Once you complete your first year of part-time or full-time law study, you can pursue a study abroad experience. Studying international law or foreign legal systems will prepare you for effective and ethical participation in the legal profession practicing in a global environment.
Summer Law Program in Madrid
Our most popular study abroad program is our Summer Law Program in Madrid, which offers six weeks of rewarding comparative and international law education in one of the most historical and culturally rich cities in the world.
In this program, you can earn up to six credit hours in courses taught by Spanish and American professors. Located on Saint Louis University’s Madrid campus, classroom instruction is in English, with the option to take a non-credit Introduction to Spanish class. You’ll also visit various Spanish courts and legal institutions.
You can easily make day trips to Toledo, Segovia, Avila and Salamanca, and if you wish to expand your travels even further, weekend trips to nearby destinations outside of Spain, such as Lisbon, Paris, Nice and Lyon, are also popular. And Morocco is next door!
Most students who take part in the Summer Law Program in Madrid choose to pursue international legal internship opportunities for the remainder of the summer after the program concludes. If that’s something you’d like to do, your SLU LAW faculty and staff will work with you to find placements compatible with your legal areas of interest.
Distinguish Yourself
1Ls today face a challenging market when looking for a law position in their first summer. There is real value in supplementing your education with a meaningful summer experience where you’ll interact with legal professionals, develop your language skills and get firsthand experience with high-level judicial institutions outside of the traditional law school classroom.
Learn Spanish
Being able to speak more than one language is very helpful to international practice. In the Madrid program, you’ll have the option to live with a host family to push yourself to work on your language skills. You’ll also have an option to take an Intro to Spanish course or a Spanish course focusing on legal terminology.
Earn Up to Six Credit Hours
By earning 6 credits in the summer, you won’t have to take the usual 15+ hour course load every remaining semester. This means you can have a slightly lighter course load or have more flexibility when choosing courses in your 2L or 3L year.
Paying Your Way
Many costs of ABA-approved study abroad programs are covered by SLU financial aid. You can work closely with the law school's assistant director of Student Financial Services & Financial Education to explore funding options.
Explore the World
SLU LAW offers several opportunities through partner institutions for you to study outside of the U.S. The cities of these institutions are listed below, along with cities where our students have recently held summer internships.
If you’re interested in studying or interning somewhere not on this list, that’s okay! You can apply to participate in any ABA-approved summer law program that is administered by another American law school. Our faculty and staff will support you in your goals each step of the way.
Aaron Reynolds, Class of 2021, says,
“Right out of the gate I was given meaningful work that was hand-picked for my interests in both sports law and international business transactions. My biggest surprise, by far, was how prepared I was to actually do the job and how much the firm let me do.”
Aaron Reynolds, Class of 2021 says, “Right out of the gate I was given meaningful work that was hand-picked for my interests in both sports law and international business transactions. My biggest surprise, by far, was how prepared I was to actually do the job and how much the firm let me do.”
Pursue Your Interests in an International Setting
Aaron Reynolds was a professional umpire before attending law school. After participating in SLU LAW's Summer Law Program in Madrid, he served as a summer associate for ECIJA DVMS, a leading law firm in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, where he handled legal matters for several baseball teams as well as Major League Baseball (MLB).
The experience exposed him to sports law, solidified his desire to pursue the international law path, and motivated him to improve his Spanish.
Codi Cox , Class of 2021, says,Notes from Abroad
"As soon as I walked in the door at Berninzon & Benavides (Lima, Peru), I was immediately welcomed and embraced for my cultural background. For the first time, I got to experience hands-on legal work and was consulted by firm partners for various foreign investment transactions."
Recent international internships have included:
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