Columbia Law School: Notable Alumni and Their Impact
Columbia University has long been synonymous with intellectual prowess, nurturing some of the world’s most influential minds across various fields. Columbia Law School (CLS), founded in 1858 as the Columbia College Law School, stands as a testament to this legacy. Its history traces back to the 18th century, with early American judicial figures like John Jay, the first Chief Justice of the United States, graduating from King's College, Columbia's colonial predecessor. This article explores the notable alumni of Columbia Law School and their significant contributions to law, politics, business, and society.
The Early Years of Columbia Law School
The teaching of law at Columbia reaches back to the 18th century. Columbia College appointed its first professor of law, James Kent, in 1793. Kent did not, however, succeed in establishing a law school or department in the college. Columbia Law School's classes were originally held at Colonnade Row before moving to the Midtown campus. The first purpose-built law school building was a Gothic Revival structure located on Columbia's Madison Avenue campus, which also housed the college library. Thereafter, the college became Columbia University and moved north to the neighborhood of Morningside Heights.
No institution resembling a law school had ever existed in New York. Most of the leading lawyers had obtained their training in offices or by private reading. Legal education was, however, at a very low ebb. The clerks in the law offices were left almost wholly to themselves. Examinations for admission to the bar were held by committees appointed by the courts, who sought for the most part to ascertain the knowledge of the candidate of petty details of practice. In general, the examinations were purely perfunctory. Indeed, Columbia Law School was one of the few law schools established in the United States before the Civil War.
Shaping Legal Education
During the 18th and 19th centuries, most legal education took place in law offices. At its founding, four distinct courses of lectures of this class were then established: one on Philology, offered by distinguished scholar and statesman, George P. Marsh; a second by Dr. Francis Lieber, a standard writer upon topics of political science and of international law, then a professor at Columbia College; a third course on Ethics, by Professor Nairne, also of the college; and a fourth on Municipal Law, by Theodore W.
The first lecture in the law school was delivered on Monday, November 1, 1858, by Mr. Dwight, at the rooms of the Historical Society. Dwight believed that his method was superior to the case method because it helped to create trained legal practitioners ready to enter the profession rather than academics more suited to teaching. After Dwight's departure, William Albert Keener of Harvard Law School became dean of the law school from 1891 to 1901 when he was succeeded by George Washington Kirchwey. Future Supreme Court Justice Harlan Fiske Stone graduated from the law school in 1898.
Read also: Columbia University Legacy
Columbia allowed women to enroll in 1927. In 1945, Elreta Alexander-Ralston became the first black woman to graduate from Columbia, followed the next year by Constance Baker Motley. In the 1920s and 30s, the law school soon became known for the development of the legal realism movement.
Leaders in Law and Justice
Columbia Law School has produced numerous influential figures in the legal field, including judges, attorneys, and legal scholars who have shaped American jurisprudence.
Supreme Court Justices: Ten alumni of Columbia Law School have served on the Supreme Court of the United States, including Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Three of the school's graduates have served as Chief Justice of the United States: Charles Evans Hughes, Harlan Fiske Stone, and John Jay. Columbia Law School is the only law school to have graduated more than one chief justice.
Ruth Bader Ginsburg: Ruth Bader Ginsburg has been pushing the boundaries of the legal world since 1956, when she enrolled in Harvard Law School as one of nine women in a class of 500. Ginsburg was the second woman to become a Supreme Court justice, where she still served today. Ginsburg taught at Columbia Law for eight years, becoming the first tenured female professor. Her time at Columbia sparked her lifelong passion for fighting gender discrimination and advocating for justice.
Robert L. Carter: Robert L. Carter, who died in 2012 at age 94, worked closely with Thurgood Marshall - the first African-American Supreme Court justice - for many years and served as the lead counsel in the landmark Supreme Court case Brown v. Board of Education that ruled segregation in public schools unconstitutional. During his time as an NAACP lawyer, Carter argued 22 cases in front of the Supreme Court and won 21 of them.
Read also: A Legacy of Legal Luminaries
Eric H. Holder Jr.: After receiving his bachelor's degree at Columbia, Holder graduated from Columbia Law with his JD in 1976. He served as legal advisor to then-Senator Barack Obama during his first presidential campaign, later becoming a one of three members on his vice-presidential selection committee. He worked at Covington & Burling in Washington, D.C., before and after his time as attorney general, recently taking on Airbnb as a client. In 2025, Eric H. Holder Jr. was honored with an Alumni Medal, the highest honor the Columbia Alumni Association gives, in recognition of his outstanding commitment to building Columbia’s community. He is senior counsel at Covington & Burling.
