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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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FEATURE
PAGE �
www.lawcrossing.com 1. 800.973.1177
continued on back
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
FEATURE
PAGE �
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