Studying at a law faculty outside the United States offers important benefits that are foundational for a successful 21st century legal career.

Depending on the location and program chosen, the experience can teach you another legal system, increase your second-language skills, and build your global networks. In all cases, you'll gain an international, cross-border, or comparative perspective of the law, which will help you practice in a world where legal issues increasingly transcend national boundaries.

Michigan Law offers the opportunity to study for a semester at one of our ten partner law schools or at any other law school worldwide for which individual approval has been received.

Credits earned at a law school outside the United States count toward the JD degree and are considered to be regularly scheduled class sessions at Michigan Law. All semester study abroad credits appear as satisfactory/unsatisfactory on your Michigan Law transcript. However, typically, students separately receive a detailed transcript with grades from the foreign institution to provide to employers as they wish.

In addition to the credits earned at the foreign institution, you will enroll in three credits of Independent Research at Michigan Law, under the supervision of a Michigan Law professor. These credits are graded as regular Michigan Law independent research credits and appear as such on your Michigan transcript.

When studying abroad, your financial aid packages and financial obligations to Michigan Law usually apply as if you had remained in Ann Arbor.

Semester Study Abroad Details

Semester study abroad opportunities exist for University of Michigan law students at ten universities through established exchange agreements. Additional opportunities can be created through the student-initiated option.

General Semester Study Abroad Guidelines

Application Process

All applications for study abroad during the Fall of 2024, as well as student-initiated applications for Winter 2025, are due on February 15, 2024. All applications for partner exchanges for Winter 2025 are due on July 1, 2024. All applications must include the following:

  • Statement of purpose, including specific educational objectives and professional goals to be achieved by studying abroad
  • Proposed course schedule for the term, including course titles and descriptions, professors’ names, and number of units/credits per course
  • Description of the 3-credit independent research project
  • Letter from your Michigan Law independent research supervisor confirming they have agreed to supervise your project, they deem you fit to study and represent Michigan Law abroad, and they agree with your educational or professional objectives
  • Unofficial Law School transcript (printed from Wolverine Access to PDF is acceptable)
  • Current resume

Applicants pursuing the student-initiated option must also include the following:

  • Background information on the proposed institution, including its history, reputation, and degrees offered
  • Evaluation methods of the proposed institution
  • Grading system of the proposed institution
  • Name and resume of the full time faculty at the proposed institution who has agreed to supervise the student’s program of study OR the name of an administrator who manages a formal program for visiting students

Semester Study Abroad Application

Questions?

Semester Study Abroad Opportunities

  • Amsterdam Law School (Amsterdam, the Netherlands)

    Fall or Winter Semester Available

    Michigan Law students may study public and private international law as well as European law during either the fall or winter term at the University of Amsterdam.

    Located in the heart of Amsterdam, the law school promotes an interdisciplinary approach to the study of law and integrates international law throughout its curriculum. Students will choose from master's level courses which are all taught in English.

    In addition to being the commercial capital of the Netherlands and one of the top financial centers in Europe, Amsterdam is crisscrossed by 17th century canals, decorated with narrow gabled houses and graced with some of the best art museums in the world.

    Amsterdam Law School Guidelines (pdf)

    Amsterdam Law School Fact Sheet (pdf)

    Amsterdam Law School

  • Bocconi University (Milan, Italy)

    Fall or Winter Semester Available

    Michigan Law students may study international and European business law at Bocconi University during either the fall or winter term. Students may select courses taught in English or Italian.

    Bocconi is a private and highly regarded university located in the southern part of the city. With its award-winning architecture and innovative mindset, it is well suited to Milan, the global capital of fashion and design.

    Bocconi University

  • Bucerius Law School (Hamburg, Germany)

    Fall Semester Only

    Michigan Law students may study international and comparative business law during the fall semester at Bucerius Law School in Hamburg. All courses are taught in English.

    Founded in 2000, Bucerius is a relatively new and decidedly innovative law school that strives to reform German legal education. The first private law school in Germany, and focused only on law and business, it has adopted a global curriculum that requires all its law students to be fluent in English and to study abroad for one semester.

    Hamburg is a vibrant and well-heeled port city that has been a major hub of global commerce and finance for centuries.

    Bucerius Law School Guidelines (pdf)

    Bucerius Law School Fact Sheet (pdf)

    Bucerius Law School

  • European University Institute (Florence, Italy)

    Fall Semester Only

    Michigan Law students may pursue independent research on a topic of European Union law during the fall term at the European University Institute in Florence.

    The European University Institute is a graduate institute, founded and supported by the European Union, and is the premier research institution for European Union law. While students may attend some discussion seminars, they will spend most of their time pursuing independent research projects.

