$15 million gift to law library from former Tiananmen Square protest leader Li Lu
Columbia Law School has unveiled its newly transformed Li Lu Law Library, a $15 million renovation that stands as the largest single donation and most significant capital investment in the school’s history.
The 50,000-square-foot library, located in Jerome L. Greene Hall, spans three floors and has been redesigned by Perkins Eastman to meet the needs of modern legal education.
The result is a sweeping, light-filled space with panoramic views of Revson and Ancell plazas, a soaring two-story reading room, six hundred study seats, reservable collaboration areas, and state-of-the-art technology woven throughout.
The driving force behind this transformation is Li Lu, a Columbia alumnus whose own journey mirrors the themes of resilience, transformation, and the pursuit of knowledge. Born in China in 1966, Li came of age during the Cultural Revolution and later became one of the student leaders of the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests.
Forced to flee, he was invited to speak at Columbia about his experiences and eventually enrolled as a student there.
Over time, he achieved an unprecedented academic milestone, becoming the first person in Columbia’s history to earn three degrees simultaneously—from Columbia College, Columbia Law School, and Columbia Business School.
That determination, intellect, and independence would go on to define his professional and philanthropic life.
After graduation, Li Lu founded Himalaya Capital, a value-investing firm that grew into one of the most respected names in global finance. Known for his long-term investment philosophy and deep ties to legendary investors such as Charlie Munger, Li quietly built a reputation for disciplined, principle-driven success.
Yet beyond finance, he has devoted increasing energy to giving back—most notably as a co-founder and the inaugural board chair of The Asian American Foundation (TAAF), which works to advance belonging, equity, and representation for the Asian American and Pacific Islander community. His gift to Columbia Law extends that same spirit of inclusion.
When he met with Dean Daniel Abebe last year, Li was inspired by the new dean’s vision for Columbia Law’s future. Their conversations led him to see the library as a way to give back in a way that would shape generations to come.
“I felt I had the opportunity with the law library to enable something transformative—a space that aligns with how legal scholarship and learning are evolving,” Li said. His goal, he explained, was not just to create a modern study space but to reimagine the intellectual heart of the school, a place where collaboration, technology, and tradition come together.
For Dean Abebe, the donation marks a turning point. “Li Lu’s gift is an unprecedented investment in the student experience and ensures that Columbia Law School will continue to attract the most talented students and scholars, providing them with unparalleled resources for success,” he said.
The library’s redesign reflects a broader shift in how law schools conceive of space—less as quiet repositories of books and more as dynamic ecosystems for research, connection, and innovation.
Li’s generosity also carries symbolic weight.
“It means a great deal to me that Asian American students might feel proud seeing an Asian name so visibly tied to the Law School,” he said, “reflecting the diversity that makes this place special.”
In that way, the Li Lu Law Library is more than a building. It is a statement about who belongs in the highest tiers of legal education and whose stories are woven into its legacy.
For Li Lu, the project completes a circle that began decades ago, when he first arrived in New York with little more than a suitcase and a sense of purpose.
His life has taken him from the front lines of protest to the halls of Wall Street and now back to the institution that gave him a home and a future. In transforming Columbia’s library, he has created a living symbol of that journey—a place where others can dream, study, and build their own paths forward.
The unveiling of the Li Lu Law Library is not just a celebration of architecture or philanthropy. It is a story of a man who has spent his life bridging worlds—China and America, activism and finance, individual aspiration and communal legacy—and who now, through his generosity, has left a mark that will inspire generations of students to come.