Summer Institute for International Law & Policy

Scenes from Utrecht, the Netherlands; middle - students from the 2005 Summer Institute pose with Professor Michael Scharf

Now in its eighth year, Washington University School of Law and Case Western Reserve University School of Law are pleased to jointly offer an exciting opportunity to study international and comparative law during the summer at Utrecht University in The Netherlands—home of many of the world’s most important international institutions.

Utrecht, founded by the Romans in 47 AD, has been a university town for centuries. Widely perceived as the most enjoyable and beautiful of Dutch cities, Utrecht has a lively medieval charm, featuring majestic cathedrals, cobblestone-paved pedestrian streets, and a series of winding canals, all of which date to the Middle Ages. The famed canal banks are lined with restaurants, bars, and night clubs, behind which rise magnificent homes built in the 16th and 17th centuries. With its pleasant summer climate and English as the prevalent second language, Utrecht is an ideal place for American students to study abroad.

Sir Christopher Greenwood, CMG, QC, a member of the International Court of Justice,speaks with students during our field trip to the PeacePalace in The Hague.
Sir Christopher Greenwood, CMG, QC, a
member of the International Court of Justice,
speaks with students during our field trip to
the PeacePalace in The Hague.

Most importantly, Utrecht is a short (30-min.) train ride from The Hague, headquarters of the International Court of Justice, the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, the Appeals Chamber of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, the International Criminal Court, and the Permanent Court of Arbitration. It is also just a two-hour ride from Brussels, headquarters of NATO and the Council of the European Union. The Summer Institute features field trips to several of these institutions in The Hague and Brussels as well as many guest presentations by their leading officers

Taught by prominent experts in the field from Europe and the U.S., including the former Chief Prosecutor of an International Criminal Tribunal, the Institute features six international and comparative law courses. The Summer Institute is accredited by the ABA, and is open to students in good standing Summer Institute for International Law & Policy at ABA-accredited U.S. law schools and at non-U.S. undergraduate or graduate law programs, as well as graduates of those institutions. Nearly a third of our students each summer hail from outside the U.S. In addition to Dutch students, Summer Institute participants have come from Canada, China, France, Hungary, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Macedonia, Moldova, Peru, Poland, Romania, Russia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe.

Students can enroll in two courses (one session) or three to four courses (both sessions), for a maximum of eight credits. Students should check with their registrar’s office to determine transferability of credits. It is unlikely that participation in a summer program will accelerate graduation for a full-time student. Enrollment is limited to ensure small class sizes and intimate seminars with close interaction among students and faculty.