Study Abroad

Studying abroad instills a combination of theory and practice by enabling students to study a foreign legal system while living in that country at the same time. It broadens students' perspectives by training them to approach other legal systems and legal subjects from a non-U.S. perspective. Minnesota Law is proud to partner with eleven institutions around the world to provide opportunities for J.D. students to spend a semester abroad. 

All second- and third-year law students in good standing can transfer up to 15 credits towards their J.D. from one semester abroad, or a total of 29 credits over the course of a J.D. program. Students may also transfer up to six credits towards their J.D. degree from a summer study abroad experience.

Study Abroad Information Session

An information session is held in mid-November each year for current J.D. students interested in learning more about opportunities to study abroad. Specific details are included in the law council digest emails, which are sent to all students weekly.

Semester Exchange Programs

Interested students are encouraged to learn more about our semester exchange programs with eleven international universities before attending the information session. All financial aid and scholarships apply when Minnesota Law students participate in an exchange semester abroad. These opportunities are open only to Minnesota Law JD students in their second or third year.

Summer or Semester Study Abroad Through Other Law Schools

With prior permission, students can pursue summer or semester programs for foreign study offered by other ABA-accredited law schools. Many U.S. law schools now sponsor at least one program in conjunction with a foreign institution, ranging from 2-6 weeks to a full semester in length. Most summer programs focus on a substantive area of the law (e.g., environmental, business, human rights), and many attract prominent legal scholars as lecturers. All instruction is in English. Students typically earn 4-6 credits, and all coursework must be approved in advance. The costs of summer programs vary widely, as do the living accommodations. Financial aid can apply. Semester study abroad students are responsible for obtaining Minnesota Law approval for all the courses they plan to take prior to the program. Students pay tuition to the program they plan to attend and not the University of Minnesota for that semester.

Learn more on the ABA Foreign Programs web page or at nationaljurist.com, studyabroad.com and ilsa.org.

Self-Initiated Study Abroad

Students may develop their own program if they want to study abroad at an institution where neither the Law School has an exchange relationship nor the student is able to apply through another ABA-accredited law school’s program. Students identify the school and the program at which they would like to study, apply directly to and become accepted at that institution, and pay tuition to that school. Because this option is the most administratively difficult to arrange, students are encouraged to start exploring the self-initiated study abroad option at least a year in advance.