Admission Requirements
Admission is open to persons currently enrolled and in good standing at any law school in the world, and to graduates thereof. Graduate students and professors in international relations and international business may be accepted. Students at U.S. law schools that are not ABA-approved are eligible to apply, and will be asked to supply additional information in the admissions process. Persons from non-English speaking countries must be able to pursue instruction in English. Each applicant certifies that (s)he meets these requirements. An applicant who is currently a student at a U.S. or Canadian law school should ask the law school to send us a letter certifying that the applicant is in good standing. This letter may be sent separately from your school to our office, sent in with your deposit or faxed to us at 1-619-260-2230, attention Ms Cindy King.
Application for Admission
Application and Personal Data Sheet for admission may be made at any time. Since places are limited, application, personal data sheets, deposit amounts and the one page only signed USD Contract received after March 12 will be considered only if space is available. As past Institutes have been oversubscribed, early application is advised.
Application and Personal Data Sheet before March 12 must be accompanied by a non-refundable $200 registration fee creditable against tuition for each site and the one page only signed USD Contract. After March 12, the deposit amount goes up $200 about every 2 weeks. If you are attending 2 programs then 2 non-refundable deposits are required.
Persons requesting lodging provided by USD in Dublin or Oxford must send an additional non-refundable fee of $50 for the room deposit. (USD does not provide housing in Barcelona, Florence, London, Paris or Russia, but will help students with some information on securing housing at these sites.)
Application and Personal Data Sheet received after March 10th must be accompanied by all payments due at time of the application and the one page signed USD Contract.
So that an application and personal data sheet for any of our programs received on or before April 7th requires a $600; $1200; OR $650 or $1250 (if going to 2 programs) deposit and the one page only signed USD Contract. An application and personal data sheet for any of our programs received after April 7th but before April 29th or May 30th requires a $800; $1600; OR $850 or $1650 (if going to 2 programs) deposit and the one page only signed USD Contract. Final payment for all amounts due, are due no later than May 12 or June 16. All Registration fees, language costs and/or room deposits are refundable only if the applicant is refused admission into the Institute by USD.
If you are academically disqualified from returning to law school and you withdraw from your selected program(s), then only the Tuition amount paid will be refunded. Persons applying from outside the U.S.A. should send their initial deposit amount by bank draft, wire transfer, or international money order in United States dollars. U.S.. Persons whose full tuition amounts are received in San Diego early, may deduct the listed amounts from the total sum due for early payment. If you miss a scheduled payment, then you will not be able to take advantage of any of the early pay discounts. Click on Program Costs below for more info.
USD accepts Mastercard, Discover, and American Express credit cards (Visa credit cards are NOT accepted) to pay your costs of Tuition, and/or Housing and/or Language classes in the various sites after you have been initially signed up and paid your intitial deposit. Also, you must pay the initial non-refundable amounts through our office and NOT through USD's Student Accounts, USD's E-Pay System or Cashier's office! Thank you.
Miscellaneous
Credits and Residence
Acceptance of credit and residence required for graduation is at the discretion of each applicant's school. As each course and site meets or exceeds ABA requirements, most ABA schools will accept credit and grant appropriate residence. If your school will not, please contact Ms. King directly at 619-260-4597 phone, by fax 619-260-2230, or e-mail - cking@sandiego.edu. Denial of credit or residence frequently results from misunderstanding that can be eliminated by direct conversation between the Director and your Dean. It is unlikely that participation in a single Institute (other than Moscow) may be used to accelerate graduation. Some schools will permit two Institutes to be part of a plan to accelerate graduation. Consult your home school and ABA Standard 305, Interpretation 4.
ABA Approval
All of our programs have been approved by the Accreditation Committee of the ABA Section of Legal Education.
Facilities
Housing and other facilities in some foreign locations are below U.S. standards for handicap access, noise insulation, fire safety, lighting, comfort, or cleanliness, as they were constructed in prior eras and to more Spartan standards. Special diets, such as vegetarian, may be difficult to accommodate.
Disabilities
If you have a disability that would hinder your ability to take exams in Europe during the normal 2-4 hours of exam time, you, the student, are responsible for providing, to our office, documentation from your home school or from USD showing the amount of any extra time you need for exams or if you need a quiet room, proctored room, note takers, etc.. What we are looking for is, what exactly does your home school or USD do to accommodate your disability when taking exams. Please be aware that under no circumstances are computers allowed to be used when taking any exams in any of our Study Abroad Programs. All exams are handwritten. Nor are exams given early for any reason.
