Service of Process & Records Requests

General

All legal papers, including but not limited to summonses, complaints, and subpoenas, directed to The Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York (“Columbia University”) must be served pursuant to the applicable rules of procedure on the Office of General Counsel at:

412 Low Memorial Library
535 West 116th Street
New York, NY 10027

Other offices of Columbia University are not authorized to, and will not, accept service of legal papers directed to Columbia University.

Please review the below for further information relating to policies that apply to subpoenas for frequently requested records.  If you have additional questions, please contact [email protected].  Please do not email subpoenas or other legal papers to this address; service by email will not be accepted unless discussed in advance and specifically authorized in writing by the Office of General Counsel.

Subpoenas

It is the practice of Columbia University to respond only to valid subpoenas or court orders that have been issued and served in accordance with applicable law and rules.

Other Requests and Applicable Policies

In addition, the following policies apply to specific requests:

  • Employment/Personnel Records
  • Student Education Records
    • Pursuant to the Federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (“FERPA”) and Columbia University policy, Columbia University will not release education records (as defined by FERPA) without a lawfully issued and duly served subpoena or court order. Columbia University’s response to such a subpoena or court order will be administered pursuant FERPA. Accordingly, prior to releasing the records, the University will notify the student that the education records have been requested, except in limited circumstances to extent required by FERPA-compliant judicial orders that prohibit the disclosure of the request. See the University’s policy on Access to Student Records: https://universitypolicies.columbia.edu/content/ferpa
    • Students may request to inspect and review their own education records in accordance with the University’s policy on Access to Student Records.

 

  • CCTV Video Footage
    • Columbia University will not release video footage without lawfully issued and duly served subpoena or court order. See the University’s policy on CCTV Monitoring and Recording:  https://universitypolicies.columbia.edu/content/cctv-monitoring-and-recording-policy.
    • In the ordinary course of business, Columbia University’s video footage storage devices maintain CCTV footage for a limited duration, and generally overwrite such footage after 30 days (further details regarding the maintenance and use of CCTV footage are set forth in the policy on CCTV Monitoring and Recording ). It is recommended that prior to issuing a subpoena for CCTV footage that you send a preservation request for the requested time frame and location to [email protected].
    • CCTV data will be otherwise preserved for longer periods pursuant to a lawful order, in connection with litigation or potential litigation, or as part of a University or governmental investigation or an agency or court proceeding (criminal or civil).