Editor’s note: This article is the first in a three-part series on law student exchanges. The second article will focus on exchanges that assist with LL.M. mobility. The third article will focus on student experiences in exchange programs, advice for LL.B. and J.D. students who want to participate, and how their exchanges have helped their careers.
In Spring 2016, I taught my first group of students at East China University of Political Science and Law (ECUPL). One of the most interesting things about the group was that many of the students were part of the extensive outbound exchange program.
Students in my Legal English for American Law Schools class were coming back from exchanges in Fall 2015 or about to embark on exchanges in Fall 2016. While I don’t recall every country, I believe students visited England, Scotland, Netherlands, Canada, and of course, the United States, among others.
One of the schools I remember my students attending was Case Western Reserve University School of Law.
Connecting on WeChat, I learned the LL.B. students enjoyed their experiences. This helped me understand how schools like CWRU Law create a positive LL.B. exchange.
This also helped me see how U.S. J.D. students could benefit from exchange programs and for law schools to utilize these programs for true internationalization.
Choosing an exchange program
Opportunities for an exchange program often depend on the LL.B. program. I tell my ECUPL students that “the world is their oyster,” given the number of schools in different countries they can attend through bilateral partnership agreements.
For LL.B. students who want to experience a U.S. legal education before committing the time, money, and energy into a J.D. or LL.M. degree, an exchange program offers an amazing opportunity. Through bilateral partnerships, a student may be able to pay home school tuition abroad and spend a semester at a U.S. law school, taking the same classes as J.D. and LL.M. students.
To get a sense of the schools CWRU Law works with, visit its Partner Schools page.
This also allows J.D. students to see opportunities to study abroad, since mutually beneficial partnerships allow student mobility in both directions.
Onboarding and integrating students
LL.B. exchange students often occupy a unique category in U.S. law schools. They are different from J.D. and LL.M. students (usually younger), so schools should have specialized support that integrates them into the larger community as they learn U.S. law.
Pegah Zardoost is the director of student services at CWRU Law and supports exchange and J.D. students.
At CWRU Law, most exchange students come from China and Europe, with integration beginning at orientation.
Director Zardoost said exchange students have parts of their orientation intersect with J.D. and LL.M. orientation.
“Our exchange students are invited to participate in all the activities offered to LL.M. students,” Zardoost said. “We find that exchange students and LL.M. students often become fast friends.”
Excursions and community building activities with LL.M. students are complemented with academic integration with the J.D. student population.
Liz Woyczynski, director of admissions and student services, global legal studies at CWRU Law, said exchange students have a fair amount of flexibility in their course load.
“Exchange students take more classes with J.D. students in their first semester than LL.M.s,” Woyczynski said. “So exchange students can make friends quickly with American J.D. students.”
Exchange programs and true internationalization
Exchange programs can deepen the ties between schools.
Unlike partnerships that focus on the more lucrative LL.M. enrollment, exchange programs allow students from both schools to spend a semester or year abroad to enhance their global legal education, preparing for an ever-increasing transnational practice of law.
For exchange programs to flourish, law schools need to have deans who see the value of these types of revenue-neutral programs.
Michael Scharf, co-dean at CWRU Law, said many J.D. students study abroad for a semester or a full year, earning a concurrent degree at the school’s 22 foreign partner law schools.
“In the last few years, J.D. students have worked or studied in Europe, Africa, Asia and South America,” Scharf said. “Many of our American J.D. students are interested in international law, and they choose to enroll at our law school because of our work and study abroad programs, opening the doors to employment opportunities around the globe after graduation.”
Additional considerations
While I believe one-semester LL.B. exchange programs are positive on every front, students who want to continue to the LL.M. should consider how this impacts the state’s bar exam.
“Exchange students are offered the opportunity to return to CWRU Law for a semester to complete an LL.M. degree,” Woyczynski said. “But they need to know that the New York Bar will not accept their classes completed as an exchange student toward qualifying for the bar exam; 24 credits are needed as an LL.M. student.”
The LL.M. add-on semester for an exchange student is perfect for those who have found a great home at their exchange school and want to continue taking courses.
This works best with two scenarios. First, students who have an eye towards the LSAT or GRE with a focus on a J.D. program and see the value in an additional semester in the U.S. and the LL.M. credential. And second, those who plan to compete for jobs in their country and see the value in having an LL.M. degree at the same time as the LL.B. to stand out in a competitive field.
