Amsterdam Avenue looking south at night

Private Sector Careers

Columbia Law School graduates go on to hold leadership roles at the world’s most elite private sector organizations. Prepare to join their ranks.

Columbia Law’s Office of Private Sector Careers (OPSC) helps students and alumni explore career paths with top law firms and businesses around the world—from global and boutique firms to multinational corporations and Silicon Valley startups.

The OPSC counseling team assists you from your first semester at the Law School until graduation and beyond. Our advisers will help you develop a career roadmap tailored to your goals, passions, and geographic preferences. In addition, our extensive alumni network and close connections with leading employers provide unrivaled access to a world of opportunities. 

Connect with a wide range of top employers. Over three to four days every summer, the Early Interview Program invites the most prestigious law firms in New York City and other national and international legal centers to interview J.D. students. OPSC also arranges a yearly interview program for LL.M. students at Columbia and other leading law schools, as well as additional fall and spring semester programs for J.D. students. 

Learn from the best. Our professional development speakers include outside lecturers and Law School alumni, most of whom hold partnerships at major law firms or serve as in-house counsel at international corporations and startups.

Polish your résumé to perfection. OPSC career counselors meet individually with students throughout the year to develop their résumés and other written material. They also host résumé writing workshops.

Boost your confidence. All first-year students are required to participate in mock interview programs—at Columbia Law School or the offices of leading law firms—in advance of the fall recruiting season. The practice interview (conducted by an attorney) and subsequent feedback session allow students to better prepare for “real” interviews and sharpen their skills for future job search opportunities. 

Access a wealth of resources. OPSC maintains a separate library of online and print resource materials—from specialty practice directories to career choice manuals—that inform students about career options and connect them to employers. The office also utilizes a specialized database tailored to accommodate students participating in recruiting programs. Through the database, you can choose the employers with which you would like to interview, sign up for a counseling appointment, view a calendar of upcoming career-related events, and browse hundreds of job postings updated daily.

Office of Private Sector Careers

The Office of Private Sector Careers helps students and alumni explore opportunities in the private sector. We advise students and alumni, provide career-related resources, and host career exploration, professional development, and recruitment programs. 

Mailing Address: 435 West 116th Street, Box A-5 New York, NY 10027 Phone: 212-854-2684
Office Location: William and June Warren Hall - 1125 Amsterdam Ave., (b/w 115th & 116th Sts), 7th floor
Nikita Lamba ’20

“My advisers in the Office of Private Sector Careers were unbelievably helpful with the process of applying for and choosing a summer position, and I am so grateful for the time, patience, and guidance that I received. OPSC helped me find positions I would be interested in, gave me a chance to practice for interviews, reviewed my cover letter and résumé, and provided advice when I was choosing among offers.

“This past summer, I interned with the in-house legal team at HBO, which gave me an in-depth look at the role of an entertainment attorney—I had the opportunity to work on a wide breadth of litigation and transactional issues related to copyright, licensing, employment, privacy, and contracts, and was able to [find] some wonderful mentors.”

 

Nikita Lamba ’20

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