Important Dates (these dates are approximate and subject to change):

February 21, 2017

BU Law application deadline

Mid-March 2017

Selections made

October 2017

Visiting Student Data Entry Form

deadline

January 8 - January 12, 2018*

Approximate dates for Intensive, two-

week introductory course on the British

Legal System

January 14 - March 10, 2018*

Approximate spring 2018 semester

dates (*tutorials and regular Hilary

Term lectures begin approximately

January 15, 2018)

Graduate and International

Programs Office

Boston University School of Law

765 Commonwealth Avenue, Suite 1003

Boston, MA 02215

Tel: 617-353-5323

E-mail: gradint@bu.edu

www.bu.edu/law/jd/studyabroad

Brasenose College Oxford University

Study Abroad Program Information Package

Spring 2018 Semester

To receive 12 BU Law academic credits, each participating BU Law student must take the following: A special two-week introductory course, “An Introduction to the British Legal System and British Government”; two tutorials – a primary and a secondary tutorial – selected from a list of options provided by Oxford’s program director; and a minimum of two lectures in international and/or comparative law or in topics related to their tutorials, selected from a list provided by Oxford’s Faculty of Law.

Students will receive a single grade for the entire Oxford term, comprised of assessments of their performance in the introductory course and tutorials. Students are not assessed in the lectures they attend.

None of the grades for the Oxford semester will count toward your Law School GPA or academic honors and awards (including the scholarly awards, graduation prizes or degree rankings such as cum laude, magna cum laude and summa cum laude).

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We are pleased you are interested in Boston University School of Law's overseas program with

Brasenose College, Oxford University, England. This package gives a general description of the

program as well as details about some of its more important aspects. Carefully review this

information before deciding whether to apply.

I. Some Preliminary – and Important – Points

At the outset, we would like to stress several aspects of the program which may be relevant to

your decision to apply:

A. Timing: The program takes place during Oxford's Hilary Term, which usually runs from

the first full week of January through March.

B. Credits: The program is designed to grant participating students 12 semester credits

toward their J.D. degree.

C. Academic Focus and Teaching Methodology: The Oxford program, like all BU Law

study abroad programs, focuses on international and comparative law; therefore,

participating students are expected to choose courses in these fields. The key

distinguishing feature of the Oxford program relates to how you will learn the law:

Oxford utilizes the tutorial system, rather than a lecture system. Although you will be

required to attend some university lectures, the focus of your study will take place in

weekly tutorials. This means, among other things, that the semester will involve a great

deal of paper writing – at least one ten-to-fifteen page paper each week and two such

papers every other week.

D. Eligible Students: The program is open to second- and third-year students who have

completed at least one full year at BU Law. First year students cannot participate.

E. Language: All courses are taught in English.

F. Number of Participants: A maximum of six students can participate; we may select fewer

than six students if we feel there are not six qualified candidates.

II. Why Study Law at Brasenose College, Oxford University?

A. The Tutorial System

The Oxford Program gives students interested in international law an invaluable chance

to gain a foreign perspective on key international issues at one of the great universities of

the world. As noted above, the educational model at Oxford is quite different from that

which prevails at U.S. law schools. The Oxford approach emphasizes guided self-

instruction through one hour tutorial meetings (either once a week or once every other

week). Oxford's system is probably best described as requiring intense, self-motivated

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learning. Overall, the system offers an extraordinary opportunity for an intensive

educational experience in international and comparative law.

B. Oxford University and Brasenose College

Oxford University, the oldest English-speaking university in the world, lays claim to

eight centuries of continuous existence and superior scholarly pursuit. Throughout its

history, Oxford has graduated men and women who made major contributions to virtually

every sphere of human endeavor. Oxford graduates include 5 kings, 36 Nobel prize-

winners, 25 British prime ministers, 9 current holders of the Order of Merit, as well as

saints, 85 archbishops and 18 cardinals (and 1 recent United States president).

The University consists of 35 self-governing colleges. Brasenose College celebrated its 500th

year anniversary in 2009. Brasenose College was founded in 1509 by a lawyer, Sir Richard

Sutton, and the Bishop of Lincoln, William Smyth. It was built on the site of several of the

medieval Oxford halls, including Brasenose Hall, which dates from the thirteenth century. King

Henry VIII provided the College with its Royal Charter in 1512. The College’s unusual name

refers to a twelfth century brass (brazen) door knocker in the shape of a nose. It is thought that in

the 1330s a group of students took the door knocker to a house in Lincolnshire. In 1890,

Brasenose College bought the entire house in order to regain the door knocker which now hangs

above the High Table in the Dining Hall. Prominent alumni include the author William Golding,

the actor and writer Michael Palin, the novelist Helen DeWitt and Prime Minister, David

Cameron. Participating BU Law students have the status of "Visiting Students" at Brasenose

College, which means they are taught by the same college tutors as those who teach the

undergraduates working towards an Oxford University degree.1 They also enjoy all the

privileges of studying at Oxford (though, technically speaking, they are not matriculated

members of the University since they are there for only one term).

