THE COLUMBIA JOURNAL

OF E UROPEAN L AW

OVERVIEW

The Columbia Journal of European Law (CJEL) is one of the only journals in the United States devoted exclusively
to European law and enjoys a prominent and influential place in the international legal community. It currently ranks
among the top five foreign and civil law journals in the country, and is the single most cited European law journal in
the world. Because of our prominence in the field, CJEL is read widely across Europe and North America.

Columbia students are entirely responsible for CJEL’s publication, and it is published under the auspices of
Columbia’s European Legal Studies Center. We are also fortunate to have a collaborative partnership with the
Catholic University in Leuven, Belgium, which keeps us abreast of recent developments in EU legislation and the
case law of the European Court of Justice.

CJEL publishes three issues per year—Winter, Spring, and Summer—and contains articles exploring any dimension
of European law in its broadest sense. This includes the law of the European Union and also law at the national or
regional levels, as well as broader jurisprudential questions relevant to the development of law and legal institutions
in Europe. The articles we publish cover a broad range of issues, including business law, intellectual property,
human rights, and social problems, and are authored by leading academics and practitioners. Many articles are
comparative in nature and directly relevant to the United States.

CJEL’s rapid growth has led to a number of exciting recent expansions. First, our journal has merged with The
Columbia Journal of East European Law (CJEEL), which we believe reflects the continuing integration of Europe
as a whole. CJEL keeps a dedicated East European Editor and has retained CJEEL’s commitment to publishing
material at the forefront of academic study in this area. Second, in addition to the print journal, CJEL now has an
online supplement at http://www.cjel.net, which features short articles on recent European case law and legislative
developments. We invite all journal members to submit articles for publication.

2L STAFFER EXPERIENCE

We are committed to fostering an open, collaborative, and friendly work environment and Journal culture. We
provide generous subsidies for team meetings and host regular and purely voluntary social events at local
restaurants, bars, and cafes. Each year we conduct an anonymous upward review in which Staff Editors review and
give feedback on the CJEL Board and management. Moreover, we provide many opportunities for our staffers and
Board members to be published. We are also committed to allowing our members to go abroad, and have places on
the Board for those who wish to pursue their studies overseas during their 3L year.

CJEL also organizes one of the most exciting student note competitions at the school. It is internal to the journal and
the winner will be published and receive a free round-trip flight to Europe.
 9 REASONS TO JOIN THE
C OLUMBIA J OURNAL OF E UROPEAN L AW
1. We are the most-cited European law journal in the world, and among the top five foreign and civil law journals
in the country.
2. We can afford a lot of social events.
3. Free flight to Europe for the winner of our internal Note competition.
4. No mandatory note.
5. No weekly meetings/assignments, and the total time commitment is only about 15-20 hours/semester.
6. We allow students to be on the editorial board while studying abroad.
7. All 1Ls who apply and are accepted during the Early Application period will be invited to our last staffer-only social
of the year, which is the visit to the Bohemian Beer Gardens, to be held on Thursday, April 22.
8. European Law encompasses a wide variety of topics, such as business law, intellectual property, human rights, and
social problems, among many others!
9. We have an online journal that welcomes student submissions.

Email jrneur@law.columbia.edu or cjelhadas@gmail.com for more info.

APPLYING TO CJEL
We offer three application channels and have no preference between them.

1. Early Application
Our Early Application Process allows a candidate to receive a non-binding offer before the start of the Writing
Competition. To apply, send the following to cjelhadas@gmail.com by 5:00 p.m. on April 16, 2009:
1) Resume
2) Writing Sample (may be any class paper, essay, moot court brief, or similar piece of legal analysis or
scholarship)
3) Unofficial Transcript (current to the date of application). Transcripts will be reviewed confidentially by the
editor-in-chief.
4) Personal Statement of no more than 200 words describing your interest in CJEL.
We consider all elements of your application with equal weight in making out decision. Offers received following an
Early Application are completely non-binding. Candidates are free to participate in the Writing Competition and
consider other journals even after accepting an early CJEL offer.

2. Electronic Application
We also accept electronic applications after the Early Application deadline through May and June. To apply, follow
the same procedure as for early application and send to cjelhadas@gmail.com.

3. Writing Competition
We also participate in the Writing Competition.

For more information, please contact Hadas Jacobi Leffel, editor-in-chief, at cjelhadas@gmail.com or
jrneur@law.columbia.edu. You can also visit our website at www.cjel.net.

If you have not already done so, please take one of our brochures.

We look forward to receiving your applications!