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Study Abroad

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Duke Law School recognizes that the opportunity to engage in the study of law overseas is an invaluable experience. JD students with appropriately high academic qualifications and cross-cultural adaptability can take advantage of a one-semester study abroad opportunity to develop an understanding of a foreign legal system.

Students studying abroad have the additional benefits of living and studying with students from another culture, in some cases refining their foreign-language skills, and of gaining the necessary tools for foreign law research. Students who experience law study outside the United States begin to equip themselves with the skills necessary for the challenges of transnational law practice.

Study abroad at Duke Law is done through exchange agreements. Students may choose one of the host institutions listed below, which are pre-approved by the International Studies Committee and with which Duke Law has entered into exchange agreements. Under the exchange agreements, Duke may typically send up to two students per year to a partner school, and may receive up to two students per year from the partner school. Occasionally, if there is an imbalance in the exchange, the schools may agree to send or receive additional students in a given year or to suspend the exchange agreement until balance is achieved.

JD students with sufficient French language skills may also apply during their second year for the JD/Master in Global Business Law.

Duke Law does not permit “ad hoc” study abroad at institutions with which the school does not have an exchange agreement.

Students studying abroad will pay the normal tuition and most fees to Duke Law School. Two fees specific to students who are in residence at Duke for the semester, the health fee and the recreation fee, may be waived or reversed. You may, however, be charged the equivalent fee by the partner school.

Partner Schools

Each partner school has its own distinctive characteristics and associated advantages. The majority of these programs offer courses in the English language, but many offer instruction in the local language. Some programs have a curriculum focused on the law of a specific country or region, while others concentrate in a particular academic specialization within the law. Others may include programmatic elements such as certificates of study.

When visiting partner school websites, we recommend using the Google Chrome browser for the translation feature.

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Application Window
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The deadline for Duke Law students to apply for Fall 2024 study abroad is March 1, 2024.

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Postcards from Abroad
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"Studying abroad has allowed me to learn about a legal system so distinct from the American one and given me the opportunity to analyze the cultural, historical, and political factors behind that difference. I had ample exposure to not only students and scholars there but also local practitioners. Overall, it has been a great experience and I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to experience something unique and different."

— Justin Yang, JD class 2022 
Peking University Law School, China