Other Notable Legal Figures: The ranks of Columbia Law alumni include several United States Solicitors General and numerous judges serving on federal courts. Internationally, CLS graduates also have occupied prominent judicial positions, including Shi Jiuyong, former president of the International Court of Justice (ICJ); Xue Hanqin, current member of the ICJ; Giuliano Amato, current member of the Constitutional Court of Italy; Jan Schans Christensen ('88 LL.M.), current member of the Supreme Court of Denmark; Susan Denham, current Chief Justice, Supreme Court of Ireland; Marvic Leonen ('04 LL.M.), current member of the Supreme Court of the Philippines; Hironobu Takesaki, current Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Japan; Umu Hawa Tejan-Jalloh, current Chief Justice, Supreme Court of Sierra Leone; Karin Maria Bruzelius, former member of the Supreme Court of Norway; Lawrence Collins, former Justice of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom; and Francis M.
Impact on Politics and Public Service
Columbia Law School alumni have made substantial contributions to the world of politics and public service, both domestically and internationally.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt: Franklin Delano Roosevelt served as the 32nd President of the United States from 1932 to 1945. Hailing from a very wealthy New York family, he grew up traveling extensively throughout Europe and receiving a top-notch primary education with private tutors.
Barack Obama: President Barack Obama may have earned his law degree from Harvard, but at Columbia, he laid the intellectual foundations that would shape his future political career. Before becoming President of the United States, Obama was a transfer student in Columbia’s undergraduate political science program, perfecting his ability to inspire crowds and move mountains.
Read also: Leadership at Columbia
Bella Abzug: A longtime social activist and politician, Bella Abzug fought passionately for women’s rights and social equality during her time in the House of Representatives from 1971 to 1977. She was the first woman to run for the US Senate for New York, as well as for Mayor of New York.
Other Political Leaders: The list of alumni who have held significant political positions includes individuals who have served as White House Counsel, members of Congress, and advisors to presidents.
Recent Alumni Achievements:
- Stuart Rabinowitz (1969): Was named the chair of the board of directors for the Nassau Health Care Corporation by New York Gov. Kathy Hochul. He is senior counsel at Meltzer, Lippe, Goldstein & Breitstone, where he works on state and federal litigation, constitutional law, civil rights, and education law.
- Jeh Johnson (1982): Was named co-chair of Columbia University's Board of Trustees. Johnson served as Homeland Security secretary from 2013 to 2017 and recently was a partner at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison.
- Bradford L. “Brad” Smith (1984): Was elected as a new member of the American Philosophical Society. He is the vice chair and president of Microsoft, where he is responsible for spearheading the company’s work and representing it publicly on a wide variety of critical issues involving the intersection of technology and society, including artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, privacy, environmental sustainability, human rights, digital safety, immigration, philanthropy, and products and business for nonprofit customers.
- Maya D. Wiley (1989): Received the Thurgood Marshall Award from the American Bar Association Section of Civil Rights and Social Justice. The award recognizes long-term contributions by members of the legal profession to the advancement of civil rights, social justice, and human rights in the United States. Wiley is a civil rights activist and the president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights and The Leadership Conference Education Fund.
- Rahul Agarwal (2006): Was appointed as a trustee to the New York State Interest on Lawyer Account Fund (IOLA) by New York Gov. Kathy Hochul. IOLA helps low-income New Yorkers obtain civil legal services to protect their needs. Agarwal is a partner in white collar and litigation at Friedman Kaplan Seiler Adelman & Robbins.
Contributions to Business and Finance
Columbia Law School alumni have also excelled in the business and finance sectors, holding leadership positions in major corporations and financial institutions.
Notable Figures in Business: Alumni have served as CEOs, chairpersons, and partners in leading companies, demonstrating the versatility of a Columbia Law School education.
Recent Alumni Achievements:
- Rich Richman (1972): Was honored with an Alumni Medal, the highest honor the Columbia Alumni Association gives, in recognition of his outstanding commitment to building Columbia’s community. He is chairman and founder of The Richman Group and a member of the Law School’s Dean’s Council.
- Richard A. DiStefano (1982): Joined Tarter Krinsky & Drogin as a partner in the corporate, securities, and mergers and acquisitions practice. He will concentrate on advising clients with their strategic growth initiatives and corporate matters, such as regulatory filings and compliance, securities exchange regulations, and public and private equity and debt securities offerings.
- Howard M. Goldwasser (1991): Joined O’Melveny & Myers as a partner in the corporate finance practice. He is a structured-finance and securitization expert whose work in the industry spans more than 30 years. He has covered a broad array of asset classes that include traditional asset classes and transactions.
- Anthony R.G. “Tony” Nolan (1991): Was named to Attorney Intel’s Top 25 Financial Technology Attorneys of 2025. He is a partner at K&L Gates. His domestic and international practice emphasizes lending transactions, fixed income securities, structured finance, structured products, insurance-linked securities and derivatives, and related regulatory issues.
