Deposits & Billing

Incoming non-gift payments due to Columbia Law School (CLS) are made against invoices and received via ACH Direct Deposit and Bank Wire Transfer, for reimbursements to and fees for services provided by CLS. If you need help and guidance, please contact the Banking Team at [email protected].

Receiving payments of gifts and awards of sponsored projects follow an entirely different procedure; the receipt of gifts and/or sponsored projects is processed by the central administration of Columbia University, not by CLS. Gifts are collected by CLS Development Office. Refer to our Standard Business Process.

Noteworthy
  • CLS must not accept checks from any non-U.S. bank
  • CLS must not accept cash as a method of payment
  • Gifts are collected by CLS Development Office

Incoming Payments

CLS strictly prefers to receive any and all payments due to CLS via ACH Direct Deposit or Bank Wire Transfer, denominated in US Dollars. Case by case exceptions may be granted to receive payment by check in US Dollars from a U.S. bank. 

 

All reimbursement or fee for service requests to CLS are made by invoice. All invoices must include the full payment instructions for CLS' bank account at JPM Chase. All payment instructions must include a reference line called REF that lists the invoice #. All invoices must include the following:

  • Full address of payer
  • Contact person at payer: name, email address, and phone #
  • Date
  • Type of payment invoiced for (Reimbursement or Fee for Service)
  • Invoice #
  • Amount
  • REF in payment instructions: LAW Invoice #

For CLS, to locate and claim an incoming payment, the following three conditions must be met:

  1. all payers include the REF in the payment instructions
  2. all payers provide an electronic copy of their bank’s payment confirmation to their CLS contact

CLS contact forwards the electronic copy of the payer’s bank’s payment confirmation together with an electronic copy of the original invoice to [email protected]

Please know that the Business Office cannot claim or apply funds without the respective REF line on the payment instruction, without an electronic copy of the payer’s bank confirmation, or without an electronic copy of the original invoice.

If an exception has been granted to receive payment by check in US Dollars from a U.S. bank, instead of ACH Direct Deposit or Bank Wire Transfer, submit a check deposit request. Any check deemed stale will not be accepted and will be returned.

Follow the steps on the Check Deposit Form to deposit up to 10 checks per request and sign your name at the bottom before submitting to the Business Office with the check(s) enclosed. All checks must be made payable to "Columbia University." 

Note: Gifts are collected by CLS Development Office.