III. The Brasenose College Program

A. What the Program is – and isn't

This program offers an opportunity to pursue international and comparative law studies in

one of the premier institutions of higher learning in the world. As only a small

percentage of the most qualified British students are offered admission to Oxford, it is

presumed that students are motivated, interested and have the discipline necessary to

meet the challenges the tutorial system puts before them. In other words, this is definitely

not the same thing as a college semester abroad. If you are looking for a semester

abroad with a light course load and plenty of time to sightsee, drink some ale and mix

1 Some background on law degrees in the UK: Normally, students study law in the United Kingdom for three years in order to obtain an undergraduate degree in law. They then must take a one-year "finals" course and complete a two-year apprenticeship (as a "trainee-solicitor" at a law firm or as a "pupil" at a barristers chambers) before they can receive a practicing certificate. Those non-U.K.-qualified lawyers who want to practice in the U.K. or who want to go into academics often take an advanced law degree, called the Bachelors in Civil Law or "B.C.L." This is a one or two year post-graduate course similar to an American LL.M. A student wishing to obtain a B.C.L. must already hold a law degree. Oxford also grants a doctoral degree in law, the D.Phil., which is comparable to the American S.J.D.

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with the English, this is not the program for you. Of course, you will have some time to

sightsee, however, you should realize that the academic demands of the program are

formidable.

B. Number of Students

As noted above, we will be selecting up to six BU Law to attend next year's Hilary Term

at Oxford. We may select fewer than six, but in no event will we select more.

C. Program Dates and Schedule

The official program for BU Law students begins approximately January 4, 2018 and

ends on approximately March 11, 2018, though the exact dates of the program will not be

released until late September 2017. The program takes place during Oxford's Hilary

Term; which lasts from early January through mid-March. All tutorials for participating

BU Law students will last for an additional two weeks beyond the official eight week

Hilary Term, resulting in ten weeks of tutorial sessions. This is necessary to comply with

ABA requirements.

In addition, you will also take a special introductory course on the British legal system,

“An Introduction to the British Legal System and the British Government,” which will

run for approximately two weeks, starting around the first week of January, or at some

other mutually convenient time.

Thus, the tentative program schedule is as follows:

January 2 - January 15, 2018 – An Introduction to the British Legal System and British

Government

January 15 - March 10, 2018 – Tutorials for BU Law students and regular Hilary Term

lecture

D. The Academic Program: The Curriculum and Faculty

The Oxford system is based on tutorials rather than American law school-style courses.

Thus, the core of your academic work will take place in the tutorial setting. Despite these

pedagogical differences, we have tried to design the curriculum to provide a high quality

legal education equivalent to what you would receive during a semester at BU Law. The

goal is to give you a challenging experience studying international and comparative law

in an international setting.

Each participating BU Law student will take the following:

1. Students pursue a primary and secondary tutorial, take a special Introduction to

the British Legal System class and attend a series of lectures and seminars in their

areas of interest during the Hilary Term. A special two-week introductory course,

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An Introduction to the British Legal System and British Government, offered

before the start of the Hilary Term, or at another mutually convenient time. This

course will meet three days each week for one or one-and-one-half hours each day

over a two week period (though this may vary, depending on scheduling issues)

and will be evaluated by a written examination.

2. Lectures meet for one to three hours each week, and seminars meet for two hours

each week. Students may choose from a wide array of lecture and seminar

offerings. You may view the current lecture offerings at

https://www.law.ox.ac.uk/sites/files/oxlaw/hilary_term_2017_lecture_list.pdf

We expect that roughly the same lectures and seminars will be offered in 2018;

we will provide a final lecture/seminar list to students chosen for the program as

soon as we receive one, though there is the possibility that it may not be available

until your arrival in Oxford. Participating students will be required to obtain the

approval of the Program Director at Oxford and John Riccardi, the assistant dean

for graduate and international programs, before making their final lecture

selections.

