The Law Center offers a wide variety of opportunities for J.D. students, especially those entering their third year, to spend a semester or (with one program) a year living and studying in a foreign country.

The Semester Abroad program arranges for students to study abroad for a semester at the ground-breaking Center for Transnational Legal Studies (CTLS) in London or one of several outstanding law schools located elsewhere.  Students participating in one of these "official" Georgetown programs will be registered at the Law Center so that they are eligible for financial aid and other assistance, but they will also enroll and attend classes at the host program in Asia, Europe, Latin America, or the Middle East.

Students may also apply, on an "ad hoc" basis, to spend a semester enrolled directly in an unrelated overseas law program.  Participants in such programs are generally not eligible for financial assistance.  Special procedures and considerations applicable to ad hoc programs can be found here.

Students interested in studying abroad for the summer can find information on the requirements and approval process on the ad hoc study abroad webpage.

Center for Transnational Legal Studies

CTLS is a unique partnership, set in the heart of legal London, in which students and faculty drawn from around the world study complex transnational legal issues from different perspectives.  Georgetown Law students spend a semester with their global counterparts in courses taught by distinguished faculty from both common law and civil law traditions.  For more information, including special selection criteria applicable to CTLS, please see http://ctls.georgetown.edu or email Assistant Dean Adam Kolker at akolker@law.georgetown.edu.  

CTLS faculty and students are drawn from these partner schools:

 

 

Other Study Abroad Programs

Georgetown Law has agreements with several world-class institutions that allow a defined number of Georgetown students to study abroad for a semester or a year (see each program's website for the number of seats available). 

We currently offer semester long programs at Torcuato di Tella University in Buenos Aires, Argentina; Melbourne Law School in Melbourne, Australia; Tsinghua University in Beijing, China; Bucerius Law School in Hamburg, Germany; National Law School of India University in Bangalore (NLS); the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in Israel; Keio University Law School in Tokyo, Japan; the University of Leiden or the University of Amsterdam in the Netherlands; the National University of Singapore School of Law (NUS) in Singapore; Yonsei University Law School in Seoul, South Korea; and ESADE Law School in Barcelona, Spain.

The language of instruction at CTLS, Tsinghua, Leiden, Amsterdam, Bucerius, NLS in India, Hebrew University, Melbourne, and Singapore is English.  The instructional language at Torcuato and ESADE is Spanish; applicants for those schools will need to have near-fluency in Spanish.

Keio Law School and Yonsei University Law School provide courses in English as well as the national language.    Students without Japanese or Korean language ability can participate, but with fewer courses available to them.  

The courses available vary by the overseas program, but they generally include international law, international business and trade, human rights, and (in Europe) European Union subjects.  A student can receive up to a maximum of 14 Georgetown credits for a semester’s study abroad.  Course availability, credit equivalency, and course scheduling vary from program to program.  Experience has shown that students usually end up taking between 12-13 credits.  The Georgetown transcript will show the name of the foreign institution and the number of credits earned, but will not indicate the grades or courses completed.

Georgetown Law also has an agreement with Institut d’Études Politiques (Sciences Po) that allows students to particpate in a year-long global economic law degree program. The program awards a Master's in Economic Law, Global Studies specialization.  A maximum of 28 credits earned through this program will also transfer to the J.D. degree.  Some courses are in French and some in English; a high level of French language proficiency is required.

Our study abroad programs are designed to offer students a variety of opportunities in which they will be immersed in a foreign culture, studying transnational, international, and/or foreign law.  This allows students to develop international and transnational legal perspectives, and to prepare themselves for careers that will take them beyond the borders of the United States.

The deadline for Semester Abroad applications is *February 27, 2012.*  Applications received after this date will be considered on a space-available basis.

 

Semester Programs:

Argentina:

Australia:

• Melbourne Law School

China:

• Tsinghua University School of Law

Germany:

Israel:

• The Hebrew University of Jerusalem

Japan:

• Keio Law School, Tokyo

The Netherlands:

• Amsterdam Law School

Singapore:

• National University of Singapore School of Law

South Korea:

• Yonsei Law School, Seoul

Spain:

• ESADE University School of Law

Full Year Program:

France:

SELECTION CRITERIA

 Selection will be based on the following:

• There is a presumptive requirement, unless otherwise stated, that all applicants hold a GPA of 3.0 or higher

APPLICATION PROCESS

Interested students must submit an application to the Office of Transnational Programs (OTP).  All applications must be completed via OTP's online application system.  To begin, students must first select a program, and then create an account. Once you have created an account you can complete the required application materials.

