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Research Centers and Programs

  1. Faculty and Scholarship
  2. Research Centers and Programs

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.

Find a Center or Program

Center for Constitutional Governance

The Center for Constitutional Governance (CCG) is a nonpartisan legal and policy organization devoted to the study of constitutional structure and authority. CCG invites academics, students, government officials, practitioners, and community members to engage with major constitutional and governance issues of the day, from health care to civil rights, immigration, financial regulation, and national security. 

 

Areas of Study

Center for Contract and Economic Organization

The Center for Contract and Economic Organization capitalizes on the synergies between the Law School’s experts in contracts, commercial transactions, and business organizations and scholars throughout Columbia University who study contract theory and the economics of information. Through scholarly collaboration, the center contributes to existing knowledge and sponsors a host of ongoing initiatives, including visiting fellowships, workshops, and conferences. 

 

Areas of Study

Center for Gender and Sexuality Law

Columbia Law School established the Center for Gender and Sexuality Law as an incubator for bold new approaches to complex issues facing gender and sexual justice movements. The center is home to research projects and initiatives focused on gender, sexuality, reproductive rights, bodily autonomy, and gender identity and expression across law, policy, and professional practice. Students can supplement coursework with lectures, panel discussions, conferences, and guest speaker series on contemporary issues.

 

Areas of Study

Center for Institutional and Social Change

The Center for Institutional and Social Change facilitates collaboration between scholars, practitioners, and students striving to address structural inequality through institutional transformation. Participants use brainstorming, strategic analysis, and empirical and field research to develop new frameworks, strategies, and roles for effective institutional and social change.

 

Areas of Study

Center for International Commercial & Investment Arbitration

The Center for International Commercial & Investment Arbitration furthers the teaching and study of international arbitration. Through research and collaborations with other like-minded institutions worldwide, the center develops effective methods of resolving international disputes and encouraging international commerce and exchange. The center also prepares students and young professionals interested in arbitration and dispute resolution for careers in the field.

Areas of Study

Center for Intersectionality and Social Policy Studies

The Center for Intersectionality and Social Policy Studies examines how social structures and related identity categories, such as gender, race, and class, interact to create social inequality. Its interdisciplinary and innovative research projects and initiatives unite a diverse group of academics and advocates interested in developing effective solutions to institutional inequality.

 

Areas of Study

Center for Israeli Legal Studies

The Center for Israeli Legal Studies brings together Israeli and U.S. scholars and practitioners to discuss noteworthy legal issues in Israeli society. The center sponsors lectures, seminars, and conferences; creates fellowship opportunities for LL.M. and J.S.D. students; and creates exchange opportunities for Law School students to pursue research or internships in Israel.

 

Areas of Study

Center for Japanese Legal Studies

The Center for Japanese Legal Studies is the first and only center in the United States devoted exclusively to Japanese law. Bolstered by a premier private collection of Japanese law materials, the center facilitates understanding of the Japanese legal system through teaching and research. Through robust programs and events, course and speaker series, and faculty and student exchanges, the center promotes intellectual exchange between American and Japanese students and scholars.

Areas of Study

Center for Korean Legal Studies

The Center for Korean Legal Studies supports research, education, and debate on a broad range of law and policy issues impacting the Korean Peninsula. The first of its kind in the United States, the center hosts programs, events, visiting scholars opportunities, and initiatives that engage leading practitioners and scholars. 

 

Areas of Study