3. Two tutorials – a primary and a secondary tutorial. These are the core of the

educational experience at Oxford. The primary tutorial will meet one hour per

week for a total of ten weeks. The secondary tutorial will meet one hour every

other week for ten weeks. Thus, each participating student will have a total of 15

tutorial sessions. Students will be required to prepare a 10 to 15 page typewritten

paper for each 1 hour session. For the primary tutorial, each student will meet

individually with his/her tutor to discuss the paper. For the secondary tutorial,

students will meet with the tutor in pairs and discuss the paper each has prepared.

In the past, primary and secondary tutorials have been offered in the following

subjects:

Public International Law

Jurisprudence

Comparative Contract Law

British Administrative Law

International Intellectual Property Law

European Union Law

Commercial Law

Trusts

Land Law

We expect that Oxford will offer similar choices to those listed above in the next

academic year; thus, at a minimum, students will be asked to choose a primary

and a secondary tutorial topic from among those listed. In the event this list

expands for the coming year, more precise information on tutorial choices will be

provided after you apply.

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Comprehensive information on Oxford University's Faculty of Law is available

online at http://www.law.ox.ac.uk/. BU Law students are, with rare exception,

expected to study under two different tutors. In some cases, this will require the

student to make alternative tutorial selections. In addition to taking a primary and

secondary tutorial, students attend a minimum of 16 hours of lectures and

seminars, selected in consultation with the onsite director, to supplement their

substantive learning.

Although the Oxford program term is shorter than a BU Law spring semester, we

anticipate that the total amount of study time and the amount of material covered

will be at least equivalent to a full semester at the School of Law. Some past

participants have described the workload as being “like reading period” for the

entire term.

IV. How to Apply

If you decide to apply, you must do two things:

1. Complete an application, available online at www.bu.edu/law/jd/studyabroad, and submit

all additional materials, including a writing sample displaying your skills in legal analysis

and research.

2. Complete an interview with Assistant Dean John Riccardi and Associate Director

Maureen Tracy Leo, scheduled through the Graduate and International Programs Office.

In screening applicants, we will look for such things as a strong academic record, a favorable

faculty recommendation, serious interest in international and comparative law, comfort with

different cultures and overseas travel, and a level of discipline and commitment commensurate

with an intensive and rigorous program of tutorial-based study.

The application deadline is February 21, 2017.

* For first-year students applying to participate in their second year, we will be unable to make a

final decision until after we have received your second semester grades in mid-summer.

V. Student Evaluation and Grades

Students will receive a single grade for the entire Oxford term, which will count for all 12

credits. This grade will be a weighted average of grades for the primary tutorial, the secondary

tutorial, and the two-week introductory course. (The primary tutorial will receive more weight

than the secondary tutorial, which will receive roughly the same weight as the introductory

course.) Oxford does not give grades for lectures, so those cannot be included. You will

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nevertheless be required to attend lectures and to take them seriously. If you do not, your grade

for the semester's work may be lowered.

ATTACHMENT A gives a brief description of the grading system for associate and visiting

students at Brasenose College. BU Law students will initially be graded by each of their tutors

and by Professor Thomas Krebs (for the introductory course) using the Oxford grading system;

those grades will then be converted to the BU Law grading scale and averaged.

We have our own presumptive table for converting Oxford grades into Boston University School

of Law grades (see ATTACHMENT B). Please note that any such table will provide only

presumptive grades. Before actual BU Law grades are assigned, BU Law’s assistant dean for

graduate and international programs will review tutor reports on students and speak individually

with each tutor and with Professor Krebs, as needed, about student’s academic performance

during the semester. Adjustments may be made in the presumptive conversions to take account

of any special circumstances.

Our objective is to give each student a grade for his/her work at Oxford that approximates as

closely as possible the grade he/she would receive for comparable work at BU Law. YOU

SHOULD BEAR IN MIND THAT ACCEPTANCE OF ANY CREDIT OR GRADE FOR ANY

COURSE TAKEN IN THE PROGRAM IS SUBJECT TO DETERMINATION BY BOSTON

UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF LAW. We expect, however, that all credits earned at Brasenose

College will count toward BU Law credits.

One final point about grading. None of the grades for the Oxford semester will count toward

your Law School GPA or Law School honors and awards (including the scholarly awards,

graduation prizes or degree rankings such as cum laude, magna cum laude and summa cum

laude).

