The University of Leiden is a world-class 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.

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 Masters or the Advanced Masters law programs.  Up to 6 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. In 2008, 6 students participated in this program.  

2009 Academic Calendar:

Orientation	August 27 and 28
Classes begin	August 31
Classes end	December 6
Exams end	December 23

Students will also 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 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.

Credits/Grading/Academic Programs:

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.

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, 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 who select the Master’s of Advanced Studies European and International Business Law or the Master’s of Advanced Studies 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 availability in classes outside their program might be limited due to time conflicts and course enrollment limits. 

Courses and Course Descriptions 2009:

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

• Legal Foundations of the European Union
• Law of the Internal Market
• European and International Private Law

Master's of Advanced Studies in Public International Law

Master's Programme in European Law

Master's Programme in Public International Law

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 and International 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. 

Faculty:

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 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 available at http://www.law.leiden.edu/organisation/publiclaw/publicinternationallaw/staff.jsp.

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.

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.  See www.leiden.edu/studenthousing.

Contact person for admitted students:

Mrs. Sheena Bruce

Leiden University

Leiden Law School

B.I.O., Room C001

Steenschuur 25, 2311 ES 

Leiden, The Netherlands  

Telephone No: 011 31 (0)71 527 7821

Fax No: 011 21 (0)71 527 7600

s.bruce@law.leidenuniv.nl

Estimated 2009 Expenses

BUDGET
Tuition*	$21,032
Health Insurance*	$2,025
Student Visa	$200
Airfare	$1,500
Rent and Utilities	$2,800
Books	$812
Food	$1,100
Liability Insurance	$205
Resident Permit	$703
Miscellaneous	$1,600
Local Travel	$270
Education Abroad Accident and Sickness Insurance	$140
TOTAL	$32,387

* 2008-2009 rates.  Budget will be adjusted when 2009-2010 rate is available.

Application Time Line

Deadline to submit the Georgetown Law Center Semester Abroad Application and other materials to the Office of International and Transnational Programs (OTP).	March 18
Deadline for OTP to notify applicants if applications for Leiden have been approved.	March 25
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.	April 1
Deadline for Leiden to notify students if they have been admitted to the Leiden program.	April 22

 

Click here to read reports from past participants.

 

Revised March 3, 2009 (CM)