Study Abroad and Exchange Programs

Colorado Law acknowledges the global dimensions of legal studies and practice and offers study abroad programs and support to assist our JD students prepare for an increasingly global legal market.These programs help to provide students with a greater understanding of international, transnational, and comparative law; facilitate exposure to the legal, social, political, and cultural environments of the relevant countries; and enable students to help clients and communities address the increasingly complicated legal demands of our global community and its multiple legal systems.

The types of study abroad opportunities available to our JD students include:

  • Exchange Programs
  • ABA Accredited Study Abroad Programs Open to Colorado Law Students
  • Independent Study

More information for each program type can be reviewed below.

Study Abroad Programs

Colorado Law's semester long exchange programs offer the unique opportunity to enroll as a full-time student abroad, maintain Colorado Law financial aid and scholarships, and earn a sufficient amount of in-house credits needed to remain on a path to on-time graduation. Each exchange partner was carefully vetted by both Colorado Law and CU ֲý's main campus and offer both courses aligned with Colorado Law's areas of expertise and courses generally unavailable at Colorado Law.

The current list of student exchange partners includes:

  • Bucerius Law School in Hamburg, Germany
  • Universidad Pontifica Comillas (ICADE) in Madrid, Spain
  • Melbourne Law School in Melbourne, Australia
  • Deusto Law School in Bilbao, Spain (contract pending)

Exchange Program Eligibility: Colorado Law prioritizes exchange program applicants who hope to participate in an exchange in the fall semester of the 3L year. All students are expected to have completed the entirety of the 1L coursework and, subsequently, have the academic foundations to assure the quality of their exchange program experience.

To gain access to a Colorado Law exchange program application, Colorado Law students must complete an initial study abroad advising session with the law school's Director of International Programs. To schedule your study abroad advising session, please contact Mr. Jimmy Ilseng at: jimmy.ilseng@colorado.edu

The is a fall-semester program available to law students from nearly 30 countries worldwide who have completed two years of law school and wish to broaden and extend their understanding of the forces shaping international, comparative, and domestic law. Program participants work closely with academics and experienced practitioners to gain insight into legal practice and explore current topics within German, European and transnational frameworks.

Courses: are taught in English, and students with proficient German-language skills are welcome to sit in on regular classes taught to Bucerius students in the German LLB program. The program is divided into two sessions, each session extending over six weeks, followed by an exam week. Some courses are offered for the duration of the session or term; others are offered as three- or four-week compact courses. Most courses are worth 2 credits. In these courses, experienced Bucerius and international professors, as well as legal practitioners, bring the world of German, European, and international law and legal practice to international students.

Generally, Colorado Law exchange students can anticipate the completion of 14-15 Colorado Law credits at Bucerius, as Bucerius' course credit system is based on ABA guideline. Students may select as many courses as they want but should consult with Colorado Law regarding the transfer of credits and any additional course load requirements. The acceptance of credit for any course in the program is subject to determination by Colorado Law.

To Apply: For application deadlines and to apply, click . For more information, please contact our Director of International Programs,Mr. Jimmy Ilseng.

Universidad Pontificia Comillas (ICADE) Exchange Program in Madrid, Spain

The is a fall-semester program available to law students from approximately 50 countries worldwide who wish to broaden and extend their understanding of the forces shaping international, comparative, and domestic law. Program participants work closely with academics and experienced practitioners to gain insight into legal practice and explore current topics within Spanish, European and transnational legal frameworks.

Courses: Colorado Law students have the option of enrolling in regularly offered , which include a mix of courses taught either in Spanish or English, in addition to potentially enrolling in courses in theLLM in International and European Business Law program. Program participants can exclusively enroll in courses taught in English, and Colorado Law students proficient in academic Spanish may also enroll in law courses taught using Spanish as the language of instruction.

The normative semesterly workload at Comillas is 30 ECTS credits, which usually amounts to 14-15 Colorado Law credits. The acceptance of credit for any course in the program is subject to determination by Colorado Law, and students participating in this exchange program will consult with Colorado Law's Director of International Programs regarding the transfer of credits.

To Apply:For application deadlines and to apply, click . For more information, please contact our Director of International Programs,Mr. Jimmy Ilseng.

The Melbourne Law School exchange program is unique in that it offers a true JD-to-JD exchange opportunity in a common law jurisdiction and at a . To date, MLS has just 4 exchange partners in the US and this is a rare opportunity to study at a leading global law school. Program participants can gain comparative common law perpsectives in a variety of areas, including constitutional law, contracts, IP/tech law, indigenous peoples law, energy and environmental law, and more.

NOTE: The Australian academic calendar is different than the typical US academic calendar due to its location in the Southern Hemisphere. Colorado Law students planning to participate in this "fall" program must plan to begin fall semester courses in mid-July and to complete the exchange program in mid-November.

Courses: Colorado Law students have the option of enrolling in regularly offered MLS courses including .

The normative semesterly workload at MLS is 50 Australian credits, which usually amounts to 14Colorado Law credits. The acceptance of credit for any course in the program is subject to determination by Colorado Law, and students participating in this exchange program will consult with Colorado Law's Director of International Programs regarding anticipated credit conversions.

To Apply:For application deadlines and to apply, click . For more information, please contact our Director of International Programs,Mr. Jimmy Ilseng.

For general information about study abroad at CU-ֲý, please visit the.

The Deusto Law School exchange program is Colorado Law's newest study abroad and exchange program and increases Colorado Law's presence in Spain. Located in Bilbao, this is a unique opportunity to study law in a nontraditional but beautiful and comparatively affordable Spanish location, build Legal Spanish competencies, and study Spanish, European, and international legal frameworks.

Courses: The typical, full-time schedule amounts to approximately 30 ECTS (Spanish) credits (approximately 15 Colorado Law credits). Courses both taught using English as the language of instruction and available to exchange students can be found (query "Bilbao" campus, "Law" faculty, and "English" language).

The acceptance of credit for any course in the program is subject to determination by Colorado Law, and students participating in this exchange program will consult with Colorado Law's Director of International Programs regarding the transfer of credits.

To Apply: Coming soon. For more information, please contact our Director of International Programs,Mr. Jimmy Ilseng.

The ABA maintains a running list of accredited study abroad programs open to JD students from ABA accredited law schools .

All students considering a study abroad program offered by a fellow ABA accredited law school must complete initial study abroad advising session with Colorado Law's Director of International Programs to gain credit transfer eligibility. To schedule your study abroad advising session, please contact Mr. Jimmy Ilseng at: jimmy.ilseng@colorado.edu

Occassionally, students will seek out unique opportunities for study abroad that fall outside of the more traditional law school exchange program and ABA accredited study abroad program. Usually, the context is direct enrollment at a non-US law school. If you are considering direct enrollment at a foreign law school and would like to potentially achieve transfer credit back at Colorado Law, you must first schedule a preliminary study abroad advising session with the law school's Director of International Programs. To schedule your study abroad advising session, please contact Mr. Jimmy Ilseng at: jimmy.ilseng@colorado.edu.

Colorado Law Students Abroad