The University of Leiden is a world-class, 430-year-old university in the beautiful university town of Leiden, The Netherlands.  Its Grotius Centre for International Legal Studies is located about 20 minutes away by train in The Hague, the capital of the Netherlands. 

The Hague also calls itself, with considerable justification, the Legal Capital of the World.  It is the home of the International Court of Justice, the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, the International Criminal Court, the Permanent Court of Arbitration, the Hague Academy of International Law, as well as other international organizations.

The up to 5 Georgetown students participating in the Semester Abroad Program would take their courses either in Leiden or at the Grotius Centre.  Students who register in the Master's Programme in Public International Law or the Master's of Advanced Studies in Public International Law will take some of their courses at the Grotius Centre in the Hague.  

Orientation will take place from August 28- August 29.   Classes begin on September 1 and end December 12.  Exams conclude December 19. 

Among the courses available in English for Georgetown students at the Grotius Centre in fall 2006 are Public International Law (selected issues), International Institutional Law, and Introduction to International Criminal Law.  Courses at the nearby Leiden campus include Introduction to European Union Law, European Competition Law, International Relations, and others.  

Students in this Semester Abroad program should consider building on their presence in Leiden or The Hague to attend programs not only at the Grotius Centre, but also at various international entities in The Hague.  The students might also consider an internship at one of The Hague’s many international entities or elsewhere in Europe, either before or after their semester.

Leiden uses the ECTS credit system.  2 ECTS credits equal 1 Georgetown Law credit.

***PROGRAM UPDATE 1/28/08***

Students will apply and enroll in ONE of the following programs: Master's of Advanced Studies in European Business Law, Master's of Advanced Studies in Public International Law, Master's Programme in European Law, Master's Programme in Public International Law.  Students who are interested in taking one or two courses in a program other than the one that they are officially enrolled in will be given the opportunity to add/drop once they arrive in Leiden.  Students should realize that availability in classes outside their program might be limited due to time conflicts and course enrollment limits.   Course Descriptions.  2008 Courses by Programme. 

Additional information about courses is available at, see http://www.postgraduate.leidenuniv.nl/, and go to “law.”  The Grotius Centre courses are under the category of Master of Advanced Studies in Public International Law.  Other international law courses are at Leiden’s main campus—e.g., Master's of Advanced Studies in European Business Law, Master's Programme in European Law, Master's Programme in Public International Law.  For further information about the University of Leiden generally, see http://www.leiden.edu/. 

Note that Dutch legal education differs from American legal education in that college undergraduates can major in the law.  As a result, the appropriate Dutch legal courses for a second or third year Georgetown J.D. student would be in the LL.M. or Advanced LL.M programs at Leiden University or its Grotius Centre. 

Bios for faculty teaching in the Master's of Advanced Studies in European Business Law and the Master's Programme in European Law are available at http://law.leiden.edu/organisation/publiclaw/europainstitute/staff.jsp .

Bios for faculty teaching in the Master's of Advanced Studies in Public International Law and the Master's Programme in Public International Law are avialable at http://www.law.leiden.edu/organisation/publiclaw/publicinternationallaw/staff.jsp.

Application Time Line

Deadline to submit the Georgetown Law Center Semester Abroad Application and other materials to the Office of International and Transnational Programs (OITP).	March 13
Deadline for OITP to notify applicants if applications for Leiden have been approved.	March 19
Deadline for students to submit the following additional application materials to the Office of International and Transnational Programs (OITP): -Copy of passport -Georgetown Law Center Transcript (copy from Student Access + will suffice) -College transcript -Statement of Interest in the Leiden Program in electronic format (can be same as on Semester Abroad application)  -2-3 paragraph recommendation letter in electronic format from Professor Barry Carter.	March 31
Deadline for Leiden to notify students if they have been admitted to the Leiden program.	April 22

After considering the material here and on the websites, a student who is interested in participating in Georgetown’s Semester Abroad Program might seek the advice of a Professor  Barry Carter, Faculty Advisor for the Leiden program.  Prof. Carter’s telephone number is 202-662-9322 and his e-mail is carter@law.georgetown.edu.  Students who are admitted to the Leiden Program should consult with Professor Carter regarding course selection.

Click here to read reports from Fall 2007 students.

 

Revised February 11, 2008 (CM)