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Study Law. See the World.

Have you heard about the University of Pittsburgh  School of Law's Law at Sea program? In one summer, participants earn six "rigorous," ABA-approved law school credits in comparative law and European Union law while visiting Canada, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Poland, Belgium, England, Ireland, and Spain. When not docked at some exotic locale, students stay on a floating university complete with two swimming pools.
 

There are dozens upon dozens of ABA-approved summer abroad programs offered by law schools across the United States. You can find a fairly comprehensive list of them on the ABA website. Or, you can peruse a few of our favorites, which we've categorized by geographic region.

Africa and the Middle East
Asia and Australia
The Americas
Europe

Africa and The Middle East

Cape Town, South Africa (Howard University School of Law). Earn up to six hours of credit and behold the profound democratic transformation of beautiful and resource-rich South Africa. Classes include International Business Transactions and South Africa's Constitution in Comparative Perspective. Outside of class, there's plenty to do, what with the Atlantic Ocean to the West, and the Indian Ocean to the East and breathtaking mountains as a backdrop. Planned field trips include visits to South Africa's Parliament and Supreme Court.

Nairobi, Kenya (Widener University School of Law). Widener's Nairobi Institute offers an amazing academic and cultural experience in picturesque Kenya. After the first week of classes, all students in the program go on a three-day safari. Later, during a scheduled break in the middle of the program, students can climb the 19,000-foot-high Mt. Kilimanjaro or catch rays on the Indian Ocean beaches of Zanzibar. Oh, by the way, classes include International Environmental Law and Trade and Comparative Family Law, and internships with local organizations are available.

Cairo, Egypt (Seton Hall University School of Law). Study Islamic Jurisprudence and International Criminal Law (among other things) in beautiful, culturally diverse, chaotic, and oppressively hot Cairo, Egypt. Seton Hall's program includes scheduled visits to Egyptian legal institutions and roundtable discussions with international legal scholars. You'll also be provided with free, "well-appointed" accommodations complete with an exercise room, cafeteria, and cable television. On the weekends, you can check out the Sphinx and the Pyramids, scuba dive in the Red Sea, or enjoy a Nile River cruise.

Tel Aviv, Israel (Temple University School of Law). You can study Comparative Constitutional Law and the Middle East Peace Process and (very possibly) hobnob with important officials in the Israeli government through Temple's Summer Session in Tel Aviv, the cultural and business center of Israel. Tel Aviv is also on the Mediterranean, so beautiful beaches are a dime a dozen, and the city's nightlife is the stuff of legend. Also included in the program is a three-day tour of Israel. During a four-day break in the program, you can travel to Amman, Jordan—if you have the cash—to participate in meetings with officials of the Jordanian government.

Istanbul, Turkey (University of Kansas School of Law and South Texas College of Law). South Texas and KU co-sponsor a program in exotic, thriving Istanbul where eons of tumultuous history and rich culture await you. It's also the only city in the world located on two continents. Classes—which include Law and Institutions of the "New" International Economic Order and Comparative Trial Systems—take place at the University of Marmara, on the Asian side of the Bosphorus River. Turkish law students take classes along with you.

Asia and Australia

Sydney, Australia (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Law). North Carolina offers a summer program Down Under in collaboration with The University of Sydney which focuses on international and comparative legal law, particularly issues involving Australia and the Pacific Rim. When students aren't busy hitting the books, they can frolic and scuba dive at the Great Barrier Reef, hike in rainforests, tour the Outback, and wander among the wildlife of Tasmania.

Shimla, India (Touro Law Center). Students in this program begin their journey in Agra for a two-day orientation and several stops including the Taj Mahal. The next stop is the spectacular city of Shimla, in the foothills of the Himalayas (altitude 7000 feet), where students take classes in International Human Rights, Alternative Dispute Resolution, and Law & Literature. The program also includes an extended excursion to Dharamsala, the seat of the Tibetan government in exile and the residence of the Dalai Lama himself.

 Beijing, China (Duquesne University Law School). Duquesne's China Program allows students the unique opportunity to learn about the Chinese legal system and all manner of Chinese substantive law by way of an intensive three-week, four-and-a-half credit program in the Forbidden City. A limited number of internships with prestigious Chinese law firms are available. Students in the program also take trips to see sites including the Great Wall. Optional Hutong Tours that take students on covered rickshaws along 700-year-old roads are a must as well.

