Study Abroad - General Rules

General Rules

The faculty of the Law School reaffirms that study of the legal systems and cultures of other countries enhances students’ legal education. Students in good standing at the Law School may spend no more than two semesters of study at any foreign institution after successful completion of 19 hours in the Law School.

A proposed course of foreign study must be approved in advance by the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, and must comply with the ABA Criteria for Accepting Credit for Student Study at a Foreign Institution (the ABA Criteria).

Students may earn no more than 30 credit hours towards the JD degree outside the Law School. This includes credit hours from foreign institutions, other ABA-approved law schools as a visiting student, and graduate-level courses taken outside the Law School.

In order to count credit hours earned under this rule toward the JD degree, students must earn grades of the equivalent of C or higher. Credit hours will be applied towards the JD degree on a pass-fail basis, and grades earned will not be reflected in a student’s GPA or class rank.

Courses taken at a foreign institution may, in appropriate circumstances and with the approval of the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, satisfy the Perspective Course requirement. They may not satisfy the student’s Upper Division Writing Requirement or other specific graduation requirements of the School of Law.

Credit will be given only for approved academic coursework at foreign institutions, and not for foreign externships.

Ordinarily, foreign courses of study will only be approved at institutions with which the Law School has an existing working relationship or for programs hosted at other Law Schools which have already been approved by the ABA.

Student study at foreign institutions must comply with all other rules promulgated from time to time by the Law School administration for purposes of compliance with the ABA Criteria. Students must contact the University of Louisville International Center, and complete all paperwork and other requirements established by the International Center.

Grades earned in Study Abroad courses will not count toward the student’s Brandeis grade point average or graduation honors.