Hi,
I am applying for CLS for 2011, aiming for LLM. The CLS seems to put the importance on Work experience more than other schools.
However, my work experience is 0 year. I have been a student for many years, for LL.B. and LL.M(the grades in LL.M is seriously lower than the grades in LL.B.). I have some internship experiences during winter/summer vacations, but none of them was paid or longer than three months.
Does 0 year of work experience considerably reduce the chances for being admitted?

I applied thinking I'd give it a try even though I only had three summer internships of work experience and here is the answer I recieved :

"Thank you for your interest in Columbia Law Schools LL.M. Program. We regret to inform you that the Admissions Committee has reviewed your application and concluded that we are unable to offer you admission to the 2010-2011 program. We were very impressed with your academic credentials and therefore hope that you will consider reapplying next year, after you have gained additional law-related work experience.

If you wish to apply for admission to the 2011-2012 Program, please let the Office of Graduate Legal Studies know by December 15, 2010. We retain application files for one year only after the original year of application (...)"

Yet if there is one thing I learned through applications, it's that decisions can be completely unpredictable. Therefore, I'd tell you to apply anyway, you have nothing to lose !

Good luck !

I applied thinking I'd give it a try even though I only had three summer internships of work experience and here is the answer I recieved :

"Thank you for your interest in Columbia Law Schools LL.M. Program. We regret to inform you that the Admissions Committee has reviewed your application and concluded that we are unable to offer you admission to the 2010-2011 program. We were very impressed with your academic credentials and therefore hope that you will consider reapplying next year, after you have gained additional law-related work experience.

If you wish to apply for admission to the 2011-2012 Program, please let the Office of Graduate Legal Studies know by December 15, 2010. We retain application files for one year only after the original year of application (...)"

Yet if there is one thing I learned through applications, it's that decisions can be completely unpredictable. Therefore, I'd tell you to apply anyway, you have nothing to lose !

Good luck !

Yeah, go for it. I think that summer internships can count towards the work experience requirement.
I got in with a bunch of internship experience.
Just make sure your grades are good to make up for the lack of work experience!

Hi, I was at CLS this year. I confirm that Columbia emphasizes work experience. Most of the LL.M students have two or three years of professional experience.

I also got this message in march of this year:

"Thank you for your interest in Columbia Law Schools LL.M. Program. We regret to inform you that the Admissions Committee has reviewed your application and concluded that we are unable to offer you admission to the 2010-2011 program. We were very impressed with your academic credentials and therefore hope that you will consider reapplying next year, after you have gained additional law-related work experience.

If you wish to apply for admission to the 2011-2012 Program, please let the Office of Graduate Legal Studies know by December 15, 2010. We retain application files for one year only after the original year of application (...)"

I´ve been working for 14 months now and in july 2011, which is the time I would leave to pursue my LLM, it would almost be two years....Should I apply again to CLS?