Cambridge Summer Program

For over 40 years, the University of Richmond School of Law has conducted a summer program in England for American students. The program is designed for current law students, and for undergraduate students contemplating law school. Courses are taught primarily by University of Cambridge law faculty, with some taught by University of Richmond law faculty. Most of the students, both law school and undergraduate, will come from the University of Richmond, but each year a number of students from other schools enroll and all are encouraged to apply.

View the November 2023 Information Session

Why enroll in the Cambridge Summer Program?

• Study the law with world-renowned professors
• Get exposure to a European perspective on law and legal education
• Soak in the atmosphere of one of the world’s most historic and beautiful campuses
• Earn academic credit to lighten future semesters
• Take classes in the mornings Monday through Thursday, and explore the UK and continental Europe      Thursday afternoon through Sunday afternoon.

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

Academic Credit

Cambridge program students will earn four credits under the University of Richmond School of Law credit system. Students from other law schools, and undergraduate students, should confirm with their administration how their credits will transfer.

1L Summer Schedule

Richmond Law students attending Cambridge in their 1L summer will likely want to balance several priorities: the early-summer law journal competition, a summer internship, Cambridge itself, and late-summer job interviews. The Cambridge Program is specifically designed to allow students to do all of the above in the same summer. Their schedule would look something like the following:

• May 10: The spring semester exam period ends.
• May 13 through May 24: Journal competition occurs on a part-time basis during these two weeks; some students may begin their 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 (8 weeks). Some students may apply and receive offers for internships requiring longer total commitments and/or with inflexible starting or ending dates that are incompatible with Cambridge, in which case students can withdraw their Cambridge registration and receive a full refund of the down payment.
• July 8- August 9: Five weeks of classes in Cambridge. During the last two weeks some prospective employers will conduct virtual and in-person interviews via Richmond Law’s Hybrid On-Campus Interview Program (OCI) for summer 2025. The Cambridge schedule can easily accommodate virtual interviews. Obviously, in-person interviews could be harder to accommodate.  
• August 7 - August 25: During these two weeks, students may have virtual and in-person interviews for 2L summer jobs. Students would also have significant down time during these two weeks to relax before beginning the fall term.
• August 26: First day of the fall term.

The total cost of the program for 2024 will be announced soon. A $150 deposit should accompany the application for all students not coming from the University of Richmond School of Law.

A student who withdraws from the Program before paying their tuition, food, and housing fees is entitled to a full refund of any deposit paid. If the withdrawing student has paid the tuition, room, and housing fees in full, but classes have not yet begun, the fees will be refunded minus a $150 processing fee. No fees will be refunded once classes have begun.

Airfare is the responsibility of the student.

The University of Richmond reserves the right to cancel this program in the event of compelling circumstances. In such an event, all monies would be returned.

Send payment to:
University of Richmond School of Law
203 Richmond Way
Summer Program in Law at Cambridge
Attn: Tracy Cauthorn
Richmond, Virginia, 23173

Applications should be submitted prior to April 1, 2024. Since enrollment will be limited by available accommodations, it is strongly recommended that students apply early. Applications will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. Applications from non-UR students must be accompanied by a $150 deposit. Deposits are not refundable after March 1, 2024. All payments should be made payable to the University of Richmond.

Please complete the application below to be considered for the 2024 Cambridge Summer Program.

Selected Issues in Public International Law
(2 semester hours)
Prof. 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.

Law of the European Union
(2 semester hours)
Prof. 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
(1 semester hour)
Prof. 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
(1 semester hour)
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.

Comparative Criminal Law (tentative)
(2 semester hours)

This course, still to be confirmed, would compare principles of criminal law across different legal systems.

All rooms at Emmanuel College are single rooms. Linens and housekeeping services are provided at no additional expense. Spouses or dependents will pay the same food and housing charges as participants in the program. No dependents under the age of 16 can be accommodated in the college.

Meals will be served in the college dining hall. Prior experience has indicated that most students prefer to travel and eat off-campus on weekends, so the cost of weekend meals has been eliminated from the food and housing charges. Thus, no meals will be provided from Friday dinner through Sunday lunch.

Banks and shops are easily accessible. The city of Cambridge offers restaurants, public houses, cinemas, and theatres, in addition to its many scenic and historic sights.

London is just fifty miles away and is served by frequent fast train and bus connections. Despite its proximity to London, the East Anglican 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.

Each participating student is responsible for travel to England from the United States.