Hello [FIRST_NAME],
Happy To-Do Tuesday! Registration is now open for Connecting Columbia: A Friday for Firsts. Student Health open enrollment begins today, so please take a look at the information provided. We are also sharing information about the Law School’s Mindfulness Program and research centers. Finally, a few tasks we sent you this month need to be completed; be sure to review them below!
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Connecting Columbia: A Friday of Firsts
As you begin your 1L journey, do you identify as a “first,” whether you are the first lawyer, the first professional, or even the first from your family or among your friends or network at a school like Columbia Law? Would you enjoy taking part in a pre-orientation program where you could meet other “firsts,” and learn about how the Columbia Law community seeks to support you in 1L year and beyond? If yes, then please join us for our fifth annual “Friday of Firsts” on Friday, August 21. Register here by Friday, August 1, at 12 p.m. Space is limited, so register early. All 1Ls are welcome.
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July 15—Open Housing Selection Begins
Open Selection offers eligible students another opportunity to secure housing in units that remain available after the standard selection process.
Columbia Residential will notify applicants who have not yet been officially approved of their eligibility for Open Selection. This notification—along with the Open Selection start time—will be sent at least one week before July 15. Students are encouraged to review the Open Housing Selection information in advance.
Tips for Success
- Plan ahead: Consider your preferred location, budget, and desired amenities before this selection window opens.
- Use filters strategically: Narrow your search to find the best-fit units quickly.
- Stay persistent: Inventory may decrease as selection progresses, but new units can occasionally become available—check frequently, including during off-peak hours (early mornings, late nights, and weekends).
Important Notes
- Technical issues: If you experience difficulties accessing the Open Selection page on July 15, contact residential@columbia.edu.
- Declining an offer: Choosing “Decline” will deactivate your application. To reenter Open Selection, you must submit a new application, which may take 2–3 days to process.
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Student Health Insurance Open Enrollment begins Tuesday, July 15
Having insurance is key to helping cover some predictable health care costs and to support students in the achievement of their personal and academic goals. In an effort to reinforce this aim, Columbia requires most students to have comprehensive health insurance as part of enrollment in the University.
You must enroll or waive your Columbia Student Health Insurance by September 30.
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Due July 17—Columbia Health: Your Partner in Caring for Your Health and Well-being
All incoming students will be required to complete a 50-minute pre-orientation Columbia Health training video introducing Columbia Health’s six departments, available services, eligibility, and how to access care.
The training is designed to help students feel informed and prepared as they begin school, while making important health information easier to understand and retain before orientation begins. Students who complete the pre-orientation health module will have a stronger understanding of available services, health insurance, and how to seek care when needed.
Access the module HERE.
After completing the training please also complete a brief 1-minute evaluation survey to help improve the experience for future incoming classes HERE.
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Due July 19—New York Public Library Card Application
As an incoming member of the Columbia Law community, you are invited to take advantage of an expedited process to apply for a New York Public Library (NYPL) card. Simply fill out the NYPL Library Card Request for Columbia Law Affiliates form before July 19, and your NYPL card will be available for you to pick up in the Law Library at the start of the fall semester. To pick up your card, you will need to show your Columbia University ID card at the Law Library circulation desk.
The benefits of a NYPL card go beyond the privilege of being able to borrow more than 55 million items through the 92 New York Public Library branches. You will also have access to borrow over 300,000+ free ebooks, stream movies, and learn new skills with Mango Languages and LinkedIn Learning. In addition, via Culture Pass, an NYPL card can get you free admission to New York City museums, galleries, music venues, and other cultural institutions, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art, the Intrepid Museum, Guggenheim New York, and many more.
If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to the Law Library reference desk at referencedesk@law.columbia.edu.
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Due July 31—Professional Advancement - Required Career Interests Survey
Last week the deans of our career offices told you a bit about themselves and the work that their teams do to support our students' professional advancement.
Now we'd like to learn more about you!
As we prepare for the year ahead, please fill out this brief survey by Friday, July 31 at 5pm.
Your response is very important. All three career offices - the Office of Public Interest/Public Service Law and Careers (PI/PS), the Office of Private Sector Careers (OPSC), and the Office of Judicial Careers (OJC) - will use your survey response for planning and designing programing for this upcoming year.
And as most 1Ls work in the public sector their 1L summer, your response will also be used to initially pair you with a PI/PS adviser who specializes in the area of practice you are most interested in at this time. We know your interests will broaden throughout law school - and our career offices have advisers who specialize in many areas of practice. All of us are available to you as you move along with your studies.
Our teams look forward to meeting you!
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CLS Mindfulness
The CLS Mindfulness Program offers training in mindfulness skills to support leadership, focus, and resilience for students, faculty, and staff. During the academic year, the program holds weekly mindfulness meditation and yoga sessions; it hosts these sessions approximately once a month during the summer. Events are posted on the website. To be added to a mailing list to receive notifications about upcoming events, reach out to Nicole Lavacchia at nl2968@columbia.edu.
Click here to learn more about our Mindfulness Program.
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Programs and Centers
Columbia Law School’s research centers and programs reflect the breadth of our faculty’s expertise and the exceptional quality of their scholarship. Through their rigorous research, faculty experts explore foundational, emerging, and interdisciplinary areas of the law. In addition to convening academics, policymakers, judges, and business leaders from around the globe, centers and programs offer students valuable opportunities to collaborate with experienced scholars and researchers.
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Swag
Hopefully, we caught you before you jumped into back-to-school shopping. At orientation, you will receive a Columbia Law School branded book bag, coffee/hot beverage tumbler, and a metal water bottle.
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Office of Student Services—July Hours of Operation
Monday–Friday: 9 a.m.– 5 p.m. EDT
Early Closure: 7/17, 7/24, and 7/31 - Office Closes at 1:00 p.m.
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 The Li Lu Law Library
With one of the most impressive collections of legal materials in the country, the Li Lu Law Library is designed to support modern legal research, scholarship, and collaboration, and provides a vibrant academic environment for students, faculty, and staff. The extraordinary space, made possible by a visionary gift from Li Lu ’96, was fully reimagined by leading architectural firm Perkins Eastman, with input from students, faculty, and staff. Learn more about features and services HERE.
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