Cambridge Summer Program

For over 40 years, the University of Richmond School of Law has hosted a summer program at the University of Cambridge in England. The Program is designed for current American law students and for American undergraduate students with an interest in the law. Cambridge faculty teach most of the courses, with the remainder taught by Richmond faculty. Students come from the University of Richmond and from other schools.

The 2024 Program will start on July 6, so as to give students time to first participate in summer internships and similar opportunities, and will run through August 11.

Why enroll in the Cambridge Summer Program?

  • Study the law with world-renowned professors.
  • Get a European perspective on law and legal education.
  • Soak in the atmosphere of one of the world’s most prestigious, historic, and beautiful universities.
  • Earn academic credit to lighten future semesters.
  • Take long weekends to explore Europe (classes run Monday through Thursday).

View the November 2023 Information Session

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  • Program Details

    Details & Schedule 

    Participants in the Program will reside, dine, and attend classes in Emmanuel College, which has been part of the University of Cambridge since 1584. Prof. Andy Spalding and Prof. Jim Gibson are the Cambridge Summer Program Co-Directors and will share on-site director responsibilities with other University of Richmond Law faculty.

    Administrative Deadlines

    Mon., May 13

    Application deadline

    [Date TBD]

    Full payment due

    Fri., July 5

    Last day to withdraw (full refund minus $150)

     

    Program Schedule

    Sat., July 6

    Students arrive on campus

    Sun., July 7

    Orientation & Welcome Dinner

    Mon., July 8

    First day of classes

    Wed., July 10

    Progressive dinner with other programs

    Fri., July 19

    Field trip to London Inns of Court

    Thurs., Aug. 8

    Last day of classes

    Fri., Aug. 9

    Final exams begin

    Saturday, Aug. 10

    Final exams end

    Sunday, Aug. 11

    Students leave campus

     

  • Combining Cambridge with Other Summer Opportunities

    Richmond Law students attending Cambridge may want to balance several priorities: the early-summer law journal competition, a summer internship, the Cambridge Summer Program itself, and late-summer job interviews. The Program is specifically designed to allow students to do all of the above in the same summer. Their schedule would look something like this:

    • May 10. The spring semester exam period ends.
    • May 13 through May 24. The journal competition for rising second-year students occurs during this period. It will not occupy the full two weeks, so some students begin internships or jobs during this time as well.
    • May 28 through July 5. Six additional weeks for internships or employment, for a total of eight possible weeks. Many internships can be completed in this time frame, and many employers are willing to accommodate the Cambridge schedule if asked. Students who accept an internship requiring longer total commitments or with incompatible dates can withdraw their Cambridge registration and receive a refund according to the terms below.
    • July 22 through Aug. 11. During these final three weeks of the Program, some prospective employers will conduct virtual interviews for summer 2025 opportunities, as part of Richmond Law’s Summer/Fall OCI. The Cambridge schedule is compatible with these interviews. If employers want to conduct follow-up interviews in person during the Program, the Program Directors will work with students to explore ways of accommodating them.
    • Aug. 12 through Aug. 16. OCI interviews may continue during this period, but the Program ends on Aug. 11, so students will have more availability.
    • Aug. 17 through Aug 25. No OCI interviews. Time to recharge before classes start!
    • Aug. 26. First day of the fall term.
  • Housing, Food, and Living in Cambridge

    Housing. All rooms at Emmanuel College are single rooms, with bathrooms shared by a maximum of four people. Linens and housekeeping services are provided at no additional expense, and each student also gets one load of laundry free each week. 

    Food. Prior experience has shown that students often travel on the weekend, and even when in Cambridge they prefer a mixture of meals in the Emmanuel College dining hall and meals on their own in local pubs and restaurants. Therefore, to reduce unnecessary costs, the dining hall provides the following meals, otherwise leaving students to forage on their own:

    • Breakfast Monday through Friday
    • Lunch Monday through Thursday
    • Dinner Monday and Thursday

    Living in Cambridge. Emmanuel College is located in the heart of historic Cambridge, within walking distance of banks, shops, the train station, restaurants, pubs, theaters, and many scenic sights. Students particularly enjoy the town’s many museums and punting on the Cam River. London is just fifty miles away and is served by frequent fast train and bus connections. Despite its proximity to London, the Cambridge region retains an unspoiled character, and its villages and towns have a quiet charm that is typically English. The cathedral cities of Ely and Norwich are within easy reach.

  • Curriculum

    Law students will earn four ABA-approved credits under the law school’s credit system. Undergraduate students will earn one credit under the university’s undergraduate system. Students from other schools should confirm with their schools how their credits will transfer.

    Classes are taught in two sessions each day, Monday through Thursday. One session takes place in the morning and the other in the afternoon. For Session One, students can take either Selected Issues in Public International Law or Comparative Criminal Law & Criminal Justice. For Session Two, undergraduates must take Law of the European Union; law students can either take Law of the European Union or both International Law & the Ukraine War and Securing Transactions Worldwide.

