Study abroad in a College of Law exchange program provides an in-depth study abroad
experience, allowing you to learn more about the culture, language, history, and
inhabitants of a country or region, while helping to develop your second or third
language skills, particularly in the legal arena. In addition, the cost of tuition
is the same as at Illinois. Since only a limited number of students are accepted at
each partner school, you are advised to begin planning a semester abroad at least one
year before you would like to attend. An application
is required. The deadline for submitting your application is February 1 for Fall
semester and September 15 for Spring semester.
Under the terms of the university exchange arrangements, participants pay their
University of Illinois tuition directly to the U of I College of Law. A full course
load must be taken during the study abroad semester and up to 16 hours of credit are
accepted by Illinois in satisfaction of your J.D. degree requirements. Advance approval
must be received from the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs.
Formal exchange programs are available in Argentina,
Belgium, Germany, India, Japan, Korea, and Portugal with the
following Universities:
Hyderabad is a good location to become acquainted with India and its people. It is
located in the south central plateau and the city combines India's Hindi and Muslim cultures.
NALSAR University of Law is an institution of national eminence in the field of legal
education and research. The University provides an opportunity to explore limitless options
in the legal profession. The picturesque campus is located about 28 kms (17.5 miles) away
from the city. Visit the NALSAR website
for more information. Two students from Illinois
may study at NALSAR for one semester each year.
One of the finest and largest private universities
in Argentina, Pontificia Universidad Católica
Argentina (UCA) is located in Puerto Madero, Buenos Aires.
Since its founding in 1958, UCA has been a
pioneer in legal education, attracting leading scholars
to its faculty. Its professors, outstanding for their
academic background as well as dedication to the
legal field, are exceptionally well known in both the
private and public sectors.
UCA students must complete at least five years
of rigorous study to complete their LL.B. degree. Because
of its demanding program, graduates of UCA Law School
in Argentina are known for their excellence, responsibility,
and integrity. The UCA academic year is from February
to December and UI students generally attend from August
to November, during the UI fall semester (which is
the UCA spring semester). Examinations are held after
completion of the semester, but special arrangements
are often made for Illinois students to complete
exams within the semester time frame. All courses at
UCA are taught in Spanish and students must satisfy
the language proficiency requirement by demonstrating
language skills sufficient to undertake courses taught
in Spanish. Two students from Illinois may study
at UCA each year.
Established in 1425, Katholieke Universiteit
Leuven's law school, known as the Faculty of Law, is
the oldest in Belgium. Leuven is just 20 minutes away
from Brussels, the political capital of Europe, at the
crossroads of many cultures. The law curriculum has a
decidedly international and comparative approach and
especially focuses on European law, information and communications
technology law, intellectual property law and international
business law. Students experience the value of the close
contacts between KUL and the international legal and
business community and the European Commission, and its
proximity to the European Parliament in Strasbourg and
to the Court of Justice in Luxembourg.
Exchange students may take courses in English. The
Faculty of Law operates on the semester system. The
first semester runs from the last week of September
until the third week of December; the second semester
from the second week of February until mid May. Examinations
are held after completion of the semester, but special
arrangements are often made for Illinois students to
complete exams within the semester time frame. Two
students from Illinois may study at KUL each semester.
Visit the Friedrich-Schiller Universitat
website for more information. Jena is a university town of about 100,000 inhabitants
residing in the heart of the central Saale Valley in Germany. It is also famous
for the development of high-precision optic devices and has one of the oldest
planetariums in the world. There is a research focus in business law,
European law, and Labor and Social law at the university.
Keio Gijuku
was founded in 1858 upon a commitment
to searching for knowledge beyond Japan 's borders. This
tradition and continued commitment are reflected in Keio
Law School 's three aspirations-to be international-minded,
to be multidisciplinary, and to be pioneering. Keio offers
a varied range of courses. The four fields increasingly
in demand on the business frontline are corporate law,
financial law, international business law and intellectual
property law. Taught by instructors who are themselves
active as practitioners in these fields, students are
given the opportunity to develop a comprehensive understanding
of the functions of law in these fields through hands-on
experience of legal practice, enabling them to acquire
academic knowledge and skills that can be applied in
the real world. This is of course not the only pioneering
element of Keio Law School 's curriculum, which also
consists of advanced courses on subjects such as administrative
law, tax law, criminal law, labor law, social security
law, environmental law and medical law. Sufficient English-language
courses are available for Illinois students to take a
full load of courses in English. Two students from Illinois
may study at Keio for one semester each year.
Founded in 1882, Waseda University
is one of Japan's top private, co-educational
institutions of higher learning. Its Graduate School of Law is one of the leading
graduate schools of law in Japan, with more than 60 full-time faculty members
and over 450 students studying for either a Master's degree or a Doctoral degree
in law. Its alumni are now playing prominent roles in the academic and legal
professions, as well as in world affairs. The Graduate School of Law is organized
into three fields of study — Private Law, Public Law, and Fundamental Legal
Studies — offering a wide variety of courses in each area. Fluency or substantial ability in Japanese is necessary for Illinois students to take a full load of courses. Two students from Illinois may study at Waseda for one semester
each year.
Ewha Womans University
is the world's largest
university for women with 21,000 students, 14 colleges,
and 14 graduate schools. In 1886, Mary F. Scranton,
a Methodist missionary from Ohio, U.S., opened the
doors of Korea's first school for women in Seoul.
In the following year, Emperor Kojong named the school "Ewha", which
means "Pear Blossom". Since its founding,
Ewha has expanded women's opportunities for higher
education and contributed to the modernization of Korean
society and the improvement of women's lives
through active social participation.
Ewha Womans University's first Department of
Law was founded in 1950 and for over 50 years has produced
numerous professors, judges, lawyers, government administrators
and other legal professionals. The current College
of Law, which selects 200 new students every year,
was established in March, 1996. It has grown to be
the best College of Law for women in Korea and is ranked
in the top 6 out of 100 Korean law schools in the number
of students and graduates passing the Korean bar examination.
Ewha College of Law puts forth the utmost efforts to
produce competent professors and lawyers, who can make
great contributions to society and to the advancement
of the status of women.
The College of Law offers sufficient English language
courses for Illinois students to take a full load of
courses in English, and exchange students can choose
from courses in English and Korean. The curriculum
includes an introduction to Korean law, corporate law,
international law, international trade law, competition
law and intellectual property law. Two students from
Illinois may study at Ewha for one semester each year.
The Universidade Catolica's Law School is located
in central Lisbon, which is a vibrant, dynamic, and surprisingly
affordable European capital city. The law school was established after
the Portuguese revolution of April 1974, a time of deep
crisis for university education in Portugal. From the
beginning, the Catolica has been a highly ranked, progressive
and innovative law school. Over the past few years, it
has established exchange programs with universities
in Europe and in the United States and routinely brings to the
Lisbon campus a number of international experts in public
and private law. In the most recent ranking of Der Spiegel,
a prestigious European newspaper, the Catolica was ranked
in the top 15 of all European law schools.
The Catolica curriculum offers a number of courses in English, and the exchange
students can choose from courses in English and Portuguese. The curriculum has
an important European and international focus and includes courses on several
areas of European Union Law, Comparative Law, Business Law and Criminal Law.
The Catolica's academic year is divided into two semesters. The fall
semester runs from mid September through mid December, while the spring semester
begins in February and ends in late May. Special arrangements will be made
to ensure that U.S. exchange students can complete their examinations in time to
return to their home campus to continue their legal education. Our exchange
agreement with the Catolica provides for two student exchanges per year, for
one semester each.
