In the 2008/09 academic year, Georgetown University Law Center opened a first-of-its-kind Center for Transnational Legal Studies in the heart of London’s legal quarter. The program brings together faculty and students from over twenty of the world’s premier law schools to study transnational legal issues in a multicultural and transnational setting.

In addition to Georgetown, Founding Partners in the Center include ESADE Law School (Spain), Free University of Berlin, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, King’s College London, the National University of Singapore, UNAM (Mexico), the University of Fribourg (Switzerland), the University of Melbourne, the University of Torino and the University of Toronto. Additional Partner schools include Amsterdam Law School (The Netherlands), Bucerius (Germany), Católica Global School of Law (Portugal), College of Management Academic Studies Law School (Israel), Diego Portales University (Chile), Moscow State University, National Law School of India University, Peking University School of Transnational Law, Queen's University Belfast, Renmin University of China Law School, Tecnológico de Monterrrey (Mexico), Universidad de los Andes (Colombia), University of Auckland and Yonsei University Law School (South Korea).

Many of the participating law schools send faculty to teach at the Center. Each class will have students from a diverse set of legal and national backgrounds. Several classes are co-taught by professors from different countries, to facilitate comparative analysis and discussion. The program includes a core course focused on transnational legal theory, a weekly workshop featuring leading scholars and practitioners of international, transnational, and comparative law, and a participatory exercise to introduce students to each other and to the different perspectives that they bring to the Center.

WHY A CENTER FOR TRANSNATIONAL LEGAL STUDIES?

In the increasingly globalized economy of the 21st Century, lawyers will need to understand law transnationally, across different legal systems and cultures. As the world shrinks, the importance of transnational and international law grows. Lawyers graduating today are likely to confront legal problems and opportunities that will take them beyond the borders of their home countries.

Lawyers are already increasingly called upon to advise businesses, individuals, non-governmental entities, and governments in matters that involve parties, laws, and decision makers in two or more countries. Just as American law schools shifted from state-specific to national legal training in the mid-1900s, we now must take the next step and educate students for practice in the global legal environment.

Students at the Center for Transnational Legal Studies will gain new perspectives and understandings through a concentrated program of international, transnational, and comparative law in a truly multicultural setting, with students and faculty from many other legal systems.

STUDENT BODY

The target size for the Center is about 60-90 students per semester. It is anticipated that Georgetown will provide approximately 15-20 students per semester and that each of the Founding Partner schools will provide 5 - 7 students per semester. The other Partner schools will send students to CTLS as well.  All CTLS students must be fluent in English.

CURRICULUM

The curriculum of the CTLS has been developed under the direction of an Academic Council comprised of leading faculty from all the Founding Partner schools, and coordinated by the Center's Academic Directors. Information about the CTLS faculty and courses for the previous academic years is available from the main page. Information for the 2012-2013 academic year will be available shortly. International Law I is a recommended prerequisite for enrollment at CTLS. In certain cases, courses at the Center may be mutually exclusive with courses at students' home institutions.

LOCATION AND RESOURCES IN LONDON

The Center is located in the Swan House building at 37-39 High Holborn at the head of Chancery Lane in the heart of London's legal quarter.

A few minutes walk south on Chancery Lane, students and faculty will have privileges at the King's College Law Library.  Students will also have access to other resources including the King's College London student health services, counseling services and its sporting facilities.

ACADEMIC CALENDAR

Each semester, classes will be held for thirteen weeks with an examination period in the following seven to ten days. Classes are scheduled Monday through Friday from 9 am to 6 pm, with mini-courses held for short periods in the evenings.

Click here for the 2011-2012 academic calendar.

Click here for the 2012-2013 academic calendar.

STUDENT HOUSING

The CTLS has identified a convenient student housing option in central London. Students are offered the opportunity to stay in studio apartments with en-suite bathroom, kitchenette, telephone and high speed internet access.   There are 20 such rooms reserved on a first-come, first-served basis.   Additional rooms beyond the first 20 may be available upon request, but there is no guarantee.