    Selected Issues in Public International Law (two law credits; 0.5 undergraduate units)
    Dr. Rumiana Yotova, Gonville & Caius College, University of Cambridge

    This course will explore and critically examine the basic building blocks of international law, including how it is made and applied, who are its subjects, how they resolve their disputes and more broadly, how a decentralised legal system (i.e., one where there is no overarching sovereign) deals with change over time. The course will also look at some of the key areas it regulates, including the law on the use of force and the protection of human rights. Students will have opportunities to work together as a team and to step into the shoes of government legal advisers, international judges, advocates or representatives of the United Nations in order to apply international law to controversial situations inspired by current events.


    Comparative Criminal Law & Criminal Justice
    (two law credits; 0.5 undergraduate units)
    Dr. Hend Hanafy, St Catharine’s College, University of Cambridge

    This course focuses on selected issues in criminal law and criminal justice that intersect with intricate problems regarding the scope of criminal liability, the respect for individual autonomy, and the balance between extending the law’s protection and principled limits to criminal liability. It considers issues such as consent to harm in non-fatal offences, the justifiability of constructive liability in homicide and non-fatal offences, consent and deception in sexual offences, protection of property rights and protection from exploitation in property offences, and finally, how harm and culpability manifest in sentencing offenders. The course addresses the law in England and Wales, with reflections on continental and US laws as relevant, offering both doctrinal and theoretical considerations. 

     
    Law of the European Union (two law credits; 0.5 undergraduate units)
    Dr. Albertina Albors-Llorens, St. Johns College, University of Cambridge 

    The European Union legal order stands as a model of supranationalism in Europe. As the Court of Justice of the EU explained in the landmark Van Gend den Loos decision, it constitutes a new legal order that transcends International Law by creating a supranational organisation for the benefit of which Member States have ceded sovereignty in certain fields to a set of institutions whose legally binding acts can have an impact not only on Member States but also on the citizens of those States. This course will explore the unique features of this legal order and will consider their application in two foundational areas of EU law connected to the creation of the single market: free movement of goods and free movement of persons and services.

     

    International Law & the Ukraine War (one law credit)
    Dr. Chiara Giorgetti, University of Richmond School of Law

    This course explores the Russian-Ukrainian war through an international law lens. It specifically frames the series of events in Ukraine as international legal questions and then asks, “What can international law do about this?” Among other topics, it will explore how international law can address the aggression, hold accountable those who are responsible for it, provide remedies, and help resolve the conflict.

     

    Securing Transactions Worldwide (one law credit)
    Prof. David Frisch, University of Richmond School of Law

    In a world where students in Richmond can order specialty spices direct from Morocco with just one click of a mouse, ensuring the integrity of financial transactions is worldwide challenge. How does the international system facilitate such purchases, maximize opportunities for lending and credit, and minimize the risk of non-payment? The answer lies in the law of secured transactions. 

    This course delves into the legal intricacies that empower creditors with control over collateral across the globe. At its core, you’ll find Article 9 of the Uniform Commercial Code, but we will also explore Article 12—a new, innovative set of regulations for Bitcoin and other forms of digital property. Then, after centering ourselves in U.S. law, we’ll venture abroad, explore international legal regimes, and learn the framework that turns transnational legal claims into cold hard cash.

  • Program Costs

    Fees for the Program: 

    Advance deposit*

    $    150

    Tuition Balance

    $ 4,000

    Room & Board

    $ 3,800

    TOTAL

    $ 7,950

    * University of Richmond students do not have to pay the advance deposit.

     

    Important financial dates:

    Application & deposit deadline

    Mon., May 13

    Full payment due

    [Date TBD]

    Last day to withdraw for full refund (minus $150)

    Fri., July 5

    Students may take out loans to cover Cambridge costs, as with other law school expenses. Contact Rachel Weinberg-Rue in the financial aid office for details.

    A student who withdraws from the Program before the deadline for full payment is entitled to a refund of all payments. A student who withdraws from the Program after the deadline for full payment but before July 6 is entitled to a full refund minus a $150 processing fee. Starting on July 6, no payments will be refunded. The University of Richmond reserves the right to cancel the Program in the event of compelling circumstances. In such an event, all payments will be returned.

    Note that airfare and other transportation expenses are the responsibility of the student.

    Once a student has applied and been accepted, they will receive payment details. Students from outside the University of Richmond should send their advance deposit, payable to the University of Richmond, to:

    University of Richmond School of Law
    Summer Cambridge Program, Attn.: Tracy Cauthorn
    203 Richmond Way
    Richmond, Virginia  23173

  • Application

    Applications should be submitted no later than Mon., May 13. But the sooner the better; enrollment will be limited by available accommodations, and applicants will be admitted on a first-come, first-served basis. Applications from students from outside the University of Richmond must be accompanied by a $150 deposit.

    Please complete the application below.