II. International Programs

A. International Dual-Degree Program

Third-year J.D. students may complete a dual-degree program with the University of Paris I Pantheon – Sorbonne Law School and Sciences Po/Paris. Students who successfully complete the program earn 27 credits; two residency semesters; a French law diploma (entitling them to sit for the French bar exam); and a J.D. degree from Virginia. For questions related to the administration of the program (e.g. nomination/application process, courses, credits, grading standards), please contact @email. For questions about financial aid/tuition/fees, please contact @email. For questions related to student exchanges and careers, please contact @email. The faculty advisor for the program is the chairperson of the International Relations Committee, Professor Ruth Mason.

NOTE: Transfer students awarded two residency semesters at entrance are not eligible to participate in international dual-degree programs.

Selected students must complete four semesters at the School of Law, all graduation requirements, and a minimum of 59 credits toward their J.D. degrees before undertaking the program in Paris during their third-year of study. Selected students are responsible for complying with all requirements and procedures for foreign student travel imposed by the University’s International Studies Office, with proof of compliance transmitted to the chair of the International Relations Committee before the student departs.

NOTE: D, F, NC and U grades (or their equivalents) awarded at international dual-degree institutions earn exclusion points in the same manner as grades earned at Virginia (see section I.J.2.C).

B. International Exchange Programs

The Law School offers second- and third-year J.D. students the opportunity to apply to participate in ten international exchange programs: the University of Auckland in New Zealand; Bocconi Law School in Italy; Bucerius Law School in Germany; Hebrew University in Israel; Instituto de Empresa (IE) in Spain; the University of Melbourne in Australia; Pantheon-Paris-Assas University in France; Seoul National University in Korea; the University of Sydney in Australia; Tel Aviv University Law School in Israel; and Waseda University in Japan. Students who participate in these exchange programs will be abroad either in the fall semester of their third year or in the spring semester of their second year (Tel Aviv only). Students must take at least 12 credits in Law classes at the host school (i.e., exclusive of law-related classes in non-Law departments at the host school), and will earn one residency semester upon successful completion of such courses. Students who wish to earn additional credits may concurrently enroll in independent research projects at Virginia while on exchange.For questions related to the administration of the program (e.g. nomination/application process, courses, credits, grading standards), please contact @email. For questions about financial aid/tuition/fees, please contact @email. For questions related to student exchanges and careers, please contact @email. The faculty advisor for the program is the chairperson of the International Relations Committee, Professor Ruth Mason. NOTE: The individual course grades earned at the Exchange institution do not appear on the Virginia transcript. D, F, NC and U grades (or their equivalents) awarded at Exchange institutions earn exclusion points in the same manner as grades earned at Virginia Law if the course is part of the student’s 12-credit load. 

NOTE: Transfer students awarded two residency semesters at entrance are not eligible to participate in these international exchange programs.

Selected students are responsible for complying with all requirements and procedures for foreign student travel imposed by the University’s International Studies Office, with proof of compliance transmitted to the Student Records Office before the student departs.

C. Law Courses at Foreign Universities

Students may receive credit for law courses completed in law schools outside the United States under the following circumstances:

1) A student may petition the assistant dean for academic services and registrar for permission to receive credit for courses taken in the regular law faculty of a reputable foreign university. The petition must meet the following requirements:

a. The proposed courses must be relevant to the student’s existing or planned course of study at the University of Virginia and will complement the student’s professional education.

b. The student must show sufficient academic ability and background, including proficiency with the language of instruction, to indicate that the courses completed will advance the student’s professional education in law.

c. The university in which the courses are offered must have a substantial and well-established law program, and the courses to be completed must be part of its regular course of instruction for its degree in law.

d. The nature and reputation of the university’s law program must show that it possesses a rigor that justifies the awarding of credit. NOTE: Summer programs offered through U.S. law schools at foreign universities do not qualify under the provisions of this policy.

2) A maximum of six semester credits may be applied toward the J.D. degree; the credits earned will not count for residency purposes. Students wishing to earn more than six semester credits at a foreign university should consider Student-Initiated Study Abroad (see section II.D). D, F, NC and U grades (or their equivalents) awarded at foreign universities attended pursuant to this section earn exclusion points in the same manner as grades earned at Virginia Law (see section I.J.2.C).

3) The student must address their petition to the Curriculum Committee. The Curriculum Committee will act on the petition at its next regularly scheduled meeting. It may obtain whatever information it finds to be relevant in addition to the information contained in the student’s petition. The committee’s action is final.

4) The student will be responsible for complying with all requirements and procedures for foreign student travel imposed by the University’s International Studies Office, with proof of compliance transmitted to the Student Records Office before the student departs. 

NOTE: University policy restricts University-affiliated student travel to (or continued presence in) locations for which the U.S. State Department has issued a Travel Warning. Such warnings can be issued unexpectedly, and students should choose their destination and prepare accordingly.

Index

International Programs (continued)