Students may apply to more than one program, but a separate application must be submitted for for each program and you must also rank your applications in order of preference.  For application purposes, fall and spring enrollment at the same host school should be treated as separate programs.

The application process can be competitive and we often receive more applications than we have slots available.  If we are not able to approve a student for his or her first choice, we look at the student's alternate choices in order of preference.  We will not offer a student a seat in more than one program. 

In addition, alternates may be chosen from the applicants who were not admitted to any program.  It is possible to be selected as an alternate to more than one program.  Alternates will be asked to complete the follow up application materials that approved students complete according to the same time line.  If an approved student withdraws from the program, his/her seat will be offered to the first alternate.  If the first alternate declines the offer, the seat is offered to the second alternate and so on. 

Most programs have an additional application process that must be completed after a student is approved by the Office of Transnational Programs.  Detailed information about this process will be provided to approved students via their online account as appropriate.  Student are not guaranteed acceptance until they are approved by the host institution; however, as of January 2012, no nominated student has been denied by a partner institution. Students should not apply to the individual host schools unless they have received approval to do so from OTP.

Students who are approved for a program and accept the offer are precluded from applying to study abroad independently at another school or through another ABA approved law school's program.

FALL AND SPRING ENROLLMENT

Georgetown’s overseas partner schools have historically offered study abroad programs geared toward enrolling U.S. students during the fall semester.  As an accommodation, some of these schools have agreed to enroll our students – under limited circumstances -- during the spring semester as well. 

• Students interested in spring enrollment at the Center for Transnational Legal Studies in London, Melbourne Law School, and National University of Singapore may apply through the regular application process.
• Students interested in spring enrollment at other Georgetown partner law schools must contact Cara Morris, Director of Transnational Programs (woltemat@law.georgetown.edu) at least two weeks prior to the Semester Abroad application deadline to discuss their plans and any special limitations specific to their preferred programs.
• All students considering spring enrollment should review the “Special Considerations Regarding Spring Enrollment” section below.

Special Considerations Regarding Spring Enrollment

Students should be aware that spring semester study abroad at any Georgetown partner school may entail significant administrative issues (including those listed below) that are not applicable to fall semester study abroad.  Please consult the Office of Transnational Programs with questions.

1. Academic Calendar.   In contrast to their fall semester academic calendars, often developed with well-established study abroad programs in mind, spring semester calendars at overseas host schools may not conform to Georgetown’s own academic calendar.  Students are responsible for referring to the host school’s website and reviewing the applicable academic calendar carefully before applying for spring term study abroad.
2. Special Considerations for Graduating Students.  Students who apply to study abroad in their last semester at Georgetown Law must assume the risk that scheduling conflicts due to non-conforming academic calendars, unexpected travel requirements, and/or administrative delays at the host school may prevent them from participating in Commencement, graduating on time, and/or being able to meet bar registration deadlines. 
3. Course Offerings and Credit.  The range of courses offered to Georgetown students by host schools during the spring semester will quite often differ from those offered in the fall.  It is often impossible, moreover, to confirm which specific courses will be offered in the spring until just before the start of that term.  Students should be aware that, until specific spring semester course offerings are known, the Office of Transnational Programs is unable to confirm how many credits may be transferred back from any participating spring semester study abroad program. 
4. Housing.  The availability of housing for Georgetown students studying at overseas locations may be different in the spring and fall terms.  Students applying to study abroad during the spring semester

ADVISING AND COURSE SELECTION

Each program's schedule of classes showing the actual course offerings, as well as the day and times that courses meet for the current semester are often not available until right before the Fall semester begins.  Therefore, students are not always able to know exactly which courses they will be scheduling.  Students should contact the Office of Transnational Programs for general advice regarding courses. 

