Benefits of Study Abroad in Madrid
Studying abroad is an extraordinary and worthwhile opportunity.
The intellectual and experiential value of studying abroad is difficult to exaggerate. However, law students are crunched for time, energy and resources. Thus, here are nine pragmatic reasons why it's worth considering studying in Madrid this summer.
Reasons to Study in Madrid This Summer
The reality is that 1Ls today face a challenging market when looking for a law position in their first summer. Yet there is real value in supplementing your legal education with meaningful summer experiences. Participation in the Madrid program will provide you with an opportunity during your first summer to do something meaningful, to meet and interact with legal professionals, and to get firsthand experience with high-level judicial institutions outside of the traditional law school classroom.
Even if you are fortunate enough to have a law-related employment opportunity during your first summer, many legal employers are likely to allow you to split your summer so that you can complete a summer study abroad program, while still spending six weeks with the employer. In fact, many may support the opportunity to get meaningful international experience. Can you think of a better way to spend your first summer?
Similarly, for upper-class law students, spending a summer outside the United States can distinguish your candidacy and provide you with a talking point on your résumé.
If you want to spend the summer with a legal employer, explore the possibility of
splitting your summer: six weeks with the legal employer, six weeks in Madrid. Many
employers will be interested in your willingness to take risks and to challenge yourself
to do something interesting and worthwhile, and six weeks will be sufficient time
for most employers to get to know you and your work product well.
By earning 6 credits in the summer, you wouldn't have to take the usual 15+ hour course load every remaining semester.
Have a slightly lighter course load your second or third year, or give yourself more flexibility when choosing courses in subsequent semesters.
None of the courses have prerequisites, so you have the freedom to choose the perfect class for you.
Students for whom SLU LAW is not their home school must receive approval from their home school to receive the ABA credit. Acceptance of any credit or grade for any course taken in the program is subject to determination by the student's home school.
Upon successful completion of the Madrid Program, you could earn more than half of the course credits necessary for the concentration.
Many students who are considering international law and international practice might not have a complete understanding of what international law means, what international practice entails, and where the jobs are.
By studying in Madrid, you'll interact with international scholars and practitioners and will gain valuable international experience, all while there's still time to choose future classes and to create a roadmap for your path to international practice.
After you complete the program, you still have half of the summer.
You can use this time to explore Europe, or return home to relax or work before school starts.
From Spain, one can travel throughout Europe with relative ease.
Being able to speak more than one language is very helpful to international practice.
SLU offers a complimentary non-credit, hour-long introductory Spanish language class. In addition to being immersed in a Spanish-speaking country, this class will serve as a vital tool to help you learn Spanish.
SLU LAW offers a complimentary non-credit, hour-long legal Spanish class. Designed for a Spanish speaker, this class will focus on key legal terms. If you would like to sign up for this class, please note your interest on the application.
Madrid is a world-class city, and visitors to Madrid could get by on English alone.
However, if you are willing, you can improve your Spanish by using it every day. In
addition to using it in your activities around the city, you can enroll in a Spanish
course on campus and/or live with a Spanish host family.
This makes the experience more efficient and less stressful.
All of the classes are held at the Saint Louis University-Madrid campus, which now features new classrooms and a new, conveniently located cafeteria. The facilities also include a library and a computer lab.
Knowing that Saint Louis University owns and operates the campus makes the experience more efficient and less stressful.