VI. Oxford's Program Director

Dr. Thomas Krebs is the on-site program director. Professor Krebs is an Associate Professor in

Commercial Law and a Tutorial Fellow in Law. Professor Krebs’s CV is found at

https://www.bnc.ox.ac.uk/about-brasenose/academic-staff/339-prof-thomas-krebs.

Professor Krebs’s address, telephone, and e-mail at Oxford are:

Professor Thomas Krebs

Brasenose College

Oxford OX1 4AJ

England

Phone Number – 011-44-1865-271014

Email –thomas.krebs@bnc.ox.ac.uk

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VII. Facilities

A. Physical Facilities

Brasenose College boasts facilities that are typically “Oxford:” stained glass and brick,

with a heavy dose of history. The college is centrally located, just a block or so from

Bodleian Library; its modern accommodations are perfectly suitable for student life.

Brasenose has a well-deserved reputation for excellent food. Breakfast, lunch and dinner

(and brunch at the weekend) are provided daily in the Dining Hall as well as informal

self-service meals. There are also optional formal dinners three times a week when

students wear academic gowns and tutors of the College dine at High Table. Brasenose

has its own sports ground within a five minute bike ride, with football, cricket and rugby

pitches, tennis, and a sports pavilion. There is a well-equipped boat house on the river

nearby, home to the Brasenose College Boat Club, reputed to be the oldest rowing club in

the world. The College also offers free membership to the University gym, and access to

squash courts.

University Lectures are held in various locations at Oxford University, in large lecture

halls that typically accommodate 100 to 200 students. Tutorials are often held in the

tutor’s office.

Oxford University has a Central Computer Service, which has a mainframe computer

system. Students may open an account at the computer center with the recommendation

of their tutors. The computer center has both word processing and e-mail capabilities.

B. Library Facilities

BU Law students have access to the Bodleian Library and the Brasenose College Library.

(i) The Bodleian Library: The Bodleian Library contains most material published in

the United Kingdom. The Law Library in the Bodleian Library contains 270,000

bound and microform materials, including most legal materials for the United

Kingdom and Ireland, and has a large holding of legal materials from the United

States and other common law countries, including the U.S. National Reporter

System. The Law Library has 20 staff members, including 5 professional staff,

and has ample study space for students.

(ii) Brasenose College Library: The College Library has more than 60,000 books and

periodicals and there are separate College law and history libraries. The College

aims to provide most of the main books needed for undergraduate courses. The

Library also has an interesting collection of antiquarian books, some dating from

the foundation of the College. Students have 24 hour access and the majority of

holdings are available on open shelves. As well as being close to many

departmental libraries, Brasenose is located next to the world-renowned

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Bodleian library which, with 12 million printed items, has been the central

University library since 1602. Full access to all electronic library resources is

available throughout the College. The library has a number of Kindle Fires

available for loan on which e-books, electronic journal articles and other e-

resources may be read.

C. Student Housing and Living Arrangements

Brasenose College arranges for student housing, sometimes at Brasenose itself, but

sometimes at another Oxford college or nearby, privately owned flats. These

accommodations are clean and efficient. They may also be up to a half-hour walk from

Brasenose. Many residences are not wired for internet access, so students may need to

use Brasenose facilities to check email, etc. Students will likely share kitchen and

bathroom facilities with others. Due to the peculiarities of Oxford’s housing system, there

exists a possibility that students will be required to move rooms to another building

during their stay, namely, during the final two weeks of the term. This has only happened

once during the program’s 19 year history. Overall, students have consistently been very

pleased with their accommodations and no issues of concern have arisen.

VIII. Anticipated Tuition, Fees and Living Costs and No Refund Policy

A. Anticipated Tuition, Fees and Living Costs

Participating students will pay regular BU Law tuition; however, room and board will be

included in this tuition charge. Students will need to pay for their own living expenses,

round-trip transport and local transport. Oxford recommends that students budget

£220/week for living expenses, and £105 for a 13-week bus pass (valid virtually

everywhere in Oxford).

B. “No Refund" Policy

Due to constraints imposed by the tutorial system of education at Oxford University,

Brasenose College has a policy of not allowing any refund of tuition or fees for students

who attend Brasenose and who subsequently withdraw from the college during the term

they were attending. BU Law must adhere to that policy; accordingly, if you do not

receive any federal financial aid and if you must withdraw from Brasenose after you have

paid the tuition and associated costs, you will not be able to receive any refund of the

money paid for this program. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause, but

we appreciate your understanding our need to comply with this policy.

