Leiden University is a world-class university in the beautiful town of Leiden, The Netherlands.  Its Grotius Centre for International Legal Studies is located about twenty minutes away by train in The Hague, the seat of government for the Netherlands. 

The Hague 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, and myriad other international organizations.

Georgetown Law has partnered with the Leiden Law Faculty to offer Georgetown Law students the opportunity to enroll at the University of Leiden for one semester in the Master's or the Advanced Master's law programs.  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.  

FALL 2010 ACADEMIC CALENDAR

Aug. 26-27	Orientation
Aug. 30	Classes begin
Dec. 20	Exams end

Students will be required to participate in a mandatory visit to two legal institutions in the Hague.  This trip will be scheduled by Leiden University so as not to interfere with students’ class schedules.  Information will be provided to students upon arrival in Leiden.

Students in this Semester Abroad program should consider building on their presence in Leiden or The Hague by attending 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.

AVAILABLE COURSES/ACADEMIC PROGRAMS

Students will apply and enroll in one of the following programs:

Master’s of Advanced Studies in European and International Business Law

Master's of Advanced Studies in Public International Law (more courses here)

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 in which they are officially enrolled will be given the opportunity to add/drop once they arrive in Leiden.  Students who select the Master’s of Advanced Studies European and International Business Law or the Master’s of Advanced Studies in Public International Law will earn between 9 and 11 credits in their respective programs.  These students should consider adding courses outside of their programs in order to reach a full 12-14 credit load.  Students should realize that the availability of classes outside their program might be limited due to time conflicts and course enrollment limits. 

The Grotius Centre courses are under the category of the Master's of Advanced Studies in Public International Law.  Other international law courses are at Leiden’s main campus, including the courses in the Master's of Advanced Studies in European and International Business Law, the Master's Programme in European Law, and the Master's Programme in Public International Law.

Note that Dutch legal education differs from American legal education in that college undergraduates can major in 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 and the Grotius Centre. Therefore, students may only enroll in courses in the programs referred to above.  Courses offered in the undergraduate law program are not open to Georgetown students.

Bios for faculty teaching in the Master's of Advanced Studies in European and International Business Law and the Master's Programme in European Law are available here. 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 available here.

Leiden uses the ECTS credit system.  2 ECTS credits equal 1 Georgetown Law credit.  In order to calculate the number of credits that you will receive, take the number of credits Leiden awards in the program you have selected and divide by 2.  In the case that the result is a fraction of a credit, the amount of credit awarded will be rounded down to the closest whole number.  Students participating in the overseas programs arranged by Georgetown Law will receive credit for each Georgetown approved course for which they receive a passing grade.  A passing grade is defined as a grade that would be considered passing at the foreign institution. Leiden's grading scale is available here.

HOUSING

Leiden University does actively help students find housing by putting students together with housing companies that cater to students.  Leiden has a student housing office that advertises available housing and locates housing for students. 

APPLICATION TIMELINE

Deadline to submit the Georgetown Law Center Semester Abroad Application and other materials to the Office of International and Transnational Programs (OTP).	February 18, 2010
Deadline for OTP to notify applicants if applications for Leiden have been approved.	March 4, 2010
Deadline for students to submit the following additional application materials to the Office of Transnational Programs (OTP): -Copy of passport -Georgetown Law Center Transcript (copy from Student Access + will suffice) -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 the Law Center.	March 31, 2010
Deadline for Leiden to notify students if they have been admitted to the Leiden program.	April 21, 2010

Contact for admitted students:

Mrs. Sheena Bruce

Leiden University

Leiden Law School

PO Box 9520

2300 RA

Leiden, The Netherlands  

Telephone No: 011 31 (0)71 527 7821

Fax No: 011 31 (0)71 527 8790

s.bruce@law.leidenuniv.nl

Additional information regarding student visas is available here.

Click here to read reports from past participants.

The law school is accessible for individuals with disabilities with wheelchair access at the entrance via ramps and to the classrooms and library via elevators/stair lifts/self opening doors.  Also, The Netherlands has laws requiring public buildings to be handicap accessible.

Revised January 12, 2010 (SN)