8 of the most impressive people to attend Columbia Law School

One of the oldest law schools in the country, Columbia Law School prepares its students to perform at the highest levels in the legal world. 

The institution holds an impressive share of Supreme Court justices, federal judges, attorneys general, renowned civil rights activists, and even brilliant minds that moved beyond the field of law.

Business Insider recently released its ranking of the 50 best law schools in the country, in which Columbia Law placed in the top 10. 

Many Columbia Law students have gone on to achieve great things and lead the country, whether from the Oval Office or the bench. 

Read on to check out 8 of the most impressive people who attended Columbia Law.

SEE ALSO: The 24 smartest law schools in the US

DON’T MISS: The 25 best private law schools in America

Franklin D. 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.

After attending the elite Groton School and later completing his undergraduate studies at Harvard, Roosevelt attended Columbia Law School from 1904 to 1907, dropping out after preemptively passing the New York bar (he was awarded a posthumous JD in 2008). 

During his presidency, Roosevelt lead the country through the Great Depression with his reform program, the New Deal, that aimed to alleviate unemployment and stimulate economic growth.

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. She later transferred to Columbia Law School, graduating in 1959.

Ginsburg was the second woman to become a Supreme Court justice, where she still serves today. In 1993, she was officially appointed by President Bill Clinton after a long legal and academic career in which she fought voraciously against gender discrimination in the workplace and society.

Ginsburg taught at Columbia Law for eight years, becoming the first tenured female professor. Her daughter, Jane, currently teaches at Columbia Law School.

Theodore Roosevelt

Characterized by his staunch views and rigid ambition, Teddy Roosevelt served as the 26th and youngest president of the United States after President McKinley was assassinated in 1901.

Roosevelt, like his distant cousin Franklin, attended Harvard for his undergraduate degree and then enrolled in Columbia Law School—and again, like his cousin, dropped out before receiving his degree, in order to run for a local office (he too was awarded a posthumous JD in 2008).

Born with debilitating asthma, Roosevelt pursued intense exercise and health. He later became a prominent naturalist and wrote over 40 published books and hundreds of articles.

See the rest of the story at Business Insider