If you do receive federal financial aid and if you must withdraw from the Oxford

program after you have paid the costs of the program, then, depending on the date of

withdrawal, federal regulations require that we perform a calculation to determine what

amount (if any) of federal loans must be refunded to the lender. You may contact our

Financial Aid Office (617/353-3160) to discuss this procedure further.

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This no refund policy does not apply to student withdrawals or program cancellation

pursuant to State Department Advisories. See below.

IX. Provisions for Students with Disabilities

As far as we know, Oxford is not fully equipped to serve students with disabilities. While some

of the facilities at Brasenose are wheelchair accessible, other university facilities may not be. If

you are interested in the program and will need some special assistance due to a disability, please

speak with Assistant Dean for Graduate and International Programs, John Riccardi. He will then

contact Brasenose College to obtain information about the availability of needed services.

X. Program Cancellation Information

We expect the program to go forward as planned and anticipate no obstacles to implementation.

However, the ABA requires that we inform you about our contemplated course of action in case

of cancellation or change and in case a State Department Advisory is issued for the program

area.

A. General Policy

In the highly unlikely event that the entire program has to be canceled, students selected

for the program will be informed immediately be telephone and by mail, email, or in

person, and notices of cancellation will be posted on the BU Law website. In addition,

individual meetings will be arranged with any student who wishes one. If in the even

more unlikely event that the Program is canceled after students have arrived in Oxford,

Assistant Dean John Riccardi will contact all participating students by telephone, if

possible, or by email.

Should particular courses be canceled or rescheduled, students selected for the program

will be informed by email, telephone, or in person, and notices will be placed on the BU

Law website.

B. State Department Advisories

The most current Consular Information Sheet on is available on the internet at

http://travel.state.gov/. If an Advisory is issued before you are selected for the program,

notice will be posted on the BU Law website and all applicants interviewed for the

program will be personally informed via email and phone. If, based upon the information

conveyed to you, you wish to cancel your enrollment in the program, you will have an

opportunity to do so. If such an advisory is issued after students are selected or during

the program term, all participating students will be notified immediately by phone and

email and given an opportunity to withdraw.

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C. Specific Program Cancellation Information

This study abroad program may be subject to cancellation by the host school in

the event that conditions in and around its location may endanger the health,

safety or security of its participants or others.

In addition, addition, Boston University reserves the right to issue an instruction

that all University faculty, staff, or students evacuate or not travel to a given

location when, in its sole judgment, conditions have changed to the extent that

continued participation in an activity at that location endangers the health, safety

or security of participants. Were this to occur, this program will be cancelled.

BU Law will notify participants by email immediately of the program’s

cancellation and will post an appropriate announcement on the program’s current

student web page.

If the program is cancelled prior to commencement of the term, all students will

be refunded in full any fees paid to Boston University related to the program

(excluding any advance room, board and travel costs associated with getting to

the host country that have been paid). In addition, all students will be integrated

into the regular semester at Boston University School of Law.

If cancellation takes place while the program term is underway, students will be

permitted to choose either a refund of fees billed by Boston University, in

accordance with the University’s refund schedule (this would exclude room,

board, and any travel costs associated with getting to the host country prior to the

date of cancellation), or completion of the semester's study at BU Law if such is

feasible. WE CANNOT GUARANTEE THE OPTION OF COMPLETING THE

SEMESTER AT BOSTON UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF LAW (AND THUS

NOT LOSING A SEMESTER'S PROGRESS TOWARD THE J.D. DEGREE).

This option is dependent on resources and the availability of course and

independent study opportunities at BU Law. In the event that arrangements at the

School of Law are not feasible, or the student elects a refund, the student will be

refunded fees as above, in accordance with the University’s refund schedule.

If a faculty, staff member or student does not heed a University instruction to

evacuate, that individual does so at his or her own risk, may forefeet insurance

coverage, academic credit, tuition payments or expense reimbursement, and may

be held responsible for additional expenses incurred by the University due to the

individual’s refusal to follow this policy.

XIII. Program Reports

Please note that all BU Law students selected to participate in a study abroad program will be

required to submit to the Graduate and International Programs Office the following:

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1. A one-page mid-semester written report, assessing their experiences in light of their

academic goals

2. A two-page report at the end of their program, evaluating their experiences.

Students will not receive academic credit until they submit these reports.

Oxford University, England

ATTACHMENT A EXPLANATION OF THE TRANSCRIPT GRADING

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15

Oxford University, England

ATTACHMENT B PRESUMPTIVE CONVERSION SCALE FOR GRADES

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