June, 1994
Amended June, 1996
Amended August, 1996
Amended December, 1999

I. The Program
A. The dean and faculty of the sponsoring law school shall assume full responsibility for formulating and administering the foreign summer program.

B. The academic content of the summer program must be approved by the faculty of the sponsoring school in the same manner as the curriculum of the sponsoring school’s on-campus program.

C. The academic content of the summer program must meet the same standards, including evaluation of student performance, as the on-campus program of the sponsoring school.

D. A substantial portion of the academic program must be related to the socio-legal environment of the host country or have an international or comparative focus.

E. The number of students enrolled in the program shall not exceed the number appropriate to the academic content of the program, available facilities, the number and availability of faculty members, the administrative support structure, and any special educational program goals.

F. Except as modified by these Criteria or by necessary implication, the ABA Standards for the Approval of Law Schools and adopted Interpretations thereof, Council and Accreditation Committee Policies, and Rules of Procedure shall apply to foreign summer programs.

II. Faculty and Staff
A. Program Director

1. The sponsoring law school must provide a director who will be present on site for the duration of the program.

2. Either the director or a member of the full-time faculty shall hold an academic appointment from the sponsoring law school.

3. The director may not participate concurrently in another program.

4. The director or other responsible member of the program faculty or staff shall have had some experience with the same or a similar program or possess a background that is an adequate substitute for such experience.

B. Faculty

1. There shall be at least one faculty member assigned to full-time duties with the program. This may be the same person as the director.

2. Faculty members shall possess academic credentials equivalent to those of the faculty at the sponsoring law school and shall be appointed with the approval of the faculty at the sponsoring school.

3. Full-time and adjunct faculty teaching in the program should be fluent in English, and all course components must achieve full communication between students and faculty.

C. At least one member of the full-time faculty or on-site staff must:

1. Be fluent in both English and the language of the host country, and

2. Be familiar with the country in which the program is offered.

III. Educational Program
A. Length of program

1. Foreign summer programs must provide adequate time for class preparation, reflection and intellectual maturation similar to that provided in the regular semester.

2. The sponsoring school shall not permit any student to earn more than 1.5 semester credit hours for each week of the program nor to attend more than 220 class minutes per day.

B. Credit shall be stated in terms of credit hours according to the following formula: one semester hour for each 700 minutes of class time or equivalent or one quarter hour for each 450 minutes of class time or equivalent.

C. When instruction is offered in a foreign language with an English translation, the time expended in class is not commensurate with class time spent when instruction is in English. For purposes of calculating required class minutes, classes in which a translation is needed may not count more than fifty (50) percent of actual class time expended.

D. Special requirements for awards of credit:

1. Class-hour credit may be awarded for extra-curricular lectures and field trips only when the content is academic in nature and related to the class for which the credit is awarded.

2. If credit is given for externship placements (e.g., in a law firm, government office, or corporation), then faculty supervision must be individualized and integrated with classroom work to ensure that the credit allowed is commensurate with the educational benefit to the participating student. Additionally, the program must meet the other requirements of Standard 305(d) and Interpretations thereof.

E. The sponsoring school determines whether specific prerequisites are required for enrollment in certain courses.

F. Maximum Credit for Foreign Study

1. Although a student in an ABA-approved law school may be permitted to take courses in foreign segment programs during the course of study toward the J.D. degree, the total credits in foreign segments shall not exceed one-third of the credits required for the J.D. degree at the school in which the student is regularly enrolled.

2. Granting of residency credit shall comply with the requirements of Standard 304.

G. The program shall include visits to legal institutions in the host country.

H. If course materials, including all case, statutory, and text materials needed for full understanding of the course and completion of assignments, are not self-contained, then adequate library resources must be available.

IV. Students
A. The sponsoring school determines the academic criteria for admission to the program.

B. Only students who have completed one year of full- or part-time law study, and who are in good standing at an ABA-approved or state accredited law school, and whose admission is consistent with Standard 501 may enroll in law study for credit in a foreign summer program under these Criteria. Nothing in this Criterion requires a law school to admit such students; that determination remains in the discretion of a law school.

C. Students from schools other than the sponsoring school must furnish a letter from their dean or registrar certifying their current good standing.

V. Physical Facilities
A. The program must have a staffed administrative office or other mechanism in a place that is convenient to students and through which they may communicate effectively with staff and faculty in a timely manner.

B. Faculty members should be provided with appropriate work space.

C. Classrooms must provide adequate seating with writing surfaces for students, sufficient lighting, and adequate soundproofing.

D. Equipment necessary for the teaching of scheduled courses and administration of the program must be provided.

E. If course work depends upon library facilities, then those facilities must be convenient and accessible to students during normal working hours.

F. Adequate facilities for studying must be available to students.

G. Housing

1. If housing made available by the program is significantly lower in quality, soundproofing, sanitation, or safety than housing normally used by law students in the U.S., the housing must be described and information must be provided regarding the cost of better quality housing in the same area.

