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

The Center is not just a Georgetown program abroad, but is a joint venture with premier law schools from countries around the world. Georgetown’s initial partners in the Center include Free University of Berlin, the University of Fribourg (in Switzerland), the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, King’s College London, the University of Melbourne, the National University of Singapore, the University of Sao Paulo, the University of Torino, and the University of Toronto.

Georgetown Law Professors David Cole and Nina Pillard will be the Academic Directors for the Center’s first year.

Georgetown law students in their second or third year (or fourth year part-time) may attend the Center for an intensive semester focused on transnational, international, and comparative law, and receive full credits toward their JD degree. Georgetown students are also invited to apply to attend the Center for a semester following graduation.

Each of the participating law schools will send faculty to teach at the Center. Each class will have students from a diverse set of legal and national backgrounds. Several classes will be co-taught by professors from different countries, to facilitate comparative analysis and discussion. The program will also include a core course focused on transnational legal theory, a weekly workshop featuring some of the world’s 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 in its first three years will be about 60-80 students per semester. It is anticipated that Georgetown will provide approximately 15-20 students per semester and that each of the other founding schools will provide about 7 students per semester. Additional outstanding schools will be able to send students to the 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 schools, and coordinated by Georgetown Professors Nina Pillard and David Cole. Information about the courses planned for the Fall 2008 and Spring 2009 is available at this website. International Law I is a recommended prerequisite for enrollment at the CTLS. In certain cases, courses at the Center may be mutually exclusive with courses at Georgetown.

LOCATION AND RESOURCES IN LONDON

The Center will be located in the Swan House at 37-39 High Holborn Street 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.

INSTITUTIONAL AFFILIATION

Georgetown students will be registered at the Law Center while they are at the London Center 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.

ACADEMIC CALENDAR

Each semester, classes will be held for thirteen weeks, just as at Georgetown, with an examination period in the following seven to ten days. Click here for the 2008-2009 academic calendar.

ACCOMMODATIONS

The CTLS has identified three housing options which it is making available for students: Rahere Court Flatshares, Rahere Court Studios, and Kirby Street Studios. These apartments are all owned and operated by UNITE Student Housing company in London. Please note: depending on interest, housing may be limited, so be sure to act by the deadline.

Move-in dates:

For all options, the move-in and move-out dates are as follows:

            Fall semester: On or after August 23 – On or before December 31

            Spring semester: On or after January 3 – On or before May 13

                     (Students attending both Fall and Spring semesters

                       may remain in their rooms August 23-May 13)

            Summer semester: On or after July 11 – On or before August 15

Payment of Rent:

The rent for each option is included in the details below. Rent is paid to UNITE in two installments each term:

              First payment: due 7 days before move-in date

              Second payment: due 8 weeks after move-in date

(For those students attending both Fall and Spring semesters, your Spring rent payment due dates are based on the start date of Spring semester, which is January 7.)

Please note that the payment amounts below cannot be reduced by shortening length of rental period.

HOUSING OPTIONS:

Rahere Court Flatshares

Please note: Because the CTLS schedule differs from the normal university schedule in the UK, spaces in Rahere Court will not open up until mid-September. Students signing up to live in Rahere Court Flatshares will live in studio rooms at Canto Court before moving to Rahere Court. The cost of moving will be fully covered by UNITE. Canto Court is located closer to the CTLS building, near the Old Street tube station. Click here for more info on Canto Court.

Rent includes:

   Room rent

   Broadband lite service (Full internet service, which is highly recommended, is 5 pounds/week extra)

   All utility fees

   Cleaning of common areas

   Room clean at end of tenancy period

   Cost of moving from Canto Ct. to Rahere Ct

Location: Toby Lane, near Mile End tube station

Description: Furnished 3,4 and 5 bedroom apartments with ensuite bathrooms. Laundry room in building.

Click here to view brochure

Click here for more info

Rahere Court Studios

Rent includes:

   Room rent

   Broadband lite service (Full internet service, which is highly recommended, is 5 pounds/week extra)

   All utility fees

   Cleaning of common areas

   Room clean at end of tenancy period

   Cost of moving from Canto Ct. to Rahere Ct

Location: Toby Lane, near Mile End tube station. About 20 minutes subway/tube ride to the CTLS.

Description: Furnished studio with small kitchen, bathroom. Laundry room in building.

Click here to view brochure

Click here for more info

Studio sizes vary slightly.

Kirby Street Studios

Please note: The newly constructed Kirby Street Studios are likely to be ready for occupancy by the weekend of August 23. If not, students will live in studio rooms for a short time at Canto Court before moving to Kirby Street. The cost of moving will be fully covered by UNITE. Canto Court is located near the Old Street tube station. Click here for more info on Canto Court.

