Program Description Columbia Law School students who are interested in Japanese business and international law may study at Kyushu University in Fukuoka, Japan for the Spring semester while acquiring between 10 and 12 credits toward their law degree at Columbia. Students may take English language LL.M. courses focusing on international business law and Japanese law, as well as courses in Japanese offered through the undergraduate and graduate divisions of Kyushu. All classes offered through the LL.M. program are conducted in English and study materials are in English.
The Kyushu University semester study is available to students for the spring semester only (second week of April to mid-July). Students should apply in their 1L year to spend the spring of their 2L year in Japan. Students may go in the spring of their 3L year, but will not be able to take the bar exam until February.
Up to two Columbia Law School students are selected to study at Kyushu University for one semester. Applications from full-time Columbia students are accepted in early March for the following academic year. As part of the application, students must submit a resume, transcript and a statement describing their educational objectives and reasons for participating in the program. Selections are made based upon the strength of the statement, academic record at Columbia and faculty recommendations. Preference is given to individuals who have some prior knowledge of Japanese.
Most courses are conducted as seminars and class participation is strongly encouraged. The curriculum focuses on international business law from a Japanese perspective. Course descriptions can be obtained from the Kyushu University website: http://www.law.kyushu-u.ac.jp/programsinenglish/prospectivestudents.htm.
Students are required to take five courses at Kyushu to equal 10 Columbia points. In order to earn 12 points, students may take an additional course in Japanese, or write a major research paper.
Requirements for Student Performance & Grading Methods
Students may be required to submit research papers in addition to final examinations. Kyushu employs a letter grading system. Columbia grants credit only for those courses passed with a C or above. In addition, students are required to submit written reports on their course work to Columbia every four weeks. Please note that students who fail to comply with this requirement will not receive credit regardless of their grades at Kyushu University. Columbia reviews all written work and monthly reports. Acceptance of any credit or grade for any course taken in the program is subject to determination by Columbia Law School.
Participation in an exchange program or semester study abroad program does not exempt students from any requirements for the J.D. degree (i.e. pro bono service, etc.).
For students wishing to pursue an LL.M. degree in Japan, Kyushu University offers a unique opportunity to do so. Students may spend one year at Kyushu in the LL.M. program, and earn 13 credits toward their J.D. degree. Thus, both the J.D. and LL.M. degrees can be obtained in 3-1/2 years. Scholarships providing a higher monthly stipend than that described above are also available for this program, and applications are given to those students selected for the program. More information on this option can be found on Kyushu's website.
Kyushu University has reserved the right to cancel any course for reasons of insufficient student registration. Students will receive due notice to that effect. If changes are announced prior to a student's departure from the U.S., and the student is unable to identify satisfactory substitute courses, the student may choose to withdraw from the program. If cancellation occurs after the student has arrived at Kyushu University, substitute courses must be selected and submitted for approval to the Dean of International Programs and Graduate Studies of Columbia Law School.
Students participating in a semester study abroad program are eligible to receive up to 7 of the 10 academic points in international, foreign or comparative law required for Parker School recognition. Students should contact the Parker School upon completion of the program to ascertain how many credits will be awarded for their foreign study.
