in contrast to the J.D.?
JS: Our LL.M. students come here for various reasons. They all have different backgrounds and different goals and priorities. We try to honor those in the advising that we do with the students and the opportunities that we create and provide for them. We often say that no two LL.M. experiences or schedules look the same because it’s really a create-your-own-adventure type of program.
When I’m drawing distinctions between the J.D. and the LL.M. programs, I’d say it’s different in duration and composition. Our traditional LL.M. is a one-year program, which starts in August and ends in May. The students in our LL.M. are mostly from outside of the United States and already practicing lawyers. On average, they have five years of experience after graduating from their first degree in law, and many have more than that.
I want to ask you a little bit about yourself. Why did you decide to work with LL.M.’s at Columbia?
JS: I’ll try to share the short version of the story.
I practiced law for five and a half years and moved into legal education because I was looking for a better work-life balance. I also realized some things about myself in my first two legal jobs. This is what I tell students as well—that sometimes it takes a couple of jobs that are not the right fit for you to really realize what is better suited for you. I joke now that I don’t think I was a very good lawyer because what I’m most interested in is really connecting with people, collaborating, and working together toward something that will make life more fulfilling.
I would love to say that I was very intentional in how I came to work with LL.M. students. The reality was that I got a job in the Registrar’s Office at the first institution I worked with and was tapped to develop and grow their international programs. I ended up starting the LL.M. program at that institution. With that experience, I cut my teeth and found my calling. I also learned so many things about myself: what I love to do and what I value in my work.
I have a motto: I always choose purpose over pay. And so, I found work that was very purposeful for me. (Not that I’m commenting on pay, just that purpose is a priority for me!) What I learned in starting that LL.M. program, and what brought me great professional satisfaction, was working with dedicated, ambitious, interesting, curious, grateful, and sophisticated lawyers from around the world who share a commitment to growth.
So, back to your original question, that’s where I started. When the opportunity came up here at Columbia, it was growing the Executive LL.M. in Global Business Law program from infancy. I took the opportunity to continue my journey. It’s now paying dividends because I feel so fortunate to work with so many more students from so many different parts of the world.
I’d like to tell you why we contacted you for an interview. I asked some classmates who had helped most in their time at Columbia, and your name came up repeatedly.
JS: Oh, thank you so much! It sounds cliché, but I have so much love for the people who come into my life because of this job. And I mean it. So, when a student comes to me for course or career advice, I challenge them with some hard questions. What are your goals? What do you really want out of life? Think about what makes you come alive, what makes your heart sing, and try to find some work where you can find purpose. It makes all the difference.
You’ve been working with LL.M.’s for a while at your previous institution and here. Over the years, what would you say has changed regarding your approach to interacting with LL.M.’s? What does Julie do differently in 2024 that she wouldn’t have done in 2018 or 2015?
JS: So much! I’m constantly learning. I have adjusted and changed in so many ways, and I’m trying to think of how to articulate those.
I’ve learned so many important cultural lessons, where I have to increase my awareness and sensitivity about what may or may not be valued or appreciated. I have to be more conscious and aware of how I show up in a room as I interact with people from different parts of the world. My goal at the end of the day is to make everyone comfortable in my presence. It’s been a good exercise for me to be more conscious of how I present myself in the spaces I try to hold for other people. So that’s number one.
Number two, working with LL.M. students has taught me never to make assumptions about anything. Related to that is staying very curious, which means always asking questions. So, I never make assumptions about where people are from, what people have done or what kind of life they have lived. There’s also humility. The job keeps me on my toes, and there will always be something for me to learn.
What are your and the office’s priorities while designing the LL.M. class?
JS: We look at three main areas. Academic success, professional success, and other things we call life success, but are basically unique attributes. Anything that doesn’t fall into purely academic or professional criteria will fall into the third bucket: what makes you unique and what you can bring of interest to our community. When we review applications, we are looking at those three criteria.
And what would you say is the most important for you?
