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Study-Abroad Programs Provide Students with New Opportunities

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A Study Abroad Program Gives Students Many New Opportunities And ABA Acknowledges Three Categories Of Study-Abroad Programs That Are Foreign Summer Programs, Semester-Abroad Programs And Cooperative Programs.

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Page 1: Study-Abroad Programs Provide Students with New Opportunities

FEATURE

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www.lawcrossing.com 1. 800.973.1177

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Study-Abroad Programs Provide Students with New Opportunities[By Heather Jung]

Every year, law students devote countless hours to studying and classes, leaving little time for travel. Study-abroad programs,

however, provide students with the best of worlds: the opportunity to study the law and the chance to visit a foreign country.

Many ABA-approved law schools offer varieties of programs with wide ranges of topics and locations.

According to the ABA, approved law schools

“may not grant credit for studies or activities

in a foreign country unless those studies or

activities are approved in accordance with the

Rules of Procedure and Criteria adopted by

the Council. Outside of programs that meet

these Criteria, an ABA-approved law school

may not award credit toward the J.D. degree

to an enrolled student for studies or activities

outside the United States.”

The ABA acknowledges three categories of

study-abroad programs: summer programs,

semester-abroad programs, and, on some

occasions, cooperative programs between

ABA-approved law schools and foreign

institutions. Each of these types of programs

has distinct criteria that must be met for

students to receive credit. In general,

students must have completed one year of law

school and must be in good standing with the

law school at which they are enrolled.

Cooperative Programs

Students who wish to individually study the

law at foreign institutions may do so through

ABA-approved cooperative programs. For a

program to be approved, the “parent school”

must be approved by the ABA, must “develop

and publish a statement that defines the

educational objectives” of the program,

and must be responsible for the approval

of coursework and monitor the student’s

studies.

The foreign school must:

Be government sanctioned if

education is regulated by the state

within that country; recognized or

approved by an evaluating committee;

or chartered to award first degrees.

Provide assurances to the parent

school that the quality of education

it offers is equal to the education the

student would receive at his or her

parent school. An institution that

provides law training to students

who have graduated from institutions

that award first degrees in law may

qualify.

Appoint an advisor for each student

who will monitor the student’s

progress and studies.

Have faculty members who have

academic credentials and experience

in the legal profession.

The ABA has currently approved more than 40

cooperative study-abroad programs through

universities such as American University,

Cornell, and University of Wisconsin at

destinations ranging from Hong Kong to

Berlin to Florence.

The American University Washington College

of Law in Washington, DC, has partnered

with the City University of Hong Kong (CityU)

to provide students with the opportunity to

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study international trade, commercial law,

and comparative law, with an emphasis on

Chinese law. As a former British colony, Hong

Kong is a hub of legal, social, and political

change, providing students with the chance

to study international law in an ever-evolving

legal system.

Students at Cornell University Law School can

study law in Berlin, Germany, in the native

language. At Humboldt University, Cornell

students can earn both their J.D.s and Master

of German and European Law and Practice

(M.LL.P.) degrees. As the program is an

informal agreement, students must comply with

Humboldt’s policies and application procedures.

Through the Wisconsin-European University

Institute Exchange Program, students from

the University of Wisconsin Law School study

European law at the European University

Institute, which was established by the

European Union.

Semester-Abroad Programs

Through semester-abroad programs, students

study law at foreign universities during the

normal school year. While students enrolled

in cooperative programs are fully integrated

into foreign schools, students participating

in semester-abroad programs take classes

administered by the sponsoring law schools.

The academic content must meet the same

criteria as an on-campus program and must

Page 2: Study-Abroad Programs Provide Students with New Opportunities

FEATURE

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www.lawcrossing.com 1. 800.973.1177

also “relate to the socio-local environment

of the host country. The number of students

must also be limited to the appropriate

number based on the facilities, number of

faculty, program content, the administrative

support structure, and special education

programs.”

As they take students away from the

traditional law-school setting, there are only

a handful of programs available, the majority

of which are held in London.

The London Law Consortium is a partnership

of seven law schools, Chicago-Kent College

of Law, University of Georgia, Indiana

University-Bloomington, University of

Kansas, University of Missouri-Columbia,

University of Utah, and University of Iowa,

with the University of Iowa acting as the

program administrator. The program is held

each spring and gives students the chance to

take classes on British law and participate in

British legal externships.

Other schools that offer independent London

programs are Boston College Law School,

University of Detroit Mercy School of Law,

Notre Dame Law School, Pace University

School of Law, Pepperdine University School

of Law, and University of Tulsa School of

Law.

Temple University Beasley School of Law

boasts the only semester-abroad program in

Asia. Through the Semester Law Program in

Tokyo, students spend their spring studying

law in Japan’s capitol city. The program is

comprised of several standard law courses,

as well as courses focused on international,

comparative, and Asian legal studies, such as

Introduction to Japanese Law, Introduction

to Chinese Law, and East/West Negotiations.

In addition to classes, students are given a

broad range of extracurricular activities to

choose from, including trips to the Supreme

Court of Japan and Fuchu Prison.

The Thomas M. Cooley Law School hosts

a spring program in Melbourne, Australia,

and Christchurch, New Zealand. The

“Down Under” law program is held in

conjunction with Monash University in

Australia and Canterbury University in New

Zealand and focuses on comparative and

international law.

Foreign Summer Programs

With more than �00 programs available at

law schools across the country, summer

programs are by far the most popular.

Criteria for the programs themselves are the

same as the criteria for semester programs.

Destinations range from traditional locales

such as England, Italy, and France to more

unique places such as the Czech Republic,

Dubrovnik (Croatia), and Poland.

With two sessions available, students at

California Western School of Law can

travel to Prague in the Czech Republic to

study international environmental law,

international and comparative criminal

procedure, international intellectual

property, comparative consumer law, or

international mediation. The program is

sponsored by the Consortium for Innovative

Legal Education, which includes California

Western, South Texas College of Law,

William Mitchell School of Law, and New

England School of Law.

The Central and Eastern European Law

Program allows students from Indiana

University School of Law-Indianapolis to

earn six hours of ABA-approved credits while

studying at the seaside resort of Dubrovnik,

Croatia. The program is held in collaboration

with the University of Zagreb School of

Law. Available classes include Real Estate

Acquisition and Ownership in Central and

Eastern Europe and Legal Aspects of Doing

Business in Central and Eastern Europe-

from the American and the European

Perspective.

The Catholic University of America Columbus

School of Law offers the International

Business and Trade Summer Law Program in

Krakow, Poland. According to the program

brochure, students “receive intense training

in the global aspects of modern trade and

business law, as well as the changing

dynamics of Central European politics and

law” and “experience the history and culture

of the city that ‘ranks among the great

artistic and cultural complexes of highest

value in Europe.’” The program is hosted by

Jagiellonian University and offers classes

such as International Business Transactions

and Law of the European Union.

Is Study Abroad Right for You?

Like many programs, study-abroad programs

may not be right for everyone. There are

multiple factors to consider when choosing

whether to enroll in a study-abroad program.

Some major issues to consider when

applying for study-abroad programs are cost,

location, and practicality. If you have specific

questions, ask someone who has participated

in the program you are considering or talk

to someone in the office that coordinates the

program.

On the net

ABA Section of Legal Education &

Admissions to the Bar, Foreign Study

www.abanet.org/legaled/studyabroad/

abroad.html

Legal Study Abroad Headquarters

www.ilrg.com/lsahq

Study-Abroad Programs

www.abanet.org/legaled/studyabroad/

foreign.html