Shanghai, China (Willamette University College of Law). Willamette's four-week program at the East China University of Politics and Law, in Shanghai - China's most populous city and trading center - offers classes in just about every kind of Chinese law imaginable. The program also includes field trips to a criminal trial, a stock exchange, a prison, and the Shanghai offices of an American law firm. Throw in a weekend ramble to Hangzhou and a visit to an acrobatic circus, and you've got one of the most unique summer law programs out there.

Southeast Asia (Santa Clara University School of Law). Santa Clara's tremendously cool Southeast Asia program begins in the colorful, largely English-speaking commercial center that is Singapore where students take coursework in foreign investment, international business transactions, and comparative contract law. After three weeks of instruction, students begin full-time internships with local law firms in Singapore or, if you are lucky, farther-flung destinations including Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City, and Kuala Lumpur.

Bangkok, Thailand (Golden Gate University School of Law). Take courses including Comparative Intellectual Property Law and International Contract Law at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, Thailand's lively urban center. The program includes visits to a host of Thai cultural centers and places like the United Nations Social and Economic Commission for Asia and the Pacific and the Thai Board of Trade. A few lucky students qualify for externships in Bangkok or - if you are really lucky - Kuala Lumpur or Hanoi.

The Americas

San Jose, Costa Rica (Loyola Marymount University School of Law). In this program, you'll study Latin American Law and Protection of the Global Environment at the University of Costa Rica in San Jose, the tiny country's teeming capital. You'll also live and eat breakfast and dinner with a host family. A four-day field trip is also included, which takes students to rainforests, banana plantations, and wildlife reserves with more bird and tree species than you could possibly shake a stick at.

Guanajuato, Mexico (University of New Mexico School of Law). Guanajuato is one of the most picturesque, charming towns you could ever hope to find, and it's a great place to study Mexican Law and the legal aspects of NAFTA. In addition to the four-week academic component, a few fortunate students in this program get to work for two weeks in a local judicial or law office externship. Everyone has a great time strolling Guanajuato's narrow, cobblestone streets and relaxing among its fountain-filled plazas.

Buenos Aires, Argentina (The University of Tulsa College of Law). The University of Tulsa'a Institute in International Law at the swanky Universidad de Palermo Law School in the bustling metropolis of Buenos Aires, Argentina offers courses in, among other things, International Human Rights and International Sales. The program includes a field trip to the beautiful Iguaçú Falls, day trips to check out Argentine political and economic institutions. You also get to stay in a hotel with free breakfast. If you have the means, ski resorts of the Andes easily reachable, and there's nothing quite like skiing in the middle of the summer.

Santiago, Chile and Buenos Aires, Argentina (American University's Washington College of Law). This intensive program offers coursework in Latin American trade and investment and comparative law and allows participants to visit a handful of government ministries and nongovernmental organizations. Students often able obtain internships in Chile as well. The program begins with a leisurely three-day stay in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Also included is a ski weekend in the Andes and another weekend jaunt to a beach resort. While in Santiago, you'll live in a comfortable two-bedroom apartment.

Europe

Rome, Italy (Loyola University Chicago School of Law). Eat pasta, drink vino, study all manner of Comparative Law, and absorb the Colosseum, the Pantheon, the Spanish Steps, the Trevi Fountain, the Tiber River, and the Vatican in vibrant, historic Rome. Loyola University Chicago has its very own, fully operational campus complete with a library, dormitories, a coffee bar, and a basketball court located on Monte Mario, the highest hill in the city, about twenty minutes from downtown. Did we mention that you are accorded an audience with the Pope?

Innsbruck, Austria (St. Mary's University School of Law). Coursework includes International Business Transactions and Introduction to European Union Law and there's a pretty good bet you'll rub shoulders with a distinguished visiting jurist who happens to be a United States Supreme Court justice if you sign up for St. Mary's University's Innsbruck program. Classes are held Monday through Thursday, giving students long weekends for trips to Rome, Paris, the French Riviera, Venice, Vienna, Munich, and Prague. Don't miss the "gala" opening reception an historic castle.

