English for Advanced Legal Studies

Available in Summer

This four-week intensive program has been designed in collaboration with Columbia Law School and is intended to prepare international LL.M candidates entering an accredited U.S. law school in the Fall for the demands of their graduate coursework.

This course will address all language skills, with emphasis on spoken interaction and basic legal vocabulary. Students will learn to speak more fluently, accurately, and intelligibly and thus be better equipped to participate actively and skillfully in their law school classes. They will also enhance their writing skills, practicing various formats typical of graduate legal study.

The Program will Include:

Multi-skill language instruction in a legal context
Lectures by legal professionals and/or law professors
Private meetings with judges and/or assistant district attorneys

Participants will:

Participate actively in discussions, debates, & simulations
Deliver impromptu speeches and prepared presentations on legal matters
Receive extensive feedback on their oral and written skills
Learn common legal vocabulary and collocations as well as key legal concepts
Take notes on live law-themed lectures and talks
Become familiar with common law school practices such as cold calling
Practice the IRAC method of academic legal writing
Learn American email etiquette
Receive targeted pronunciation help

Testimonials from participants:

"The course surpassed my expectations in every aspect. The progress achieved in 4 weeks is simply incredible...I cannot imagine any other place where I could get this experience."

Having a chance to visit the impressive U.S. Court of Appeals and hear an insightful lecture by the Honorable Denny Chin was one of my many precious moments in the EALS course"

"Apart from being interesting, the course significantly facilitated the transition to the L.LM."

The strength of this course is a synergy of studying English and studying law. This course focuses on acquiring the basic legal concepts in the U.S., but at the same time requires us to use English correctly and fluently and provides many opportunities for interaction.”

Blog posts from former participants of our course

Rachel, from the Dominican Republic, and Marlene, from Mexico both took the course and wrote blog posts describing their experiences. Click below for an inside perspective on what it's like to take English for Advanced Legal Studies.

Rachel's post

Marlene's post

Shelley A. Saltzman

Our aim is to enable students to truly thrive, not just survive, in the law school environment.”

Dates and Prices

Click on the box for full details.

Tuition and fees are subject to Board of Trustee approval and may change.

For a full explanation of fees, see below.

Application Deadline: June 16

Course Dates: July 15 - August 9

Tuition and Fees
Fee	Cost
Tuition	$5,071
Activity Fee	$50
Instructional Support Fee	$90
ALP Student Services Fee	$20
Technology Fee	$35
Health & Related Services Fee	$147
Books & Materials (est)	$50
Estimated Living Expenses	$2,800 (This is what you can expect to spend to live in NYC)
Total Estimated Cost of Study	$8,206

Important note: Students in EALS will not be eligible and will not be billed for the Columbia Summer Health Insurance plan because ALP registration will happen after the Columbia Health Insurance enrollment deadline for Summer has passed. If Columbia Health changes this policy, ALP will notify you immediately.

Activity Fee: this covers expenses relating to orientation, handbooks, events and activities.
Instructional Support Fee: this covers class materials and expenses such as playbooks, novels, newspapers, photocopying, theater tickets, museum or event entry.
ALP Student Services Fee: this covers internal I-20 processing fees and other SEVIS transactions.
Technology Fee: this covers SPS technology expenses, including access to online course management software, Canvas, and tools used to develop online course content.
Health and Related Services Fee: All ALP students are required to pay the Health and Related Services Fee. This fee covers access to Columbia health services such as medical, counseling, wellbeing, sexual violence response and disability services.
Books & Materials: this is an estimate. Instructors may assign books or media materials during the session. Students are not billed for books and materials but purchase them independently.
Estimated Living Expenses: this includes food, transportation, everyday expenses, and housing. This gives an idea of how much money is needed to live in New York so you can plan financially. Students are not billed for living expenses.
Estimated Total Cost of Study: When you apply for an I-20 you must show you have this much money on your financial document.

*Note: not all fees are refundable if students withdraw from the program. For a full explanation see the Withdrawal and Tuition Refund page of the ALP website.

Application Requirements

The program is open only to incoming LL.M. students at accredited U.S. law school who will start their studies in the fall.

Proof of fall admission must be provided at the time of application.

I-20 Note for Columbia University Law School Students: if you arrive in the US no earlier than 07/15 you can take EALS on your ISSO I-20. If you arrive before 07/15 you will need to apply for an ALP I-20 and we will transfer you to ISSO after you complete your summer course.

Ready to apply? Email us at alp [[at]] columbia [[dot]] edu (alp[at]columbia[dot]edu) to receive the application code and then click the link below.

APPLY TO THE ALP

Connect with Us

Learn more about American Language Program at Columbia University School or contact the program advisor.

Request more information

Joel Chaffee, Assistant Director of ALP Admissions

212-854-3584
alp@sps.columbia.edu

Apply to the American Language Program

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Applications for 2024 Columbia Summer Session programs are now open!