Please provide all proper paperwork to our office no later than 2 weeks after you have received your Acceptance package. We will then have to make special arrangements at your chosen site and we cannot do this at the last minute. If you wait until just before the program starts (30 days prior to the start date(s) of your program), or when you arrive at your site or shortly before exams are given, at your chosen site, USD, unfortunately, would not be able to accommodate any special requests. As we rent and pay for a certain number of rooms many months in advance at each program, going back at the last minute and asking for another room, is not feasible.
This paperwork may be either brought to or mailed to Ms Cindy King, USD, 5998 Alcala Pk LS 310, San Diego CA 92110-2492 or faxed to 1-619-260-2230, attn: Ms Cindy King.
If you are a USD student you should begin by contacting the Disability Services Specialist in Serra Hall, Room 300, 619-260-4655 or go to Disability Services to find out what the process is for your special needs. Or if you already have a registered disability on file with the law school Records office, pick up a copy or they may fax us (ext 2230) a copy of what special arrangements they have on file that are made for you when taking exams.
Persons with special requirements should discuss them with Ms King cking@sandiego.edu before registering.
Privileges
A person who successfully completes an Institute receives a Certificate of Completion (sent out in January or February) suitable for framing and may note on her or his curriculum vitae "Diploma, Paris (or London, Oxford, Dublin, Florence, Barcelona, Russia (Moscow/St Petersburg)) Institute on International and Comparative Law, University of San Diego". (S)he receives placement information on international law opportunities, the annual newsletter, and one condition for the Participants Scholarship described below under "Financial Aid" will be met. (S)he may participate in the Mentor Program.
Study and Grading
Students are expected to read and prepare material in advance, and to participate actively in class discussion led by the professor. Attendance is mandatory & will be taken by each professor. Except as otherwise indicated, all courses are graded on the basis of the final examination and class discussion under USD's grading system (1-4.33). Tutorials are graded on the papers and the students' discussion of them.
No exams are ever given in advance.
Mentor Program
The Institute introduces interested students to Institute alumni, who aid their transition from academe to the working world.
Placement
The placement facilities of the Institute are available to our participants. With more than 6,000 former participants, many of whom now have hiring responsibilities, this can be useful in seeking international law jobs.
Program Costs
In addition to the tuition and housing costs listed on each sites budgets, students should expect to pay for round trip transportation to the site. Food, entertainment, laundry, public transportation, and touristic costs should not exceed those that would be incurred by a foreign tourist in New York. Each program has it's own program costs. These costs are located under the "Budget/Expenses" drop down menu for each program.
Financial Aid
Lenders may grant federally assisted or private loans for U.S. students only for summer study with the Institute through your home school, with USD signing a Consortium Agreement. Most students find it more convenient to obtain Private loans for the summer, due to more suitable disbursement procedures (disbursement is 20 working days prior to your selected site budget dates, if going to 1 program. If going to 2 programs, then from the 1st sites budget dates), and to process those loans through their home schools first.
If your school does not do loans during the summer, then contact USD Financial Aid at (619-260-4570-phone, by fax at 619-260-2218, or by e-mail to Law Aid. for Private Loan information only. USD does not do Federal loans for non-USD students during the summer. Federal loans are disbursed 2 working days prior to your selected site actual start dates. If going to 2 programs then from the 1st sites budget dates.
Disbursement guidelines and processes, however, can differ from school to school, so please check with your own financial aid office for when funds will be released if obtaining aid through your school.
However, if your home school will not assist students, USD Financial Aid will process a Private Loan request only. For forms and information, contact Financial Aid at (619) 260-4570 or by fax at (619) 260-2218, or by e-mail to Law Aid. Forms should be submitted by April 1 to assure that funds arrive in time.
Students awaiting loans or are on a Consortium/Visiting Student Agreement must still make payments and must still adhere to the normal payment schedule as specified for their program(s). If summer is considered the first term of the following year, Stafford Loan funds received for summer will cause the fall/spring Stafford Loan to be reduced. FYI: Consortium Agreements cannot be filled out, signed and returned back to your school, until you have signed up and paid the required deposit amount or payment in full.
USD TUITION REMISSION STUDENTS
We accept USD Tuition Remission individuals. This USD program only pays for the Tuition part and not for housing or language classes. Also, depending on when a USD Tuition Remission student withdraws, there may not be refunds for housing or language classes. Please see each sites budget for refund info.
