 Shortly after his arrival at Columbia University, he wrote to the university's president, Nicholas Murray Butler, outlining some plans he had for reorganizing the curriculum of the law school.Essentially, his goal was to transform the school into a research center, placing particular emphasis on the interaction of the law and other social sciences.Under the administration of Huger Jervey, who became dean of the law school in 1924, Oliphant's plans were used as the basis for a reorganization of the law school.