2. If the program does not provide housing, information on the availability, approximate cost, and location of housing must be provided.

VI. Cancellation or Termination of Programs
A. If a program is subject to cancellation for insufficient enrollment or any other reason, the circumstances under which cancellation will occur must be disclosed in the application materials sent to prospective students.

B. The following conditions must be met:

1. For cancellation that occurs after a deposit has been paid, the program director must use his or her best efforts to make arrangements for each student enrolled to attend a similar program, if the student so desires.

2. If the program is canceled, all money advanced by the student shall be refunded within twenty (20) days after the date of cancellation.

C. State Department Advisories

1. Consular Information Sheets

a. As part of the registration materials for the program, the school shall supply the U.S. State Department Consular Information Sheet for the country(ies) in which the program will be conducted; “Areas of Instability” must be included. If the Consular Information Sheet is revised during a program to announce an “Area of Instability” in the region in which the program is being conducted, the updated information must be distributed promptly to students.

b. If the program is held in an “Area of Instability,” students must be permitted to withdraw upon learning that the site has been declared to be such an area. Students shall be refunded fees paid except for room and board payments utilized prior to the date the site was declared an “Area of Instability.”

2. Travel Warnings

a. If, prior to the commencement of a program, a U.S. State Department Travel Warning is issued for the country(ies) in which the program will be conducted, all registrants must be notified promptly of the warning and be given an opportunity to withdraw from the program. Students who withdraw shall receive a full refund of all monies advanced within twenty (20) days after withdrawal. In the event of program is canceled, students shall receive a full refund of all monies advanced within twenty (20) days after the cancellation.

b. If, during the course of a program, a U.S. State Department Travel Warning is issued for the country(ies) in which the program is being conducted, students must be notified promptly of the warning and given an opportunity to withdraw from the program. Students who withdraw must be refunded fees paid except for room and board payments utilized prior to the date of withdrawal. If the program is terminated, students shall be refunded fees paid except for room and board payments utilized prior to the date the Travel Warning is issued.

VII. Disclosures
A. The following information must be provided to each prospective registrant in writing in a timely fashion, usually in the initial announcement or brochure, but, in any event, prior to the date when the student’s deposit becomes non-refundable.

1. Dates, location(s), description of the program, and size of enrollment;

2. The nature of the relationship with the foreign institution other than the provision of facilities and minimal services;

3. The number of students who participated in the program the previous year from the sponsoring institution and the number from other schools (if the program is open to other students);

4. If the program is not limited to students from U.S. law schools, the countries likely to be represented and the expected number of students from those countries;

5. Description of each course and number of credit hours;

6. Schedule of classes with days and times for each class;

7. Requirements for student performance and grading method;

8. Enrollment limitations on any courses offered and criteria for enrollment;

9. A statement that acceptance of any credit or grade for any course taken in the program, including externships and other clinical offerings, is subject to determination by the student’s home school;

10. A statement that it is unlikely that participation in a foreign summer program may be used to accelerate graduation and that students interested in acceleration consult their home schools to review this issue in light of Standard 304, Interpretation 304-4;

11. Descriptive biographies of program director and each teacher;

12. Name, address, telephone, and fax number of an informed contact person at the sponsoring institution;

13. Complete statement of all tuition, fees, anticipated living costs, and other expected expenses;

14. Description and location of classrooms and administrative offices;

15. The extent to which the country, city, and facilities are accessible to individuals with disabilities; and

16. Circumstances under which the program is subject to cancellation, what arrangements will be made in the event of cancellation, and prior cancellations, if any.

B. If changes are made in the course offerings or other significant aspects of the program, those changes must be communicated promptly to any applicant who has paid a deposit or registered for the program, and an opportunity must be provided for that person to obtain a full refund of all monies paid.

VIII. Procedures for Approval
A. Established Programs

1. Established programs previously reviewed and approved by the Accreditation Committee will be reevaluated with a site visit every five years.

2. In the interim, monitoring of the program will be accomplished by completion of an annual questionnaire.

B. New Programs

1. A school seeking to establish a new program must submit an application in the form and at the time required by the Consultant’s Office. The application shall contain the following information regarding the impact of the program on the sponsoring school:

a. A statement of finances for the proposed program, including income and expenditures, and an assessment as to the degree to which funding for the program affects the program of the parent campus;

b. The current accreditation status of the sponsoring school; and

c. A statement of how the program relates to the academic program and mission of the sponsoring school.

2. On the basis of the written submission, the Accreditation Committee will determine whether to approve the program for its first year of operation.

3. If the Accreditation Committee grants approval, the program will be evaluated with a site visit during its first year of operation. The Accreditation Committee will then determine whether to approve the program for further operation on the basis of the site evaluation and written materials submitted by the school.

C. Approval after the first year, if granted, is effective for five years. If it is determined that a program is no longer complying with the Criteria, its approval may be withdrawn.

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