Located on St. John Street, the residence is situated in the cosmopolitan area of Clerkenwell. Liberty House has excellent transport links, being walking distance to Angel, Farringdon, Barbican and Old Street tube stations. Liberty House's purpose-built design offers state of the art amenities in an independent environment. The student accommodation provides independent living with the added benefits of having onsite support. This type of accommodation offers a sociable environment whilst combining a healthy and studious place to study and live. There is a Waitrose and a Tescos supermarket just 3 minutes walk away and in just under 10 minutes one can be in the heart of The Angel Shopping Centre.

For more information about St. John's Street, please click here.

These apartments are all owned and operated by the Liberty Living for Students company in London, rated the best private halls provider on the 2010 National Student Housing Survey. 

Tenancy Dates

For the Fall 2012 semester, the tenancy period is August 18, 2012 to December 29, 2012.

For the Spring 2013 semester, the tenancy period is January 5, 2013 to May 18, 2013.

Rent

For each semester, the total rent for the period of the tenancy at the St. John Street studios is £5,025.50. Rent includes utilities and internet access. Rent is due in two installments of £2,512.75. Payment can be made directly to Liberty Living by wire transfer. Wire instructions are provided below.

For the Fall 2012 semester, the first rent installment is due August 18, 2012.

The second installment is due October 22, 2012.

For the Spring 2013 semester, the first rent installment is due January 5, 2013.

The second installment is due March 11, 2013.

Reserving housing

There are 20 rooms reserved for students each semester on a first-come, first-served basis. There may be additional rooms available upon request, but there is no guarantee. To avoid disappointment, please book your room as soon as possible.

To reserve your room, please notify Maike Kotterba-Wilson (mk639@law.georgetown.edu) as soon as possible for the Spring Semester.   You will then be directed to Liberty Living to submit your application and £200 deposit. This deposit is refundable upon vacating, less the cost of any damages.

If you do not reserve housing with Liberty Living, we will assume you will be finding your own housing in London.

CERTIFICATE

At the successful completion of a semester of study at the Center, students will receive a Certificate of Transnational Legal Studies from the Center. The Center will not grant any degree, but confers credits toward the attainment of a degree at the students' home institutions.

REQUEST COURSES

The deadline for Fall 2012 registration is June 29, 2012.

The deadline for Spring 2013 registration is November 2, 2012.

Click here to go to the CTLS Course Request Form online. (currently not available)

Some courses may ultimately have limited enrolment so prioritize your requests accordingly.

Please note that there is an Add/Drop week at the beginning of each semester, which gives students the chance to amend their schedule. The Attendance Policy does not apply during this week.

Add Drop week for Fall 2012: Sep 3 - Sep 7, 2012

Add Drop week for Spring 2013: Jan 14 - Jan 18, 2013

ADVISING AND COURSE SELECTION

Beginning June 2012, students who are approved to study at the Center for Transnational Legal Studies may confer with one of the 2012-2013 faculty directors, either Professor Roberto Caranta (roberto.caranta@unito.it) or Professor David Luban (luband@law.georgetown.edu), for counseling on course selection and other academic matters.

Please note that CTLS cannot assure EU and other students that they will obtain an internship following participation at CTLS.

ACCOMMODATIONS FOR DISABILITY

Students in the CTLS program who need accommodations for disability need to let the Executive Director Scott Foster know by June 29, 2012 for the Fall semester and by November 2, 2012 for the Spring semester. CTLS provides accommodations for all students with disabilities, including physical, psychological, and learning disabilities. Students are responsible for identifying themselves to Scott Foster in sufficient time to allow for receipt of proper documentation and coordination of services.

ACADEMIC EVALUATION SYSTEM

The Center for Transnational Legal Studies awards the grades from 5.0 (highest score) to 1.0 (failing score), in 0.5 increments. 

The grading processes for examinations are anonymous and are designed to be as fair as possible.

Please note that all in-class exams are handwritten.

Faculty members are asked to submit grades approximately four weeks after the end of an examination period. Grades will not be released for any student who has an outstanding student account balance. CTLS will not release grades over the telephone, even to the student, because of concern for students' privacy.

Once a faculty member has submitted student grades, the grade may change only upon written proof of demonstrable clerical error in the grading or grade reporting process.

CTLS will provide each student with a CTLS transcript. Each participating school will be permitted to translate or transfer the grades to its own system in the way it deems appropriate.

