Law

The Law minor is open to any student who is interested in better understanding how the law affects social work practice.

Students who are interested in pursuing the law minor must declare their intention when they fill out their pre-registration form after they have been admitted to CUSSW. A student will not be able to pursue the law minor after the drop/add period in the fall semester of his/her first year has ended.

To pursue a minor in law, students must:

• Enroll in "HBSE B for Law Minors" (T660B) in the fall semester of their first year at CUSSW. Those pursuing the Law Minor are exempt from taking HBSE A (T660A);

• Enroll in "Legal Foundations for Social Workers I" (T7901) in the fall semester of their first year at CUSSW;

• Enroll in "Legal Foundations for Social Workers II" (T7902) in the spring semester of their first year at CUSSW;

• Register for a minimum of six credits at Columbia University Law School in the second year of study at CUSSW.

• In the second year of study, Law Minor students are not required to take a field of practice course. Students in the Clinical and AGPP method areas may choose to take the field of practice course, in order to complete the minimum 60 credits required for graduation. (Please see the method requirements below.)

Only ten students will be selected to take classes at the Law School. Selection will be based on academic performance in the Legal Foundations I course.

To declare a minor in Law, submit an Academic Program Change Form to Karma Lowe in 1255 Amsterdam Avenue Room 525.

NOTE: Requirements in this section are in effect for students who entered in Fall 2005 or after. Students entering before Fall 2005 should contact Student Services for requirements.

Social Work Course Requirements:

>> Advanced Clinical Practice

>> Advanced Generalist Practice & Programming

>> Policy Practice

>> Social Administration

Frequently Asked Questions

What if I am not one of the 10 student selected to take classes at the Law School?

Those who are not one of the 10 students selected to take classes at the law school can take Legal Foundations II as an elective if they choose. Those who are not selected to complete the law minor will not be required to take HBSE A.

How do I identify courses that are offered by the Law School?

Log-on to the Academic Services website at the Law School (http://www.law.columbia.edu/academics). After identifying several courses that are of interest, meet with your faculty advisor to decide which courses will best meet your needs.

Because a class in which you are interested may be full, choose two or three classes that you would be interested in taking to increase your chances of being able to cross-register.

Will I be able to cross-register for a law class by phone or online when I register for my Social Work classes?

No. You will add the law course during the drop/add period at the start of the semester in which the class you want to take is offered.

You will submit your course preferences to Karma Lowe at a preappointed time. She will contact you before the start of classes to let you know which of your course selections have been approved. Only after receiving approval for your course selections and after submitting an add/drop form will you be officially registered for your law courses.

Registration and Add/Drop Forms are available online.

Faculty and Administrative Contacts at CUSSW

For help in selecting appropriate courses, contact:

Professor Vicki Lens
Faculty Coordinator for the Law Minor
212-851-2236 | vl2012@columbia.edu

Melissa Rothstein
Professor of Legal Foundations I & II
mr107@columbia.edu

For details on cross-registration and to submit forms, contact:

Karma Lowe
Assistant Director
212-851-2364 | knl3@columbia.edu