Rent includes:

   Room rent

   Broadband super service incl. telephone

   All Utility fees

   Cleaning of room every two weeks

   Cleaning of common areas

   Room clean at end of tenancy period

   26” TV and TV license in room

Location: 36-43 Kirby Street, near Chancery Lane tube station. About ½ mile walk to the CTLS.

Description: Furnished studios with small kitchen, bathroom. Laundry room in building.

Click here to view brochure

Click here for more information:

Reserve your housing

If you would like to stay in the housing reserved for CTLS students, you must reserve your room by making a $500 deposit.

The deadline by which Georgetown Law/CTLS must receive your housing deposit is July 15, 2008. Please include a letter with your payment including the details below.

• Your name
• Your institution
• Your first, second and third choice housing options (list Flat Number and Room Number for Rahere Court Flatshares)

**Please only list housing options that you are willing to take. By submitting your deposit, you agree to take the option you are assigned, or else forfeit your deposit.

• Indicate if you would like to stay in a flat with only men or only women (Rahere Court Flatshares)
• Indicate if you have identified another CTLS student with whom you would like to live, and list their names (Rahere Court Flatshares. Note: flats have only one or two rooms available to CTLS students.)

When you mail your deposit, please also email Sara Montag at sem88@law.georgetown.edu letting her know it is on the way, and including the above details.

After the deadline, housing will be randomly assigned taking into account the preferences you indicate. We will email you a confirmation of the housing you have been assigned. We will also submit your name and contact information to UNITE student housing company (the landlords), and they will provide you with a tenancy agreement. Please note: If we cannot accommodate any of your indicated preferences, we will contact you immediately to discuss any remaining available options.

The deposit will be sent to UNITE to serve as the security deposit they require upon registration, and also will be refunded when students leave, provided there is no damage to the room. In the case that a student decides to find other housing or leaves CTLS early, the deposit is not refundable. 

If you do not send in a housing deposit, we will assume that you will be finding your own housing during your time in London.

Payment options:

 There are several options for making your housing deposit payment.

• Personal check (in US Dollars from US bank)
• Travelers Check (in US Dollars)
• Money Order (in US Dollars)
• Wire transfer (in US Dollars) Click here for wire transfer information.

Send check or money order to:

Student Accounts, Room 581

Attn: CTLS Housing

Georgetown University Law Center

600 New Jersey Ave. NW

Washington, DC 20001

Please include your name and GoCard number with your payment. Fax a copy of your wire transfer receipt to: Student Accounts, Attention CTLS, 202-662-4069. (Int’l code 001)

Georgetown University Law Center

Office of Student Accounts

WIRE TRANSFER INFORMATION

The following information is required to successfully transfer funds by wire:

Bank Name and Address: PNC Bank, N.A.

                                      808 17th Street, NW

                                       Washington, DC 20006

ABA Number: 031000053

Swift Code (foreign wires only):  PNCCUS33

Account Number:  5300796613

Account Name: Georgetown University Student Account Lockbox

Reference: Student Name:

Student Account Number (this is your Go Card number):

Fax a copy of your wire transfer receipt to: Student Accounts, Attention CTLS, 202-662-4069. (Int’l code 001)

Note:  The University's banks do not deduct any fees from wire payments (foreign or domestic) upon receipt.  Whatever amount is actually received by the bank is credited to the student’s account.  The University separately settles all bank service charges with its banks.  The receiving bank cannot control whether or not a fee is deducted if an intermediary bank handles the funds along the way.

CERTIFICATE

At the successful completion of a semester of study at the Center, students will receive a Certificate of Completion of Academic Study from the Center. The Center will not grant any degree, but confers credits toward the attainment of a degree at the student’s home institution.

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

Each interested student must submit an application and supporting documentation to the Office of International and Transnational Programs (OITP), Room 6024, Hotung. The following information must be submitted:

• Completed Georgetown Law Center Semester Abroad Application.
  
• Statement of interest (up to 350 words) that identifies and briefly discusses the educational goals that the student seeks to satisfy by participating in the Center for Transnational Legal Studies.
  
• Law school transcript (an unofficial copy from Student Access + will suffice)
  
• Current resume
  
• Students can apply to more than one study abroad program; however if you do this, you are required to submit a separate set of application materials for each program and must indicate your order of preference. Additional study abroad programs can be found at: http://www.law.georgetown.edu/oitp/semesterabroad.htm.
  
• The application process can be competitive and we may receive more applications than we have spots available. Some students who do not receive initial approval from any program may be selected as an alternate.