Directors’ List Distinction and “Best Student” in Course Prizes

Beginning with the Fall 2011 semester, the Directors’ List distinction shall be given to the top 15% of students each semester based on their cumulative grade point average for the one semester; to be given the Directors’ List distinction a student must successfully complete at least 10 credits of CTLS coursework, including any required courses.

Also, beginning with the Fall 2011 semester, the “Best Student” prize shall be given to the top student in each course as determined by the course professor(s), provided the student has successfully completed at least 10 credits of CTLS coursework, including any required courses.  

TUITION

For Georgetown Law students:

Full-time students participating in the CTLS program will pay full-time Georgetown Law Center tuition.

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

Students from other partner schools pay their ordinary tuition to their home institutions.

Special rules apply for tuition to students from other schools and independent students. Please refer to page 13 in our latest Brochure for more detailed information.

All students at the Center are responsible for the costs of housing, travel, food, books, insurance, and any other living expenses. Click here for a sample student budget for one term at the CTLS.

HEALTH AND SAFETY

Education Abroad Accident and Sickness Insurance and MEDEX Emergency Service Provider

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.

CTLS students will be automatically enrolled in this insurance and will be billed $140.00 on their Georgetown student accounts. (CTLS has created Georgetown student accounts for CTLS students from all participating schools. These accounts are accessed using the student's NetID). Payment to cover the $140 charge must be made by June 29, 2012 for Fall semester students and by November 2, 2012 for Spring semester students, by one of the following methods:

1. Complete the Credit Card Authorization form and fax to Student Accounts at (001) 202-662-4069.

2. Georgetown Students Only: Pay in person at the Office of Student Accounts (581 McDonough Hall) or online via MyAccess.

3. To wire the funds to Georgetown Law, you need to contact the Student Accounts office at (202) 662-9057.

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://studentaffairs.georgetown.edu/insurance/studyabroadcoverage.pdf (see pages 4-5)

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.

As always, students should be cautious and assume responsibility for their personal safety while traveling. While the United Kingdom benefits from generally low crime rates, incidents of pick pocketing are extremely common. For Georgetown students, more information on this subject is available at http://travel.state.gov/, each student is encouraged to register on the State Department's website at https://travelregistration.state.gov/ibrs/.

TRAVEL, PASSPORTS, AND VISAS

Participants must make their own international travel arrangements as well as those for any subsequent travel within Europe.  Many airlines and travel agencies offer attractive round-trip airfares.  For example, STA, located in most large cities, caters to the student traveler.

Passports are required for travel to London and are the responsibility of each student.  Lines at Passport Offices can be very long.  Plan ahead and get your passport early!

Students must present their enrollment confirmation letter from Georgetown Law (which will be sent to you before your departure) and be able to provide proof of a round trip ticket to customs officials upon arrival in the U.K. Some advice also suggests that students carry proof of financial support, such as a current bank statement as well as bank statements for the previous 2 months. For Georgetown Law students, we also suggest that you print off your bill from MyAccess indicating that your tuition, fees, and housing charges (if applicable) have been paid. Those of you receiving financial aid will most likely have your funds dispersed before the start of the program. Assuming that you have requested that the funds be transferred in to your bank account, your bank balance should reflect your financial aid award. In addition, if you travel during the program, you will want to keep your confirmation letter and your proof of a round trip ticket (and your passport, of course) with you at all times.

If you are a national of a country that the U.K. Border Agency defines as a visa national country (see this website), you may require prior entry clearance before you arrive in the UK, in order to enter as a student visitor. You should consult the U.K. Visa Services website here. Students in need of prior entry clearance are responsible for applying for their own visas.

Please note that under UK immigration rules, CTLS students who come into the UK as student visitors from non-EU countries are not permitted to stay in the U.K. more than six months and are not eligible to work at paid or unpaid employment, including internships.  This also applies to students who secure prior entry clearance.  

ATTENTION INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS CURRENTLY IN THE US HOLDING A NON-IMMIGRANT VISA STATUS (Such as F1 Student or J1 Student Status):  Before leaving the United States please contact Indira Dingledine, (img4@law.georgetown.edu or  (202) 662-9319), the Georgetown Law Center Visa Coordinator. There may be reentry concerns or other matters impacting your situation of which you are not aware. Please contact Indira for more information.

