Transnational Law Program (TLP)
First-Year Students (J.D. Class of 2012): A second round of TLP admissions will be conducted in Fall 2009. Details will be forthcoming in Law Daily. Prospective Students (J.D. Class of 2013): TLP application information will be distributed to all admitted and wait-listed students in the Spring of 2010. You must be admitted or wait-listed to WU Law before applying to the TLP. The deadline for applications for J.D. Class of 2013 will be May 1, 2010. |
In 2008, Washington University Law launched the Transnational Law Program (TLP), a first-of-its-kind offering for students in both the United States and Europe. This program expands upon the law school’s long-standing partnership with Utrecht University in the Netherlands, and with three other leading European law faculties.
- [view] Brochure
Starting in fall 2008, the new four-year combined degree program is being offered in association with four prestigious European universities: Utrecht, Queen’s University Belfast, University of Trento (Italy), and Catholic University of Portugal. The TLP is sponsored in part by an EU-U.S. Atlantis grant from the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE), U.S. Department of Education. Admission to the TLP is conducted by competitive application drawing from students already admitted to the partner universities.
The TLP allows U.S. students to study at both Washington University Law and Utrecht University. Initially, these students spend five semesters acquiring a solid foundation in United States law with an emphasis on international and transnational law from an American perspective. They then undertake three semesters of study in Utrecht, acquiring an appreciation for European law and enhancing their understanding of international and transnational law. Faculty and students from the other three European partners contribute to the strength of the program.
Upon completion, the U.S. graduates earn a J.D. from Washington University and an LL.M. from Utrecht School of Law. European participants pursue a complementary course of study; after earning their degree from Utrecht, they enter the LL.M. Program at Washington University.
Unlike traditional international dual degree programs, Washington University’s Transnational Law Program is the first to offer:
- a targeted, integrated curriculum developed with partner institutions;
- internships with U.S. and European corporations, law firms, courts, enforcement and administrative agencies, and non-governmental organizations;
- ongoing faculty exchanges among the participating schools; and
- related courses co-taught by partner and Washington University faculty.
From the students’ perspective, the transnational nature of the TLP is reflected in several unique aspects:
- extended study abroad;
- two law degrees;
- specialized first-year offerings;
- foreign language instruction;
- integrated academic advising;
- specialized and integrated career counseling;
- participation in the Summer Institute for Global Justice.
Through this international and inter-university effort, the TLP seeks to identify and educate the first generation of truly transnational lawyers and professionals.
