Combining resources and expertise, Columbia Law School, University of Paris I (Panthéon-Sorbonne) and the Institut d’Études Politiques (Sciences Po) bring you a groundbreaking new program in legal education.
Columbia Law School students earn both a JD from Columbia and a joint Certificate in Global Business Law and Governance from the faculties of law at Columbia, University of Paris I and Sciences Po – entirely within the three-year timeframe required to complete the JD program.
Join a new generation of lawyers trained from both an American common law and from a European civil law perspective. Graduates will be uniquely prepared to assume leadership roles in today’s international law firms, courts and corporations, banking and financial institutions, academia, and global governance and regulatory agencies.
Study with distinguished U.S. and European faculties on the cutting edge of research and practice.The interdisciplinary expertise of our faculty spans business law, finance and economics to corporate governance and national and global regulatory regimes. A variety of opportunities are available for students to take part in faculty research.
An integrated, English-language curriculum provides a dynamic mix of theory and practical insight. Many courses take the form of small seminars, fostering faculty-student interaction and the cross-cultural sharing of ideas.
While the curriculum may vary slightly from year to year, there are over two dozen courses to choose from during the semester at Columbia Law School encompassing most international business law courses. In consultation with their adviser, Columbia Law School students may also earn credit for supervised research, participation in international journals or moot courts and other scholarly work directly related to global business law and governance.
The semester in Paris focuses on comparative, international and European perspectives on legal issues. Past courses include Comparative Employment Discrimination Law, Comparative Labor Law, Economics in International Relations, European Contract Law, EU Competition Law, EU Institutional Law, Global Litigation and Conflicts of Laws, History of Legal Thought, Intellectual Property in a Global Perspective, International Arbitration, International Contracts, International Investment Law, Public Contracts in Legal Globalization, Tutorial Projects and WTO Case Law and Litigation.
Special workshops and other experiential learning opportunities introduce students to front-line practitioners and leaders in business and government.
Corporations (L6231) and International Law (L6269) are required to participate in the program. If a student has taken Lawyering Among Multiple Legal Orders they are exempt for the International Law requirement. Students who have not met the pre-requisites can inquire on a case-by-case basis about taking them as co-requisites.
The program participants are from all over the world. The international profile of the student body is a very enriching part of the program - the diversity of opinions and legal systems represented gives students a truly international perspective, as well as contacts with legal professionals throughout Europe.
Students complete the program as a cohort, spending the fall semester at Columbia Law School in New York City and the spring semester in Paris at Sciences Po and the University of Paris I.
The location of Sciences Po and the University of Paris I in Paris is a strategic advantage for internships and networking.Paris is headquarters to the International Court of Arbitration, UNESCO, and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.Adding to this are their close ties to French courts and law firms, the European Commission in Brussels, the WTO in Geneva and scholars from Europe’s leading law faculties.
The fall semester follows the same dates as the ordinary Columbia Law School semester while the spring semester is from early January to mid April. The spring semester is scheduled so that it does not interfere with eligibility for May graduation or the July bar examination.
Applications are accepted in the spring semester prior to the year students wish to participate in the program. As part of the application, students must submit a résumé, transcript and a statement describing their educational objectives and reasons for wishing to participate in the program. As part of the application, students must submit the name of a Columbia faculty member whom the Office of International Programs may contact with regard to the students' qualifications. In some instances, interviews may be conducted to assist in the selection process. Selections will be made upon the strength of the statement, academic record at Columbia, and faculty recommendations.
During the semester at Columbia Law School students must enroll in at least 12 credits from the menu of program courses.
Our Paris partners employ the ECTS credit system. Students are required to take 30 ECTS credits during the Paris semester and will receive 12 Columbia Law School credits upon successful completion of the program.
Requirements for Student Performance & Grading Methods
Classes are conducted as both lectures and seminars. Classroom attendance is crucial for successful completion of courses, and is mandatory for some courses and seminars.
The French grading system employs a scale of 1 to 20, with 20 being the maximum. Students must submit written reports on their course work to Columbia every four weeks (1 page per course).
Whenever possible, students' written work on examinations and papers will also be reviewed by Columbia after having been graded by the foreign institution. Acceptance of any credit or grade for any course taken in the program is subject to determination by Columbia Law School. Students will receive transcripts from the Sciences Po and the University of Paris I. The grades earned abroad will not be listed on students' Columbia transcripts; the Columbia transcript will only indicate that students have earned 12 credits under the Global Alliance program.
Participation in a global alliance program does not exempt students from any requirements for the J.D. degree (i.e. profession of law, pro bono service, etc.).
Columbia students will continue to pay Columbia tuition, health insurance, and health service fees. Other Columbia student activity fees will be waived. Students may waive health insurance fees and health service fees at Columbia if alternative coverage is obtained.
Students participating in a semester study abroad program are eligible to receive up to 7 of the 10 required academic points in international, foreign or comparative law. Students should contact the Parker School upon completion of the program to ascertain how many credits will be awarded for their foreign study.
