Foreign Exchange Program for SLS Students
To prepare you for the world of law, SLS puts the world at your feet.
Because the practice of law today crosses all geographic boundaries, more and more SLS graduates encounter foreign legal systems or work with lawyers and clients from other countries in their practices or post-graduate work. Stanford Law’s Foreign Legal Study Program prepares you for these realities by taking you into the world: You can earn Stanford Law credit while studying at any of several leading foreign law schools.
By studying law in another country, you gain in-depth knowledge of the world’s legal systems beyond the scope of classes offered on the Stanford campus. Choose from established programs with overseas law schools or petition to study at the foreign law school of your choice.
Only overseas study gives you first-hand exposure to foreign legal cultures and the chance to earn an appreciation for the role law plays in other societies.
Benefit from real interactions with future lawyers from other legal systems — the best way to understand how they reason, argue and solve legal problems.
Study Abroad Opportunities
Choose from eight highly regarded law schools with which Stanford has already established an international program, or submit a Petition for Foreign Study to attend a law school with which Stanford does not have a foreign study arrangement.
Three Steps to Apply
1. Obtain a Faculty Advisor
Students considering studying at a foreign law school should first obtain a faculty advisor who agrees to review in advance and approve a written plan.
2. File Your Stanford Petition
After securing the approval of a faculty advisor, the student must file the Petition for Foreign Study with Foreign Law Programs Committee. For overseas study during the 2024-2025 academic year, your petition must be submitted no later than February 23, 2024 .
3. Apply for Admission to the Foreign Law School
Students must apply for admission to the foreign law school at which he or she wishes to study. Students approved for foreign study must demonstrate to the Foreign Law Programs Committee that they have been admitted to the foreign law school at the earliest possible date, and in any event before they begin study at the foreign school.
Deadlines vary from school to school. Visit the site for each partner school for more information about its application procedures. Students should confirm the relevant application deadlines with the prospective partner school.
