Lenfest Hall, Columbia Law School’s premier residence, opened in August 2003. The hall was named for H.F. (Gerry) Lenfest '58 and his wife Marguerite, who gave a gift of $15 million to create the project. Located at 425 West 121st Street, Lenfest contains 209 luxury student residences, including private studio apartments ranging in size from 320 to 412 square feet, and one-bedroom apartments ranging from 380 to 648 square feet. A very small number of apartments on the eighth floor have terraces, and many units offer spectacular views of Morningside Park and historic Riverside Church. All apartments are fully furnished and include private kitchens and baths. There are also two apartments for visiting faculty.

Law students were involved in planning Lenfest, from determining that the building should be comprised entirely of efficiency (studio) and one-bedroom apartments, rather than apartment shares, to requesting a game room/lounge area as well as smaller study areas in the common space downstairs. This valuable input all throughout the project is clear in every aspect of the building, and will be appreciated by students in years to come. The apartments were planned as flexible spaces that can be personalized to the lifestyle and personal preferences of each occupant. The ability to take a relatively small space and make it a home was extremely important to the students who worked on the project. Lenfest's attractive floor plans, space-saving, multi-use furniture, and light-filled interiors all contribute to the clean, comfortable nature of the apartments. Lenfest Hall has been designed to meet the expectations of the most discerning Law student. Planned with security in mind, the building has a 24-hour doorman-guarded entrance, and each apartment contains a state-of-the-art security system with color video intercom. Unique design features include the elegant, granite-floored lobby and distinctive metal mesh elevator cabs. Exclusive study rooms and a tranquil bamboo garden are available to residents and their guests. Lenfest is convenient to the Law School, shopping, restaurants, and neighborhood services.

The newest building in an exciting and rapidly developing area of Morningside Heights, Lenfest is adjacent to Columbia's new School of Social Work building. This northeastern corner of the Columbia-area neighborhood is home to such popular restaurants as Max Soha and Kitchenette. West 121st Street itself is a lovely example of urban design: wide open to the sky at the east from its perch at the top of the Morningside Escarpment, and closed at the west with the beautiful gothic revival tower of Riverside Church. The stretch of Amsterdam Avenue between Lenfest and the Law/SIPA complex is also in a renaissance with: Ajanta Indian Cuisine (Amsterdam and 121st), Amsterdam Café (Amsterdam between 119th and 120th), Che Bella (1215 Amsterdam between 120th and 119th), Massawa (Amsterdam at 121st), Olive Tree Deli (3060 Broadway between 121st and 122nd), Radio Perfecto (1187 Amsterdam Avenue between 118th & 119th), Secret Garden Café (3072 Broadway between 121st and 122nd), SUBsconscious (1213 Amsterdam between 119th and 120th).

Like all Law School housing, Lenfest is only available through Direct Assignment; it is not available through In-Person Selection. Law students who would like to live in Lenfest should request housing through Direct Assignment, and indicate their preference for Lenfest in the "Comments" section of the UAH application. It is not possible to transfer to other forms of University housing from Lenfest; 1Ls and 2Ls are given the option of renewing their contracts for the following academic year, or of moving out and finding off-campus housing. As in all University housing, contracts end on May 31.