Exchange Students On Campus

Every year, Notre Dame Law School welcomes students from top law schools abroad to study on Notre Dame’s main campus as part of our exchange programs. These law students from foreign jurisdictions with different legal systems bring valuable perspectives into our classrooms. At the same time as these exchange students inspire enriching discussions about comparative law, they also learn the reasoning that underlies U.S. legal rules and the U.S. legal system. Participating in our J.D. program gives law students in exchange the opportunity to gain deep knowledge of U.S. law while strengthening their knowledge of law in their home jurisdiction, and at the supranational and international levels in a comparative perspective.

Click on these links to learn more about Notre Dame Law School’s student exchange programs.

Questions? Contact the Office of International & Graduate Programs at globalaw@nd.edu.

Eligibility

To be eligible to enroll at Notre Dame Law School as an exchange student, the student’s home institution must have an exchange agreement with Notre Dame Law School. Exchange students may study at Notre Dame for one semester or for a full year, depending on Notre Dame’s agreement with their home institution. In addition, depending on their home institution, students may need to have completed at least two years of their law program prior to the commencement of their exchange.

Notre Dame Law School has exchange agreements with the following institutions:

Admissions Process

After a student has been nominated by his or her home institution to participate in an exchange program with Notre Dame Law School, the student will submit an application with required supplementary materials to the Law School’s International and Graduate Programs office.

Students are asked to complete an online application form, as well as provide the International and Graduate Programs team with the following documents:

  • A current academic transcript (in English or with an accompanying translation)
  • A nominating letter from the home institution
  • An English proficiency exam score
    • Required unless your native language is English
    • TOEFL, IELTS, Cambridge Certificate in Advanced English all accepted
  • One- to two-page statement describing your desire to attend ND Law
  • Letter(s) of Recommendation from a current professor
  • Separate but brief statement indicating your desired courses of study at ND Law
    • Please note that we will do our best to accommodate your requested courses, but we cannot make guarantees due to potential space limitations.

Following their admission, each student in exchange will have a Zoom meeting with the Office of International & Graduate Programs to discuss their courses and their academic goals and objectives while studying at Notre Dame Law School. These meetings provide an opportunity for students to identify early on what academic and co-curricular activities may be of most interest to them during their time at Notre Dame. Please contact International & Graduate Programs at globalaw@nd.edu if you have questions about the admissions process.

Visa Process

Students from partner institutions who are accepted to study at Notre Dame Law School in exchange will be put in touch directly with Notre Dame’s International Student and Scholar Affairs Office. Students will upload the remaining required documents to receive their DS-2019 form at ISSAlink.nd.edu. Students will likely need to upload the following to the ISSA portal: 

  • A copy of their passport photo page
  • Financial documentation demonstrating that you will have the necessary financial support for the duration of your educational program. (For exchange students, this amount represents one semester’s worth of fees/costs at Notre Dame Law School minus the cost of tuition.) PLEASE NOTE: Whether a student has a financial sponsor or intends to support themselves, they should please provide bank statement(s), a letter from a bank, or a letter and a bank statement from a person or organization that will provide the student with financial support. The student will need to provide proof of support in the amount of $10,325 ($5,050 for room and board, $875 for books and supplies, plus $4,400 for personal expenses including transportation costs) for each semester that the student will be in residence. Please note that these amounts reflect an estimation of your expenses while actual costs to the student vary on a case-by-case basis.

If students have any questions about the process to apply for their DS-2019 and their visa, they should be in touch with the International Student and Scholar Affairs Office directly at issa@nd.edu.

Health Insurance

Please be aware that the University of Notre Dame requires students to maintain a comprehensive health and repatriation insurance policy for the duration of their participation in the exchange program. Unless a student opts out of the University's health insurance plan, they will be automatically enrolled in – and charged for – the University-sponsored health insurance plan.

A student may provide Notre Dame Law School with proof of their current health insurance coverage for review if they believe their current coverage meets the criteria outlined by University Health Services (UHS). Later, a student will be required to formally apply for a health insurance waiver through UHS after they nroll at Notre Dame Law School.

Housing

Exchange students may request on-campus graduate student housing through Notre Dame International or through Fischer Graduate Residences. Space may be limited, so it is recommended that exchange students submit the admission application materials listed above in a timely manner. Quick responses and cooperation with the International and Graduate Programs office will help ensure on-campus housing is available.

Exchange students who prefer to live off-campus will find a variety of options near Notre Dame and within walking or biking distance of the Law School. Visit offcampus.nd.edu for more information.