Outbound Exchange Programs / Study Abroad Opportunities

Outbound Study Abroad / Foreign Exchange Programs

Our faculty-approved Study Abroad and outbound Foreign Exchange programs allow students to increase their understanding of foreign law and acquire the information, skills, and experience to work more effectively as attorneys in a global legal environment.  Most of the programs specifically offer a concentration in a specialized field of law.  Students shall follow a course of study that is consistent with the objectives of each program.

<< One-Semester Programs >>

Students may receive up to 12 credits towards their Hastings degree for courses completed during their participation in any of the following programs:

Argentina--Austral University, Buenos Aires--Latin American Law
Offered fall or spring semester during 2L or 3L years. Spanish fluency is required. Spring semester at Austral runs from March to June. Tuition is paid directly to Hastings. For more information, see www.austral.edu.ar/.

Australia--University of New South Wales--Law
Offered fall or spring semester during 2L or 3L years. Fall semester begins in July. Tuition is paid directly to Hastings. For more information, see www.law.unsw.edu.au/. 

China--Peking University Law School, Beijing--Chinese Law
Offered fall or spring semesters during 2L or 3L years. Courses are taught in English; however, some Mandarin proficiency is recommended. Tuition is paid directly to Hastings. For more information, see www.law.pku.edu.cn/llmp/En_001.asp. 

China-- Shanghai Jiao Tong University KoGuan Law School--Chinese Law
Offered fall or spring semesters during 2L or 3L years. Courses are taught in English; however, some Mandarin proficiency is recommended. Tuition is paid directly to Hastings. For more information, see law.sjtu.edu.cn/En/. 

Denmark--University of Copenhagen--European Union Law
Offered fall or spring semester during 2L or 3L years. The program is taught entirely in English and includes students from all the European Union countries. Tuition is paid directly to Hastings. For more information, see jura.ku.dk/english. 

Germany--Bucerius Law School, Hamburg--International Business Law
Offered fall semester during 2L or 3L years. Courses are taught in English; however, law courses taught in German are available to those fluent in German. Tuition is paid directly to Hastings. For more information, see www.law-school.de. 

Pending faculty approval in spring 2014, we hope to offer a one-year Master of Business Law (MBL) degree for 3L students only. Courses are taught in English with faculty from both Bucerius and WHU, one of the leading management schools in Germany. Tuition is paid to Bucerius. For more information, see Dean Paul and the website at www.bucerius.whu.edu/home.html.

Germany--Freie University, Berlin--E.U. Business Law
Offered spring semester during 2L or 3L years. Courses are taught in German; fluency is required. Tuition is paid directly to Hastings. For more information, see www.fu-berlin.de/. 

Hungary--Central European University, Budapest--Comparative Law, Human Rights and Business Law
Offered fall or spring semester during 2L or 3L years. Curriculum focuses on the study of social change and policy implications of transition to open societies. The program is taught entirely in English. Tuition is paid to CEU directly. For more information, see http://legal.ceu.hu/faculty.

Israel--Tel Aviv University--Law
Offered fall or spring semester during 2L or 3L years. Courses are taught in English. Tuition is paid directly to Hastings. For more information, see http://www.law.tau.ac.il/Eng/. 

Italy--Bocconi University, Milan--Law
Offered fall or spring semester during 2L or 3L years. Courses are taught in English. Tuition is paid directly to Hastings. For more information, see www.ir.unibocconi.eu. 

Italy--The International University College of Turin--Political Economy and Law
Offered fall or spring semester during 2L or 3L years. Courses are offered in English. Tuition is paid directly to Hastings. For more information, see www.iuctorino.it/. 

Japan--Waseda University--Japanese Law
Offered fall semester during 2L or 3L year.  Courses are offered in English.  Tuition is paid directly to Hastings.  For more information, see http://www.waseda.jp/law-school/index-e.html.

Japan--Hitotsubashi University
Pending faculty approval in spring 2014, we hope to offer a one year Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree for 3L students only at the Graduate School of International Corporate Strategy, one of Japan’s leading business schools. Tuition is paid to Hastings. For more information see Dean Paul and the website at http://www.ics.hit-u.ac.jp/about/exchange-program .