JS: There isn’t any one thing, honestly. It is truly a holistic review process, and all components are important. All of them weave together for a final submission, and that’s how we review it. No one part is more important than the other. It’s all important.
How would you describe your work after the admission process is complete?
JS: Ah, you’re asking such good questions. To me, these are important questions that make our work so impactful. So, after students are admitted, we work in three phases: before students commit to Columbia, after they commit but before they arrive on campus, and after they are on campus. I like to envision these processes as a continuum of relationship building.
Before students commit, we really like to get to know them better and provide whatever information will be helpful for them in making a decision. We connect them with alums and current students so that they can understand what the experience is like. It is only a year, so it’s crucial to come in with a clear set of goals and priorities so they can make the most of their time here. We help, advise, and counsel them on whether Columbia is the right place for them at this moment in time. Of course, we hope that it is, but it isn’t for everyone.
Between the time students choose to come to Columbia, and when they arrive, we continue the relationship we’ve already started building. But now we’re moving toward how they design their program. What will the curriculum look like? What do they want to do outside of classes? Do they have the support and resources for housing and other logistical things? So we spend a lot of time doing that over the summer period.
When students arrive, we start with orientation which is such a joyous day because all of the planning we have done and the transitions that students have made to be here all come together. It’s a day with really positive energy. It’s also when we start our work together in person. There’s no replacement for in-person, face-to-face work, which is why all of us, as advisors, prioritize meeting in person. We require every LL.M. student to meet with their advisor at least once.
One thing that I started last year and am continuing this year is the Cookies and Connections sessions I do on Mondays once a month. I try to have something to center on every time that I hope is meaningful and interesting to the students. But it’s also just a space to check in if you have questions or things on your mind. I want students to know I’m available. Sometimes, it’s hard to remember your old advisors are here, that we care about you, and want to know what’s happening.
As you said earlier, we’re here for nine or ten months. What advice would you give to an LL.M. student regarding prioritization? I know each student’s journey is different, but maybe you could discuss some pointers we should keep in mind while we design our time here.
JS: Yeah. There are some themes.
Number one is relationships and connections with classmates, faculty, and the broader community. They all kind of fall under the umbrella of relationships, but I think that is one thing definitely to prioritize while you’re here. As you mentioned earlier when we were chatting, the faculty love teaching. They’re really good at it, and they really enjoy getting to know the students better. If students don’t take advantage of that, it’s a missed opportunity. With your fellow students, both J.D.’s and LL.M.’s, there’s a lot for you to offer each other, so it goes both ways, a lot for them to learn from you, a lot for you to learn from them. It makes for an overall more fulfilling experience when you have taken the time to prioritize relationships with your classmates. And then, with the broader community, we have this incredible university right here. We live in New York City. This is a first rate legal market, so whether you’re thinking about working in New York or not, there are still so many interesting people here to meet and learn from. It’s access, so take advantage of that, and prioritizing it will serve you well. So that’s number one to prioritize.
The second thing, and I’ll mention two, is remembering what you came here to do and staying tethered to that. What were your goals and priorities? What was your why? And don’t lose sight of it. Remember, what did I come here to do? That ties back to some of your academic goals. Because it can be easy when you’re here to get distracted by all that’s going on, and so-and-so’s doing this, and so-and-so’s doing that, but what did you come here to do? And that doesn’t mean you can’t be flexible and you can’t adjust and evolve and change while you’re here. Just don’t lose control of your own ship, and that’s important. So at the end of it, when you look back, because it’s a short period and it goes by very quickly, you’ll be able to say, I did what I came here to do.
When we come here, we have a certain clarity in our heads because we’ve been working for a while. We think about it a lot before we choose to pause our careers and decide to study, and we all make lots of sacrifices to be here. But with the amount of things thrown at you, it’s so easy to get lost.
