Tag Archives: Semester Abroad

Semester Abroad and the Joint HLS-Cambridge LL.M. Program

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Harvard Law School offers several opportunities for HLS students to earn credit abroad: a joint J.D./LL.M. program in which students are able to earn both a Harvard J.D. and an LL.M. from Cambridge University in England in three-and-a-half years; a semester abroad at one of the ten foreign law schools with which HLS has an exchange program; and an independent semester abroad under the supervision of a Harvard Law School faculty member.

Join us on Monday, October 15, at noon, in Hauser 104, for an information session on these study abroad programs. Come learn more about these programs from HLS students who have studied abroad.

ILS Information Session: Spending a Semester Abroad at Sydney Law School

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Wednesday, September 12
12 p.m.
Hauser 105

Come learn about spending a semester studying abroad under the HLS exchange program with the University of Sydney Law School.  Ben Saul, Professor of International Law at Sydney, HLS exchange and LL.M. students who have studied there, and International Legal Studies staff will share first-hand experience and answer questions.

Lunch will be served.

James Brenton (JD ’12), spending a semester abroad at the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva, Switzerland

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“My exchange in Geneva has been particularly interesting because of the differences in the way that classes are conducted, and how students think about the issues raised. Classes are very participatory and discussion-based, and the material often more open-ended and theoretical than I am accustomed to. It has been a sobering experience to find that perspectives that I considered obvious may not be shared by German, Peruvian, or Chinese classmates. I have already had to change some of my opinions on issues of international law and, for those opinions that haven’t changed, I have had the great experience of needing to articulate my position in front of a room of very skeptical international students.”

Chris Yap (JD ’12), spending a semester abroad at Peking University in Beijing, China

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“I’ve spent the spring semester of my 2L year studying abroad at Peking University. Despite the plethora of resources available at HLS, certain aspects of the experience abroad simply cannot be replicated at home.  If you can see beyond the superficial, formalistic distinctions between legal systems, studying abroad can offer deep insight into real differences between approaches to studying law and perspectives on what the law is and should be. At the same time, it offers a great opportunity to examine shared undercurrents that flow between legal systems, and provides an excellent means by which to reflect upon our own legal education.”

David Attanasio (JD ’12), spending a semester abroad at la Universidad de los Andes in Bogotá, Colombia

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“While all of my classes have given me a different perspective on law, participating in a class on transitional justice has been a unique opportunity. On a weekly basis, I have the opportunity to discuss theoretical issues in transitional justice with a group of graduate students from a country struggling to design adequate policies to address recent political violence. Each member has taken a turn presenting on a topic in transitional justice, which is followed by discussion that applies those theoretical ideas to the concrete case of Colombia. Having the chance to talk about transitional justice with interested Colombian law students has deepened my understanding of how to design policy responses to concrete problems resulting from civil conflict.”