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home | study, work, & travel | work abroad | options | law LawAuthors: Benjamin McDonough and Jennifer Buege,
Options for Legal Study AbroadIt is strongly recommended that you begin your search at the law school's Center for International and Comparative Law (CICL), and with its publication Student Guide to International Programs. The center is run under the direction of the Assistant Dean of International Programs. It is located in the Reading Room of the law library. Make an appointment to meet the Assistant Dean of International Programs or consult the center's international resources. The Reading Room information desk can assist you with finding the center. 300D Legal Research Through the Michigan Law School, semester study abroad opportunities exist for U of M law students at the University of Leiden, the University of Paris II, the University College London, the Katholieke University in Leuven and the University of Freiburg. Students may also propose a student-initiated semester study program at law faculties of foreign universities. For students interested in creating their own program, the CILC has information and brochures on numerous law schools around the world. That office also has listings and information on ABA approved summer study programs. Options for Law-related Internships and Professional PositionsStudents interested in learning more about professional international legal opportunities and internships should visit the Career Services Office, located in 208 Hutchins Hall in the Law School. It has a small selection of books and materials listing international law firms, international organizations that hire law students, and ideas for gaining international work experience. Additionally, the office maintains a binder listing international legal opportunities, mostly from foreign firms looking for American law students. For information about internships (international and domestic) with the U.S. government, ask for assistance at Career Services, the Public Service Office, and see the handout International Careers and Internships in U.S. Government Foreign Affairs. Copies are available at the Overseas Opportunities Office, located in the U-M International Center. For information about professional and internship positions with international organizations in Geneva, ask for assistance at the CILC and see the handout Working at International Organizations in Geneva, also available at the Education Abroad Office. Additionally, every year the law school, through Prof. Bruno Simma, provides three Michigan law students with an opportunity to spend a summer working with him at the International Law Commission (ILC) of the United Nations in Geneva. Student participants research international legal issues on the agenda of the ILC, such as state responsibility, reservations to multilateral treaties, and diplomatic protection. At a minimum, the students should have taken the course, International Law, before participating and have an interest in international legal issues. Currently, the law school provides a $5000 stipend for each student chosen to participate to help cover costs. Besides this program, the law school has established externship opportunities through the South African Program (working in NGOs and in agencies within the South African government. The law school has also established the Program for Cambodian Law & Development. In Ann Arbor, students work on legal research programs solicited by the Cambodian government and NGOs and also have the opportunity to participate in an internship in Cambodia over the summer. These programs and others are described in detail in the CILC's Student Guide to International Programs. Students may be interested in the document “Opportunities with International Tribunals and Foreign Courts”, published by Yale Law School, which concerns clerkship opportunities abroad. Interested students should look for program information in the fall, or contact Dean Virginia Gordan (vgordan@umich.edu), Assistant Dean of International Programs. Finally, the Education Abroad Office at U-M International Center has the following books on international legal careers or internships available overnight:
Funding SourcesFurther information on funding sources for international research, study and work opportunities can be found in the Financial Resources section of the Education Abroad Office at U-M International Center. The following is a brief list of possible funding programs for law students:
Internet Resources for Legal Study Abroad and International Internship Sites
Internet Legal Research Sites
Written by Benjamin McDonough and Jennifer Buege Last reviewed: 10/08 |
