The Global Legal Scholars Program is Pitt Law’s international law honors program. The program is small and highly selective. Request for admission into the program must be made either when a student applies for admission to the JD program or after their1L year.
Once accepted, our Global Legal Scholars are immediately connected with the faculty and staff at CILE and engage with them regularly on curricular and non-curricular opportunities, external profile-building and leadership endeavors. Each Global Legal Scholar undertakes a bespoke educational experience that combines cultural exposure with rigorous and directed legal training in addition to their normal JD courses. Global Legal Scholars are immediately enrolled in the existing International and Comparative Law Certificate program, but also receive the following benefits:
A Special Global Legal Scholars Colloquium
This bi-monthly colloquium throughout the year will be limited to the Global Legal Scholars, where they will hear from a variety of external spears from around the world and receive specific guidance on how to take advantage of global opportunities and CILE Programs
An Annual Global Legal Scholars Event
Every year, the Global Legal Scholars will choose a timely topic of transnational importance, assemble panels of speakers, promote and stage the event to a local and global audience. 2L and 3L Scholars will be invited to be part of the program to present their upper-level writing work.
Research Assistant Positions
Global Legal Scholars will be given priority consideration to be research and teaching assistants for certain CILE-affiliated faculty
Financial and Other Support for Travel and Programs Abroad
Global Legal Scholars will receive close guidance from CILE faculty and staff to participate in our academic year exchange at the Sorbonne (to earn an LLM alongside their Pitt JD); summer programs at the Universities of Augsburg and Durham (to earn academic credit); and/or internationally focused internships in Washington D.C. Each Scholar will have a specific sum earmarked for them annually to travel to conferences, overseas study or internship opportunities.
International Moot Court Competitions
Scholars will have the opportunity to participate in the Vis, Frankfurt, and Jessup moot court teams, and our 3L Global Legal Scholars will have the opportunity to be team coaches.