- Stuart T. Rebish (1991): Joined Maynard Nexsen as a shareholder in the financial services practice group. He has more than three decades of experience in securities litigation.
- Paul A. Sangillo (1996): Became the senior general manager of legal affairs of Casio America. operations. Sangillo has more than 25 years of experience in corporate and real estate law and extensive in-house compliance leadership.
- Su-Ping Lu (2000): Was appointed senior vice president, general counsel, and corporate secretary of Honeywell. She was previously an in-house attorney for the company, having joined in 2009 as vice president and general counsel for the aerospace technologies division in the Asia Pacific region.
- Sean B.A. Sullivan (2006): Was appointed managing director and chief legal officer of TSG Consumer Partners. He will oversee all legal matters and enterprise risk management at TSG and will serve as the firm’s primary liaison with outside counsel.
- Dan Krockmalnic (2006): Was promoted to chief operating officer and general counsel at Boston Globe Media. He leads the legal department as well as the company’s work on legislative and advocacy issues affecting the news publishing business.
Contributions to Arts and Culture
Columbia Law School's influence extends beyond the traditional realms of law and politics into the arts and culture.
Allen Ginsberg: Columbia has long been known for nurturing intellectual minds, and Allen Ginsberg was no exception. The beat poet, famous for his poem Howl, was a proud Columbia alum. Columbia was where he met future literary giants like Jack Kerouac. Ginsberg was part of the “Beat Generation,” a group of writers who challenged the establishment with their open, often controversial ideas.
Other Notable Figures: Alumni have made their mark as writers, actors, and filmmakers, contributing to the cultural landscape.
Recent Alumni Achievements:
- Nina L. Shaw (1979): Was named to The Hollywood Reporter’s Power Lawyers 2025. She is a founding partner at Del Shaw Moonves Tanaka Finkelstein Lezcano Bobb & Dang. Her practice is in the television, motion picture, and live stage area.
- Gordon M. Bobb (1996): Was named to The Hollywood Reporter’s Power Lawyers 2025. He is a partner at Del Shaw Moonves Tanaka Finkelstein Lezcano Bobb & Dang. Bobb works on the representation of actors, comedians, athletes, writers, directors, production companies, and distribution companies across television, film, and multimedia platforms.
- Dylan Willoughby (1999): His new poem “Spleen” was included in Antiphony’s Issue Number Six. It was also chosen as the poem of the day by Verse Daily.
- Charles Chowkai Yu (2001): An author and screenwriter, signed with Blue Marble Management for representation in film, television, and all media. He is known for his novel Interior Chinatown and work on American Born Chinese and is currently developing an adaptation of Consider Phlebas for Amazon MGM Studios.
- Kimberly M. Jaime (2004): Was named to The Hollywood Reporter’s Power Lawyers 2025. She is a partner at Jackoway Austen Tyerman Wertheimer Mandelbaum Morris Bernstein Trattner Auerbach Hynick Jaime LeVine Sample & Klein.
- Abigail Hing Wen (2004): Recently wrapped production on her short film and directorial debut, The Vale-Origins, starring Lea Salonga. The film is a prequel to her upcoming book, The Vale, about a teenager who has created an immersive virtual reality.
Alumni in Academia and Education
Columbia Law School alumni have also made significant contributions to legal education and academia.
Notable Legal Academics: CLS graduates include numerous legal academics who have shaped the field of legal scholarship. Notable legal academics who are graduates of CLS include Barbara Black, Lee Bollinger, Felix S. Cohen, Lawrence Collins, Robert Cover, Samuel Estreicher, E. Allan Farnsworth, Charles Fried, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Harvey Goldschmid, Kent Greenawalt, Jack Greenberg, Geoffrey C. Hazard Jr., Benjamin Kaplan, Jessica Litman, Louis Lusky, Yale Kamisar, Soia Mentschikoff, Richard B. Morris, Paula Franzese, Robert Pitofsky, Barbara Ringer, Lawrence Sager, Michael I. Sovern, Arthur T. Vanderbilt, Charles Warren, Amy Wax, Herbert Wechsler, and Mark D.
Recent Alumni Achievements:
- Donna E. Young (1996): Has been reappointed as dean of the Lincoln Alexander School of Law at Toronto Metropolitan University. She will serve another five-year term, and she is responsible for all academic, administrative, and external activities of the school and associated clinics. Young is the school’s inaugural dean.
- Afra Afsharipour (1999): Was named the inaugural director of the Center for Business Law and Society at the UC Davis School of Law. Her research focuses on comparative corporate law, corporate governance, M&A, and transactional law.
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