April 2003

The Council appointed a Task Force on Foreign Programs to review the manner by which the Standards for the Approval of Law Schools were regulating foreign study programs of ABA-approved law schools and foreign study opportunities for students in those schools. The Task Force issued its Final Report and the Council adopted it in June 2002. In February 2003, the Council approved new and revised Criteria to implement report. The report and the criteria benefited from the interest and comment of many people in legal education who work on these programs.

With its adoption of the Task Force report, the Council approved moving from a five to a seven year cycle for site inspection and program review of foreign summer programs and the elimination of the requirement for advance approval of individual student study abroad programs. The new and revised Criteria implement these changes.

The new Criteria are effective August 1, 2003. Pursuant to the new Criteria for Student Study at a Foreign Institution, which replace the former Criteria for Individual Study Abroad and the Criteria for Cooperative Programs, no advance approval by the Consultant's Office is required for individual study abroad for the fall 2003 semester and beyond. Schools and students should review the new Criteria for Student Study at a Foreign Institution for more information and details.