In the event that a participating student wishes to take a course not listed on the Georgetown website, or otherwise specifically approved by Georgetown, the student should email the course title, course description to woltemat@law.georgetown.edu.  Students should also provide the number of credits assigned by the host institution and/or the number of hours the course meets per week. 

In addition, each host school will also have an on-site advisor for international students. 

Students generally may not earn credit for Supervised Elective Research while studying abroad unless a Georgetown faculty member is also on-site and willing to supervise the project.  Students who study abroad may, of course, wish to take advantage of the availability of local resources to conduct independent research. With the requisite approval of the Associate Dean for the JD program, students may then use that research after returning to Washington, DC to work on a supervised research project overseen by a Law Center faculty member.  Upon submission, the final paper may satisfy the upper class legal writing requirement.

Students who are accepted and participate in these programs will be expected upon their return to submit a report of five pages or more that includes, among other items: a discussion of whether the student's goals for participating were achieved; a description and evaluation of each course taken; a description and evaluation of other important academic, cultural, and social experiences; experiences in obtaining housing; and a discussion of any other matters that the student thinks important.  OTP will review the report.  Except for parts the student deems confidential, each report will be posted online for other interested students to read. 

The student reports from Fall 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 are available at the end of their respective program pages.  Reports from 2011 will be made available as they are received.  These reports are intended to be useful and informative tools.  They are not official documents and do not necessarily convey the current official policies and procedures of Georgetown Law or host institutions.

IMPORTANT RULES and GUIDELINES

Students who are considering applying for any of the programs mentioned above should remember that they must successfully complete the following academic requirements in order to receive their J.D. degree:

• Students who matriculated at Georgetown Law in August 2008 or thereafter: 85 credits 
• Students who matriculated at Georgetown Law prior to August 2008: the credit requirement effective at Georgetown Law at the time of matriculation;
• A minimum of 54 academic credits earned at Georgetown Law; 
• The required first-year curriculum;
• The upperclass legal writing requirement;
• A course in Professional Responsibility;
• The required time in residence as outlined in the Georgetown Law Bulletin;
• The minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.00 in Georgetown Law courses. 
• For questions regarding academic requirements, check the Georgetown Law Bulletin or consult with the Office of the Registrar.
• For information on the policy governing academic and graduating honors for students who visit at other schools, see the Graduation Honors Policy for Transfer/Visitor Students in the JD Program section of the Georgetown Law Bulletin at http://www.law.georgetown.edu/registrar/bulletin/.

Eligibility

Semester abroad programs are open to Georgetown J.D. students who have completed the first year J.D. curriculum.  Preference will be given to third year J.D. students. 

Part-time J.D. Students

Part-time students who have completed the full first year curriculum (including Criminal Justice) are eligible for the Georgetown-approved semester abroad programs.  It is expected that part-time students on a semester abroad program will take a minimum of 12 credits while abroad.  (An exception to the 11 credit maximum will be granted.)  Students participating in all but the Global Economic Law program in Paris will continue their part-time status at Georgetown and will be charged on a per credit basis.  Students participating in the Global Economic Law program will pay full-time tuition for the fall and spring semester that they are enrolled in that program.  

Transfer Students

Transfer J.D. students must complete 54 credits at the Law Center.  In order to be eligible to participate in the semester abroad program, transfer students must complete the 54 Law Center credits in three full-time semesters and one summer session (the summer session may be taken at the Law Center or at the Law Center’s summer program in London).  This involves taking a substantial credit load each full time semester that the student is at the Law Center. Transfer students considering pursuing this avenue should talk to an academic counselor in the Office of J.D. Academic Services.

LL.M. Students

All currently enrolled Georgetown LL.M.s with a first law degree from a U.S. ABA-approved law school may apply to enroll for a semester at CTLS in London.  Applications will be evaluated after giving priority to J.D. candidates. 

Accepted applicants may earn up to 12 credits at CTLS to be applied to the LL.M. degree.

Other LL.M. candidates may not participate in Semester Abroad.

Grading, Transfer of Credit, Pass/Fail

Students participating in 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.  Courses must be approved by the Office of Transnational Programs in order for students to receive credit. 