Georgetown University Law Center, Center for Transnational Legal Studies

Policy on Seven-Day Absence/ Failure to Arrive at U.K. Program Site

To ensure compliance with United Kingdom immigration requirements, the Georgetown University Law Center, on behalf of the Center for Transnational Legal Studies, will contact U.K. immigration authorities to inform them of any student who fails to appear at his/her program site or who leaves his/her program site for a meaningful period of time, typically seven days or more, without informing the Center for Transnational Legal Studies and/or its administrative director of his/her whereabouts.

This policy does not alter any aspect of the Center for Transnational Legal Studies' policies on student attendance and presence on-site.  As stated in the Conditions of Participation and Academic Policy, which participants of the Center for Transnational Legal Studies must read and sign, students are committed to remaining on site until the completion of all examinations; they are also expected to attend classes and tutorials, within the parameters of the CTLS attendance policy.

NOMINATIONS/STUDENT INFORMATION FORM

All students must submit the Nominations/Student Information Form (click here) by March 26, 2012 by one of the methods described on the form.

PREDEPARTURE FORMS

All accepted CTLS students must submit the following information:

• Photocopy of Domestic Health Insurance Card
• Photocopy of Passport
• Travel Itinerary
• Transcript
• Acknowledgement and Assumption of Risk
• Conditions of Participation and Academic Policy
• Student Information Supplement
• Emergency Contact and Health Information

To submit this information, students need to go to https://georgetownlaw.studioabroad.com/?go=PartnerNomineesCTLS.  When clicking on this link, students will be asked to “apply now” to create an account and enter their information.    Please note that this is just an initial step to allow students to enter the system; they are automatically accepted once they complete this step. 

Following the initial set-up, students are asked to submit the above information, which can either be uploaded or filled in online by the following dates:

Fall 2012 semester -- June 29, 2012

Spring 2013 semester -- November 2, 2012

If no access to a scanner is available to upload domestic insurance card, copy of passport ot other items as necessary, students may fax or mail the document copies to:

Scott Foster

Center for Transnational Legal Studies
37-39 High Holborn
London WC1V 6AA
United Kingdom

telephone: +44 (0)203 077 5900
email: foster@law.georgetown.edu
fax: +44 (0)203 077 5918

FOR GEORGETOWN STUDENTS

INSTITUTIONAL AFFILIATION

Georgetown students will be registered at the Law Center while they are at CTLS so that they are eligible for financial aid and other assistance, but they will also apply for and, upon acceptance, enroll at the Center.

A student may receive up to 14 Georgetown credits for a semester’s study abroad. The Georgetown transcript will show the name of the Center and the courses completed and number of credits earned, but will not indicate the grades for courses completed.

SELECTION CRITERIA

Selection will be based on the following:

• Preference will be given to students entering their third or fourth years.
  
• Demonstrated interest in international and transnational issues (i.e. previous coursework, work experience, internships, volunteer activities).
  
• Demonstrated potential for success in a semester abroad program.
  
• Defined educational objectives.

APPLICATION PROCESS

(Please note that this application process is for Georgetown Students only)

To apply, click here and select "apply now" to create an account.  If you have already created an account for another study abroad program, click here to login and start a new application.

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

Students may apply to other study abroad programs in addition to CTLS.  They must, however, submit a separate set of application materials for each program and must indicate their order of preference. The application process can be competitive, with applications outnumbering places available. Some students who do not receive initial approval from CTLS or another program may be selected as an alternate.

Note:  CTLS is viewed by its global partner schools as an “honors” program.  There is a presumptive 3.2 GPA requirement for applicants from Georgetown Law.

IMPORTANT RULES and GUIDELINES

Students who are considering applying to study at the Center for Transnational Legal Studies should remember that they must successfully complete the following academic requirements in order to receive their J.D. degree:

• Students who matriculated at the Law Center in August 2008 or thereafter: 85 credits
• The required first-year curriculum;
• The upperclass legal writing requirement
• A course in Professional Responsibility;
• The required time in residence;
• The minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.00 in Law Center courses
• A minimum of 54 academic credits earned at the Law Center.
• For questions regarding academic requirements, check the 2012-2013 Law Center Bulletin or consult with the Office of the Registrar.
  