Lisbon, Portugal (Roger Williams University School of Law). This three-week program hosted by the Catholic University in the vibrant port city of Lisbon covers the European Union law as well as intellectual property and contract law. The program leaves plenty of time for checking out the legions of museums, castles, and beaches nearby. Housing and free breakfast are provided at a business class hotel in Lisbon that comes complete with a swimming pool.

St. Petersburg, Russia (Cleveland State University College of Law). Spend a month studying Immigration Law and International Trade in St. Petersburg, Russia, the czarist capital of Russia, and one of the planet's most elegant and architecturally fabulous cities. Included in the program are excursions to St. Petersburg's legal and cultural centers and optional Russian language lessons. The Law Department at the St. Petersburg State University—here you'll study—numbers among its alumni many famous lawyers and political leaders including none other than V.I. Lenin, the original get-down, Communist revolutionary.

 Aberdeen, Scotland (University of Baltimore School of Law and University of Maryland School of Law). Courses in this summer abroad program in historic Aberdeen, Scotland compare the laws of the United States and the United Kingdom. The program includes field trips to different Scottish courts as well as a visit to Edinburgh, a trip to a historic castle, traditional Scottish dancing, and dinner at a formal country house hotel. Also, classes meet Monday through Thursday, which allows students plenty of time to travel throughout Great Britain and the Europe.

Prague, Czech Republic (University of San Francisco School of Law). The University of San Francisco's five-week summer law program at Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic—perhaps the most gorgeous city in all of Europe—offers an array of courses that focus on the legal structures of Central Europe. Also, unlike many summer programs, which basically exploit classroom space abroad, students in USF's program are able to learn from the flesh-and-blood faculty at Charles University. After class, Prague provides an endless stream of culture, architecture, and pubs.

Bergen, Norway (Hamline University School of Law). Learn about the International Diplomacy and the origins of Nordic law, visit a variety of national institutions, rub shoulders with members of parliament, and chat with prison inmates in historic Bergen and metropolitan yet laid back Oslo. You'll also have the chance to participate in mock negotiations with flesh-and-blood international law students. Don't miss the Akershus Fortress, which is a medieval castle built around 1300.

Dublin, Ireland (University of San Diego School of Law). Study human rights issues and comparative criminal law at historic Trinity College through the University of San Diego's Dublin program. When you aren't studying, Dublin is home to great culture and over 900 pubs. May we suggest The Kitchen, which is owned by U2's Bono, and The Brazen Head, the oldest pub in all of Dublin dating all the way back to 1666.

Cambridge, England (University of Richmond School of Law). Through the University of Richmond's program, you can study the history of English common law, comparative law, and European Union law at Emmanuel College of Cambridge University the heart of awe-inspiring, medieval Cambridge. You'll eat your meals in a reconstructed Dominican chapel dating from the 1500's and—what with this being England and all—afternoon tea will be provided free of charge everyday.

Madrid, Spain (William and Mary School of Law). Ole! Spanish law professors teach comparative law, European Union law, and international law courses - in English - in William and Mary's summer program in Madrid. Students can also work at Spanish law firms. You can spend your leisure time watching bullfights and flamenco dancers, playing tennis, or engaging in Madrid's active nightlife.

Cracow, Poland (Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law). This intensive program offers the opportunity to study global trade, commercial transactions, and foreign investment at Jagiellonian University in Cracow, Poland. Included in the program is a walking tour of historic Cracow and Wawel Cathedral, a boat tour on the Dunajec River, and a tour of the Wieliczka Salt Mine. There's also a day trip to a mountain resort nestled in the foothills of the Tatra Mountains and, if you aren't pooped out by the end of your trip, a farewell bonfire and cookout at the Agricultural University in the countryside.

Arcachon, France (University of Iowa College of Law). Drink arguably the world's greatest wine and learn about human rights and European Union law in Arcachon, a charming seaside resort about 25 miles from Bordeaux. The University of Iowa's program includes a tour of the surrounding Bordeaux wine country as well as a visit to a chateau. Luxurious three-day weekends allow students to explore France and the rest of Europe. Once classes are over, a few lucky students will be able to clerk at French law firms.

Capitals of Europe (Penn State Dickinson University School of Law). Gain actual law school credit while enjoying a spectacular whirlwind tour of Brussels, Strasbourg, and Vienna, studying comparative and international law. You'll visit several important European legal institutions and there's a good bet that you'll rub shoulders with a United States Supreme Court Justice and a few very important European Union officials as well.