In order to receive Georgetown Law credit for courses taken abroad, students cannot select to be graded at the foreign institution on a pass/fail basis if another grading option is available.

Individual courses taken and the grades received at the foreign school will not appear on the Georgetown transcript and the grades will not be factored into the Georgetown GPA.  The Georgetown transcript will reflect the number of credits earned and the name of the host institution.  Students can obtain transcripts with courses and grades from the host institution.     

Acceptance of any credit or grade for any course taken is subject to determination by Georgetown Law.  Credits earned at a Foreign Institution are calculated with reference to the ABA’s standard class minute formula (700 minutes of class time per one credit hour), but also with reference to other factors including the foreign school’s representation of what constitutes a “full course load”. Because curriculum structures in other countries differ from the U.S. system, it is necessary for the Office of Transnational Programs to make individual determinations for each program regarding credit equivalency. 

Participation in an overseas program will not affect a student’s ability to take courses offered at the Law Center on a pass/fail basis.  This rule is subject to change in later academic years.

In order to receive credit for time abroad, students are required to submit all course syllabi and papers, as well as write a report of five or more pages. (See description above under Advising and Course Selection.)

Students can earn no more than a total of 14 credits from study abroad.  Students may do a non-Georgetown summer study abroad program and a Georgetown-sponsored study abroad program, but may only earn a total of 14 credits. For example, if a student has already taken 4 credits at a non-Georgetown summer study abroad program, the student could only transfer in 10 credits from a Georgetown-sponsored semester abroad program.   PLEASE NOTE: Credits from the Georgetown London Summer Study Abroad Program do not count against the 14 credit limit.

On-line Program Reviews

Student Reveiews from Fall 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2009 are available at the end of their respective program pages.  Reports from 2010 will be made available as they are received.  These reports are intended to be useful and informative tools.  They are not official documents and do not necessarily convey the current official policies and procedures of Georgetown Law or host institutions.

REQUIRED INFORMATION SESSION

All students approved to study abroad will be required to attend a pre-departure information session on Wednesday,

April 18, 2012 (location TBD). 

Tuition

Full-time students participating in Georgetown’s semester abroad program will pay full-time Georgetown Law Center tuition for the semester that they visit abroad.

Part-time students participating in these programs will pay Law Center tuition and will be charged by the credit hour.

Students enrolled in the full-year Master’s in Economic Law Program in Paris will be charged full-time Law Center tuition for both the fall and spring semester that they are studying in Paris. 

Financial Aid   

Students enrolled in Georgetown-arranged overseas programs who want to apply for financial aid should follow the regular financial aid application deadlines and requirements.  With the exception of Federal Work-Study (FWS), participants are eligible to apply for financial aid through all the programs offered to students enrolled at the Law Center.  (Federal regulations do not allow use of FWS funds overseas.)  Each program has its own student living expense budget, which will vary from the standard on-campus budget to reflect local costs and program-specific expenses.  In many instances, the budget is lower than that for on-campus students.  An estimated budget for the prior year is posted on each program’s website.  Estimated budgets for the 2012-2013 year will be posted in the Spring of 2012.

Students should be aware that, pursuant to federal regulations, federal loans may not be disbursed more than 10 calendar days prior to the actual start date of classes. Therefore, for example, if classes at the foreign institution do not start until October 20, financial aid funds will post to the borrower’s student account no sooner than October 10. 

If a student enrolls in a short course at the Law Center that concludes before their study-abroad program begins, or registers for and engages in a supervised research project, the start date of Law Center classes may apply for aid purposes.  Students interested in short courses or supervised research should contact Adam Kolker for additional information prior to applying and should notify the Financial Aid Office after such arrangement is approved.  Please note the regulations require that the timing limitations be based on the start of classes, not orientation programs or other pre-class activities, even if required by the institution.  Students should plan accordingly.

The same deadlines and application procedures for renewal of aid funds should be followed as if the student were attending classes at the Law Center.

Note that students who have a final semester to complete their J.D. degree after the year-long program in France attend their final semester at the Law Center tuition-free.  Students are still eligible for federal loan assistance to cover living expenses only if they are enrolled in six or more credits.