The Netherlands--Leiden University--International or E.U. Law
Offered fall or spring semester during 2L or 3L years. Leiden, the Netherlands’ oldest and most famous university, is located in the heart of Europe and only a short train ride from Amsterdam and The Hague, where the International Criminal Court and the World Court sit. The program is in English and includes students from other E.U. member countries. Tuition is paid directly to Hastings. For more information, see www.leidenuniv.nl/en/studyinleiden/sap/. 

Spain--IE (Instituto de Empresa) Law School, Madrid-- International Business Law
Offered fall or spring semester during 2L or 3L years. Courses may be taken in English or in Spanish at the law school and the business faculty. Tuition is paid directly to Hastings. For more information, see www.ie.edu. 

United Kingdom--The School of Oriental and African Studies Law Faculty at the University of London--Law and Development
Offered as a fall semester during 3L year studying comparative law and development in the developing countries.  GPA minimum requirement is 3.0.  Tuition is paid directly to SOAS. For more information, see www.soas.ac.uk. 

<< Concurrent J.D./LL.M. Degree Programs >>

With approval of the Academic Dean and International Programs Committee, a student who earns an LL.M. degree at a foreign law school through a faculty-approved program may transfer to Hastings a maximum of 24 credits from that LL.M. program (see Academic Regs. §VII. A. 2208). Hastings has two faculty-approved concurrent degree programs: SOAS and Paris II. Students must indicate intention to enroll in the full year LL.M. degree at the time of application to the exchange program, and must have completed 62 credits and four full semesters in residency at Hastings by the start of the LL.M. program. If for any reason a student is unable to complete the full-year curriculum, he/she may apply to the Associate Dean of Global Programs for permission to receive up to a maximum of 12 credits for completing a half-year of the program. However, students who do not complete the degree program are not guaranteed that they will receive any credits. Students choosing this degree option should know that due to examination dates of these LL.M. programs, their Hastings graduation and consequently certification to take the bar examination may be delayed by one semester.

France--University of Paris, II--Concurrent J.D./LL.M.--European Business Law
Offered as a one-year LL.M. degree in Public or Private European Law for 3L students only. Courses are taught in English. GPA minimum requirement is 3.0.  Tuition is paid directly to Hastings.  For more information, see http://college-europeen-paris.u-paris2.fr/13549312/1/fiche___pagelibre. 

United Kingdom--The School of Oriental and African Studies Law Faculty at the University of London--Concurrent J.D./LL.M.--Law and Development
Offered as a full-year LL.M. program for 3L students only. GPA minimum requirement is 3.0. Tuition is paid directly to SOAS. For more information, see www.soas.ac.uk. 

<< Outbound Domestic Exchange Programs >>

The Vermont Law School, Royalton, Vermont--Environmental Law
Offered fall or spring semester during 2L or 3L years. The law school is situated in a beautiful, rural New England town, and it boasts one of the top programs in environmental law in the United States. Students participating in this program may transfer up to 16 credits towards their Hastings degree. Tuition is paid directly to Hastings. For more information, see www.vermontlaw.edu/. 

Application Process

Students who are interested in any of these programs must apply to the International Programs Committee during their 1L or 2L years.  The Committee selects students based upon their personal statements, experience, academic performance, and if requested by the Global Programs, an interview.  In addition, students must have successfully completed their first-year curriculum in order to be eligible.  Except as otherwise noted above, there is no required GPA minimum for admissibility to these programs.  However, selection for participation in these programs is competitive.  In general, we have found that students with a GPA below 2.7 are unlikely to be selected.  Students should be aware that the starting dates of semesters at foreign institutions may vary significantly from those at Hastings.  Application forms are available from the Hastings website.  Upon acceptance, participants will be asked to sign an Exchange Program/Study Abroad Agreement and a release and make a non-refundable deposit of $500.  Type of financial aid available may be determined by whether tuition payments are made directly to Hastings or to the host school.  Please check with the Financial Aid Office to confirm availability.  Students are responsible for making their own arrangements for travel, including, but not limited to, obtaining necessary immigration documents including visas, carrier reservations, insurance, medical appointments, etc..

Deadline to Apply

February 1st for the following academic year's programs.