ADDITIONAL PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS

A student who is accepted and participates in CTLS will be expected upon his or her 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.  Except for parts the student deems confidential, each report will be posted online for other interested students to read. 

ELIGIBILITY

Enrollment in the Center for Transnational Legal Studies is open to J.D. students who have completed their first year of study. Preference will be given to students entering their third year (full-time students) or fourth year (part-time students).

Part-time J.D. Students:
Part-time students who have completed the full first year curriculum (including Criminal Justice) are eligible for study at the Center for Transnational Legal Studies. An exception to the 11 credit maximum will be granted; however students will continue to be charged tuition on a per credit basis.

J.D. Transfer Students:
Transfer students must complete 54 of the required credits at the Law Center. In order to be eligible to participate in the Center for Transnational Legal Studies, 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). Credits taken at the Center for Transnational Legal Studies do count toward the 54 required credits at the Law Center.

LL.M. Students:
For degree credit, prior to earning the LL.M:

All currently enrolled LLMs, regardless of division or country of first law degree, may apply to enroll in CTLS for a semester prior to their graduation from Georgetown.

Applications will be evaluated on a routine basis and, in all cases, after giving priority to JD candidates.

If admitted, the current full time Georgetown tuition rate applies.

CTLS credits may only be applied towards the current Georgetown degree on an exceptional basis, with prior approval required with specific respect to individual courses; and number of credits.

Following Graduation:

All currently enrolled LLMs, regardless of division or country of first law degree, may apply to enroll in CTLS for the semester following their graduation from Georgetown.

Applications will be evaluated on a routine basis, but after giving priority to JD candidates.

If admitted, the current full time LL.M. tuition rate applies.

CTLS credits may only be applied towards a further Georgetown degree only with prior approval from the Office of Graduate Programs. Such approval will consider the courses the student proposes to take at CTLS and how they relate to the student's over all program of study. The approval may specify what courses and the total number of credits that can be applied towards a GU degree.

TRANSFER OF CREDIT, TRANSCRIPTS, AND PASS/FAIL

Students studying at the Center for Transnational Legal Studies will receive credit for each approved course for which they receive a passing grade.

Under the heading for the semester at which Georgetown Law students participate at the Center (e.g., Fall 2012), transcripts will show the name of the Center, the names of the courses, the grades for each course, and the total number of credits counted toward their degrees. 

Effective Fall 2012, grades from the Center will be factored into the grade point average of Georgetown Law students.

Participation in the CTLS 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.

FURTHER ACADEMIC POLICY GUIDELINES

1. Students are allowed to apply for only one semester at the CTLS.
2. Students may only transfer in up to a total of 14 credits from CTLS.
3. Students can do either a semester at the CTLS or another Georgetown-sponsored semester abroad program, but not both.
4. Students may do a non-Georgetown summer study abroad program and the CTLS, but may only transfer in a total of 14 credits. For example, if a student has already taken 4 credits at a summer study abroad program, the student could only transfer in 10 credits from the CTLS. PLEASE NOTE: Credits from the Georgetown London Summer Study Abroad Program do not count against the 14 credit limit.
5. All transfers -- evening to day and incoming transfers -- need to complete all first year requirements before they can study at the CTLS.
6. CTLS credits will count toward the 54 Georgetown credits required to graduate but will not count into the GPA.
7. CTLS courses will not count against the 7-credit pass/fail limit.

FINANCIAL AID

Students enrolled in the CTLS program 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.

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

WITHDRAWING AFTER ADMISSION

Students who accept the offer of admission to CTLS have until May 14, 2012 to withdraw without penalty.  A $350 fee will be assessed to students who withdraw after May 14.  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

Students on a student visa are not permitted to pursue employment opportunities during the semester, but might consider a London or other overseas summer job preceding or following their semester at the Center.

IMPLICATIONS FOR SUMMER OR POST-GRADUATE JOB SEARCH

Spending a semester abroad can be very 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.