Withdrawing After Admission

A $350 fee will be assessed to students who withdraw after May 14, 2012. Exceptions can be made for extenuating circumstances.  Students who withdraw for a medical condition or other emergency will be excused from paying this fee if they can provide adequate documentation of the medical condition or other emergency that makes attendance impossible.

Paid and Unpaid Employment While Overseas

It is our hope that students, when not in class or studying, will spend their time pursuing the cultural and social offerings of the host city.  Students who are considering pursuing employment opportunities while studying abroad are encouraged to do so only when such opportunities will provide significant educational benefits.  Visa limitations may also apply.

Students participating in semester abroad are governed by the same limitations on work hours as they are while at Georgetown.  In no event may a full-time student exceed 20 hours of employment per week during the academic year.

Implications for Summer or Post-graduate Job Search

Spending a semester abroad can be beneficial to your overall career goals.  However, it may also have implications for the timing of your job search.  For example, the application and interview process for many judicial clerkships, government honor programs, and public interest fellowships occur during the fall of the final year of law school.  In addition, students who wish to re-interview with large law firms during their last year should also be aware that interviews typically occur during the fall.  If you have questions or concerns about this, please make an appointment with Gihan Fernando, Assistant Dean, Office of Career Services, or Barbara Moulton, Assistant Dean, Office of Public Interest and Community Service.  We also encourage you to meet with an OCS or OPICS advisor to discuss how going abroad fits within your overall career plans.

Visas

Each student is responsible for applying for and obtaining his or her own visa.  Upon admission to a program, students should review the Entry/Exit Requirements of the Country Specific Information on the U.S. State Department's travel website http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1765.html.  Students should pay particular attention to the estimated processing time for visas and plan accordingly.

ATTENTION INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS: Study abroad may have an impact on the U.S. status of students who do not hold a U.S. passport. Before proceeding with an application, please consult with Indira Dingledine (img4@law.georgetown.edu or 202-662-9319), the Georgetown Law Center Visa Coordinator.

Education Abroad Accident and Sickness Insurance and MEDEX Emergency Service Provider

(2012 Information Coming Soon)

All students participating in study abroad or other overseas opportunities arranged by Georgetown University are required to have overseas medical coverage and travel emergency assistance benefits. The University provides this coverage through the Georgetown University Education Abroad Accident and Sickness Insurance Plan underwritten by ACE American Insurance Company. Students should follow the links provided below for specific information. The cost of the insurance will be billed to the each student's account.

The 2011 fee for the plan is $70 for any part of the following trimesters:

• 2011: May, June, July, August
• 2011: September, October, November, December
• 2012: January, February, March, April

2012 fees will be updated during the Spring 2012 semester.

Enrollment, Benefit, Cost Information

Description of Coverage

Frequently Asked Questions

The plan also includes emergency medical assistance benefits through MEDEX.

Services available through MEDEX include:

Translation

Provider referral

Emergency medical evacuation

Trip interruption and reunion services

For a complete list of services provided by MEDEX see:

http://www12.georgetown.edu/student-affairs/insurance/studyabroadcoverage.pdf

(see pages 4-6)

International SOS Travel Assistance

As mentioned above, Students enrolled in the Education Abroad Accident and Sickness Insurance rely on MEDEX for medical evacuation and other medical emergency services. Other travel services are provided by International SOS at no additional cost. These services include:

Security Evacuation Services

Online tracking of personal travel itineraries

Online travel health reports

Automated security email alerts

Referrals to clinics practicing western medicine

Contact information for ISOS is provided with your Education Abroad student health insurance card.

Before students depart they should register on the ISOS website and read over the information provided at: http://www1.georgetown.edu/svp/rm/services/international/36899.html.

Cancellation

Programs are subject to cancellation in case of unforeseen international events that could substantially inhibit operations at the host institution or that could seriously compromise student safety.

Pre-departure Information for 2011-2012 Confirmed Students

Questions regarding the Semester Abroad Program can be directed to Cara Morris, Director of Transnational Programs, at 202-662-9860 or woltemat@law.georgetown.edu or Mariah Strauch-Nelson, Program Manager, at 202-662-4057 or mjs257@law.georgetown.edu.