    Florence, located in the heart of Tuscany, is the birthplace of the Renaissance and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is bursting with museums and art galleries, while tempting taste buds at every corner.

    European University Institute

  • Fundação Getulio Vargas Direito Rio (FGV-Rio) (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)

    Fall or Winter Semester Available

    Michigan Law students may study corporate law, public law, and regulatory law and policy during either the fall or winter term at FGV-Rio. Most courses are taught in Portuguese.

    FGV-Rio was originally founded to train Brazil’s next generation of public and private leaders with the intention of boosting the country’s socio-economic development. Today, the institution serves as both a university and a think tank to aid Brazil, the largest and wealthiest country in Latin America, as it emerges on the global stage.

    Rio de Janeiro is blessed by the mountains, the sea, and a tropical climate, encouraging outdoor activity, a street cafe culture, and a vibrant art and music scene.

    FGV Direito Rio

  • The Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies (the Graduate Institute) (Geneva, Switzerland)

    Fall or Winter Semester Available

    Michigan Law students may study the theory, policy and practice of international law during either the fall or winter term at the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva. Courses are available in English and French.

    The Graduate Institute is an independent graduate school and was the first institution in the world dedicated solely to the study of international affairs. Located in the midst of Geneva's international organizations, it attracts students and scholars from around the globe and specializes in studying the major global, international and transnational challenges facing the world today.

    Nestled between the Alps and the Jura Mountains, Geneva not only hosts more international organizations than any other city, but also serves as a global hub for diplomacy and banking.

    The Graduate Institute

  • KU Leuven (Leuven, Belgium)

    Fall or Winter Semesters Available

    Michigan Law students with a 3.0 GPA or higher may study European Union law and institutions during either the fall or winter term at KU Leuven. Courses are taught in English.

    Founded in 1425 in Flanders, the Dutch-speaking part of Belgium, KU Leuven is one of the most prestigious universities in Europe. Leuven itself is a bustling college town reminiscent of Ann Arbor, but with a Flemish flair. It is just a 25-minute train ride from Brussels, the heart of the European Community.

    KU Leuven

  • The University of Hong Kong Faculty of Law (Hong Kong, China)

    Fall or Winter Semester Available

    Michigan Law students may study various aspects of public and private law in Asia through civil and common law lenses during the fall or winter semester at the University of Hong Kong. Courses are taught in English.

    Home to the first law school in Hong Kong, the University of Hong Kong has capitalized on the "one country, two systems" principle by focusing on common law, comparative law, and the development of the Rule of Law in China. As a consequence, courses run the gamut from human rights to securities law.

    Hong Kong is a former British colony that serves today as a major port, global financial center, and meeting place of East and West.

    University of Hong Kong Faculty of Law

  • University of Nottingham School of Law (Nottingham, England, United Kingdom)

    Fall or Winter Semester Available

    Michigan Law students may study a broad range of topics from public procurement and commercial law to international criminal justice during the fall or winter semester at the University of Nottingham. Courses are taught in English. The University of Nottingham is committed to being an international hub, boasting students and alumni from over 150 countries. Enjoy a diverse, vibrant, active campus life amid extensive greenery just two miles from the bustling city center and rail links to the rest of the UK.

    University of Nottingham School of Law

  • Waseda University Law School (Tokyo, Japan)

    Fall Semester Only

    Michigan Law students may study Japanese judicial systems and legal issues during the fall term at Waseda University in Tokyo. Courses are taught in English.

    Waseda Law School's mission is to develop lawyers with a global mindset who can transcend borders to protect the weak and serve the greater good. Located on a quiet campus in the Shinjuku section of Tokyo, the school is near the city's massive government administrative complex as well as the busiest railway station in the world.

    Combining an ultramodern future with a very traditional past, Tokyo is full of contrasts. It hosts sumo championships and kabuki theater, yet has become the highest populated metropolis in the world and is home to more Fortune 500 Global Companies than any other city on the planet.

    Waseda University Law School

  • Student-initiated Semester Study Abroad

    Fall or Winter Semester Available

    If a student's academic and professional goals cannot be met through Michigan Law's existing exchanges, he or she may seek permission from the Law School to study for one semester at another law school outside the United States. Students have been approved recently to study at the following institutions:

    • Instituto Tecnologico Autonomo de Mexico (Mexico City)
    • National University of Singapore
    • School of Oriental and African Studies (London)
    • Seoul National University
    • University of Copenhagen
    • University of Toronto

    Student-initiated programs generally are not permitted in countries where Michigan Law has existing semester programs. In addition, permission typically is not granted for participation in programs offered by other U.S. law schools, in programs designed just for American students, or in programs held in countries other than the foreign institution's home country.

    Student-initiated Semester Study Abroad Guidelines

    Apply for a Student-initiated Semester Study Abroad