ADVISING AND COURSE SELECTION

Students who are approved to study at the Center for Transnational Legal Studies may meet with a faculty director, either Professor David Cole or Professor Nina Pillard, for counseling on course selection and other academic matters.

REQUEST COURSES

Registration for Fall semester courses begins July 1, 2008.

Click here to go to the CTLS Course Request Form online.

Click here for instructions on submitting the CTLS Course Request Form online.

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 2007 or thereafter: 85 credits for first-year students; 84 credits for students who transferred from another law school after their first year.
• Students who matriculated at the Law Center in August 2005 or August 2006: 84 credits for first-year students; 83 credits for students who transferred from another law school after their first year.
• Students who matriculated at the Law Center before August 2005: 83 credits. 53 academic credits earned at the Law Center
  
• The required first-year curriculum (to be taken at the Law Center);
  
• The upperclass legal writing requirement (to be taken at the Law Center);
  
• A course in Professional Responsibility (to be taken at the Law Center);
  
• The required time in residence;
  
• The minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.00 in Law Center courses
  
• (For questions regarding academic requirements, check the 2007-2008 Law Center Bulletin or consult with the Office of the Registrar.)
  

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 Students:
Part-time students who have completed the full first year curriculum (including Criminal Justice and the “Perspective Elective”) 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.

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). This involves taking a substantial credit load each full time semester that the student is at the Law Center. Transfer students considering pursuing this avenue should talk to an academic counselor in the Office of J.D. Academic Services.

GRADING, TRANSFER OF CREDIT, 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. Individual courses and credits taken and the grades will appear on the Georgetown transcript, but the grades will not be factored into the Georgetown GPA.

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 or one of the other Georgetown-sponsored study abroad programs.
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 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.
5. All transfers -- eve 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 required to graduate but will not count into the GPA.
7. If CTLS courses are pass/fail, they will not count against the 6-credit pass/fail limit.

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 participating schools pay their ordinary tuition to their home institutions.

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

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.

PAID AND UNPAID EMPLOYMENT WHILE OVERSEAS

Students are discouraged from pursuing employment opportunities during the semester, but might consider a London or other overseas summer job preceding or following their semester at the Center.

Students participating in the Center for Transnational Legal Studies are governed by the same limitations on work hours as they are while at Georgetown. In no event may a full-time student exceed 20 hours of employment per week during the academic year.

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.

EDUCATION ABROAD ACCIDENT AND SICKNESS INSURANCE

All students participating in overseas programs arranged by Georgetown 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. In addition to providing medical insurance coverage the ACE Plan has contracted with the travel assistance company, Europ Assistance to provide medical emergency and travel services.

All 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 universities. These accounts are accessed using your net ID. YOU SHOULD INCLUDE THIS $140.00 PAYMENT WITH YOUR CTLS HOUSING DEPOSIT.

Enrollment and Benefit Information

Description of Coverage (Updated 4/10/08 )

Frequently Asked Questions (updated 3/19/08)

VISAS

As of September 1, 2007, the U.K. Government instituted new visa requirements for foreign students.  Participants who are U.S. citizens and will be studying in the U.K. for less then 6 months and will not be taking paid employment or an internship during their stay in the U.K. will be issued a student visitor clearance upon arrival in the U.K. 

Students must present their enrollment confirmation letter from Georgetown Law (which will be emailed 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 Student Access + 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. The enrollment confirmation letter will indicate that the tuition for students from other universities has been paid by their home institutions.

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 you passport, of course) with you at all times.

Students from non-EU countries who are staying in London for more than 6 months are required to apply for a Student Visa. THis process may require up to month. Check with the British Consulate in your home country to determine the application procedure. It is likely you will need a letter from CTLS, certifying your enrollment. If this situation applies to you, please let Scott Foster (foster@law.georgetown.edu) know, and we will do our best to get you this letter as soon as possible. Students intending to work while in London will also need a visa.

PREDEPARTURE FORMS

All accepted CTLS students must submit the following forms:

Student Information Form

Health Information Form

Acknowledgement and Assumption of Risk Form

Conditions of Participation and Academic Policy

Please submit forms BY JULY 20, 2008 to the address below. If you prefer, you may fax or scan and email signed forms and submit the originals when you arrive in London.

Robert Scott Foster

Georgetown Law Center

600 New Jersey Ave, NW

Washington, DC 20001

USA

telephone: 001-202-662-9596

email: foster@law.georgetown.edu

fax: 001-202-662-9235

Questions regarding the Center for Transnational Legal Studies can be directed to Assistant Dean Scott Foster, Administrative Director, at 202-662-9596 or foster@law.georgetown.edu.