JS: You just said something I always think about, and I mentioned it in our orientation last year. There are extraordinary sacrifices made by our LL.M.’s, and that’s another thing that really humbles me. I am constantly in awe and have to remind myself of the sacrifice involved: You pause your careers, quit jobs, move countries, leave families and make a huge financial investment in the case of most of our students. This sacrifice is so important to acknowledge and name about our LL.M. student body. I’ve had many emotional conversations with students because it can be so hard to come to a whole new environment, culture, and city, not to mention one of the biggest and busiest in the world. What an amazing, amazing thing to do.
What challenges have you seen LL.M.’s typically face in integrating into the law school community and the university?
JS: I think generally they do a pretty good job. One challenge is time. Time is finite, and it’s our most valuable resource. If you aren’t intentional about trying to push yourself outside of your comfort zone and integrate with lots of different circumstances and environments, it’s not going to just happen for you. So it has to be a priority of yours, you have to make time for it and be intentional about it.
The other thing is we all find comfort in the familiar. If I were to study somewhere else in another country around the world, and happened to meet somebody else from Indiana, I’d be like, oh, this is nice. We just have to make sure we push out of that comfort zone. We want to make the most of this experience and push ourselves to meet people from other lived experiences because it won’t just happen for you. It has to be intentional and a priority.
What would you be doing this year if you were starting out as an LL.M. student with me? What classes would you pick? What extracurriculars would you be doing?
JS: Well, I would have to think about what my goals and priorities were. I would be really focused on what is relevant for me in my life right now, which would draw me to the leadership courses and thinking about how I can develop as a leader. I’m trying to think of the right way to frame this—I want to learn how to model certain behaviors that I would like to see in others, how I can invest in others, and how I continue to show up every day. Those are the things I would focus on in my LL.M. year, as well as cultivating relationships with others. That would probably be at the top of my list because no matter what you do after that, those will always bring value and fulfillment to your life.
Are there types of support mechanisms or resources that are underutilized by LL.M. students and you would like to draw their attention to?
JS: I don’t know if it’s underutilized, but one resource we have tried to normalize and advocate for is our counseling and psychological services here at Columbia called CPS. We often raise it with students, both to bring visibility and because it has been incredibly helpful for students. I think again about being in their shoes, going to another country, and adjusting to and learning in a new environment. Sometimes, you just need a neutral third party that you can be honest with to help you navigate those situations. It’s a sign of strength and courage to say, you know what, I could use some extra tools here. Everyone should use CPS.
The other is that we have a writing center here at CLS. It’s an excellent resource for students who want to improve their writing. I appreciate feedback on how effectively I’m conveying my intended message. I think, as professionals, we should be in the habit of getting feedback on our work because it only makes us better. And I like to think about Misti in the Writing Center that way, that she could only make you better. So, I really hope our LL.M. students also take advantage of that resource.
Last but certainly not least, LL.M. students have advisors who are an amazing resource. The advisors here have so much to offer. All three of us who are advising now are lawyers and have been at Columbia for awhile. We’ve all had experience practicing law in New York City. I highly recommend utilizing your advisor in every way you can and would find helpful.
One last question, Julie. What are your favorite things to do in the city? What should we not miss during our time here?
JS: I say this to everyone I get the chance to, but I recommend that you list everything you want to do. It’s like a bucket list, but just for your LL.M. Put it in your calendar like a meeting, and do something once a month. Even better, have someone go with you, and it's a different person each time. Hey, I’m going on October 24th to do this. Do you want to come? Or I’m seeing Hamilton in December, whatever. Do you want to come? So you don’t leave and say, I never made it to Central Park or I never got to do the top of the Rock if that’s what it is.
As to my favorite things, I recommend this if you like to run: Start on the Manhattan side of the Brooklyn Bridge, run across the Brooklyn Bridge, and then run all along the Brooklyn Heights waterfront. It’s called Brooklyn Bridge Park. There is no more gorgeous view of the city than from that waterfront.
That’s all the questions I had. Thank you so much for your time!
JS: Yeah, this was interesting and a lot of fun. Thanks for interviewing me!
This interview was conducted by Preeti Kolluri, LL.M. ’25, and has been edited for length, clarity, and content.