USD SCHOLARSHIP - U.S. students only
An anonymous alum has donated one scholarship to be awarded to one outstanding American student who would not otherwise be able to attend the Institute. This ONE need-based Scholarship is in the amount of $7500.
Requirements:
FULBRIGHT COMMISSION STUDENTS
In memory of Maitre Pierre Azard, co-founder of the Institute, students recommended by a bi-national Fulbright Commission and students at any foreign University co-sponsoring the Institute may receive scholarship aid equal to 50% of the tuition due.
Participants in past Institutes, who have been admitted to the bar, may audit law courses only at a cost of only 25% of the tuition listed.
Neither the Participant nor the Azard Scholarship applies to clinics or tutorials.
Applicants from Germany should apply to the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), Kennedyalle 50, 5300 Bonn 2, at least 3 months before the course begins.
U.S. School Consortium Agreements/Visiting Student Agreements
These agreements may only be certified once you are enrolled in a summer program. Much of the information requested has to do with which site(s) you will be attending, classes to be taken, and that site(s) cost. These Consortium Agreements must be sent to: Ms Cindy King, USD-LS 310, 5998 Alcala Pk, San Diego, CA 92110-2492 or faxed to her at 1-619-260-2230.
Students on a Consortium Agreement, must still make the scheduled payments as specified for their program(s). If summer is considered the first term of the following year, Stafford Loan funds received for summer will cause the fall/spring Stafford Loan to be reduced.
MCLE or CLE Credit
The Institute will request that Continuing Legal Education credit be granted for hours spent in each course from state bars with CLE requirements. Lawyers should indicate when applying if they wish CLE credit once you have submitted your Application through our web site. The University of San Diego School of Law has been approved as a provider of Minimum Continuing Legal Education credit by the State Bar of California. Each 2-credit course listed herein will qualify for MCLE credit in the amount of 23 hours of general credit; each 3-credit course, 35 hours of general credit. E-mail to lazer@sandiego.edu for more information.
Tax Deductions
A lawyer, professor, or judge who enrolls to maintain or improve skills used in the legal professions may deduct the tuition, airfare, room and 50% of meal costs under most circumstances under Treas. Regs. 1.162-5 and 1.274-4, subject to a 2% floor for employees.
Immunizations
No inoculations are required; a tetanus booster is advised. However, if you w/be staying in Russia for more than 3 months, then a current AIDS test is required.
USD LL.M. Programs
USD offers several Master of Laws (LL.M.) degrees, including one in International Law for graduates of ABA accredited law schools, an LL.M in Comparative Law for persons with a law degree from outside the U.S., and a nationally recognized LL.M. in Taxation. Good performance in a summer program abroad may be a factor favorably considered in applications for admission to LL.M. candidacy. Students who are admitted to one of the LL.M. programs may petition to begin their program abroad through the Institute with prior permission of the Assistant Dean. You may also contact Meredith D'Angelo, Graduate Programs office or call 1-619-260-4596.
Current LL.M. students
Current USD LL.M. students may elect to have Institute courses credited towards their degree with prior approval from the Graduate Programs office. Please contact Leslie Morsek, Graduate Programs Coordinator at lmorsek@sandiego.edu or (619) 260-7683 to discuss your plan of study.
Further Information
Final Information on transport, housing, climate, clothing, medicine, medical insurance, money, traveler's checks, credit cards, mail, customs, student identification cards, excursions, refunds, will be sent to applicants by end of March for Barcelona, Florence and Russia; by April 1st for Dublin, London, Oxford, and Paris.
Guarantee
Institutes are guaranteed to be held subject only to minor adjustments due to emergencies, or subject to force majeure. No minimum number of students are required. USD has never cancelled an advertised Institute.
Non-Discrimination
The Institute does not discriminate on grounds of race, color, age, ancestry, handicap, religion, sexual orientation, or national origin of students in admission to or operation of its programs.
Why USD?
There are more than one hundred overseas programs. USD's programs are chosen most because:
- outstanding faculty
- student body with substantial participation of lawyers, judges, foreign students, and from schools throughout the U.S.
- small classes
- tutorial and clinical education available
- experienced, personalized administration
- placement advantages
- mentor program
- locations in major interesting cities
- tuition includes required books and/or photocopy materials, reducing hidden extra costs.
Ahlers Center for International Business - Study Abroad Programs