Visiting Scholar/Researcher Program
The berger and Clarke visiting scholar program at cornell university law schoolThe Berger Program at Cornell University Law School recognizes two categories of non-faculty visitors:
- Visiting Scholar--generally those with a faculty appointment at their home institution or equivalent professional status (e.g., experienced jurists, government officials, and senior practitioners); and
- Visiting Researcher--generally Ph.D. degree candidates, younger professionals and others who are at the beginning of a promising legal career.
Who is eligible to applyIn general, Cornell Law School does not accept visiting scholars or researchers unless the applicant is the nominee under an exchange agreement with a partner school, or a Cornell Law School faculty member has invited them and has confirmed that he or she wishes to collaborate with them. A comprehensive list of faculty and their primary subject areas is available here.
In the absence of a pre-existing relationship with a faculty member, applicants are asked not to contact faculty members directly. The Law School will match prospective scholars with interested faculty members during the application review process. If you are interested in working with a particular faculty member you may indicate that in your research statement on on the application in the space provided.
Each year, the number of applications far exceeds the number of scholars the law school can accommodate. We review each application and take into account each applicant's academic background, research interests, scholarly achievements and English-language proficiency. We normally make our decisions shortly after the application deadline.
the clarke visiting scholar program at cornell university law schoolThe Clarke Program welcomes visiting scholars from East Asia and elsewhere whose research makes an innovative contribution to the understanding of East Asian law and culture. Visiting Researchers typically spend two weeks to four months in residence. Postdoctoral Fellows spend a year in residence completing major research projects. See our website.
Who is eligible to applyAlthough most visitors apply by invitation of a member of the Cornell Law faculty, the Program welcomes unsolicited proposals for high-quality research that stands to benefit from participation in the Clarke Program. The Program welcomes applications for research projects that are unusual, or have not yet found mainstream acceptance among legal scholars in East Asia.
Deadline for ApplicationsApril 1st--visits to begin the following August–December.
September 1st--visits to begin the following January to July.
Application ProcedureAll prospective visiting scholars and researchers who fall within one of the above categories are requested to supply all of the following information:
- a completed application form;
- a current curriculum vitae;
- a one-page description of intended research project;
- two letters of recommendation; and
- a TOEFL score or other documentation of English-language proficiency, if not a native English speaker. For TOEFL exams, applicants generally are expected to have scores of 600+ for paper-based tests, 250+ for computer-based tests, or 100+ for the Internet-Based Test.
General Conditions of Visiting at Cornell Law SchoolCornell Law School ordinarily does not have funds to support travel to and from Ithaca, or to support living expenses while scholars are in residence. Every accepted scholar must have sufficient financial support for the visit and must certify this as a part of the application for a U.S. visa.
There is very limited working space for visiting scholars at this time. Every effort will be made to provide scholars with either shared office space, or if that is not available, a dedicated carrel in the law school library.
Scholars have full use of the law school library, as well as the electronic databases to which Cornell Law School subscribes. Scholars who wish to use the resources of Cornell University that are outside of the law school must inquire concerning the conditions of such use.
Scholars may audit law school classes, with the approval of the professor.
Scholars are primarily responsible for locating suitable housing, but the law school's International Programs office and the Cornell University International Students and Scholars Office (ISSO) can provide some information in that regard. Our International Students and Scholars have created the following websites to assist you with your search.: http://www.isso.cornell.edu/academicstaff/housing.php or http://www.isso.cornell.edu/ithacalife/housing.php
Contact:All persons interested in being a visiting scholar should e-mail the completed application and supporting documents to:
Ms. Dawne F. Peacock
Assistant Director,
Clarke Center for International and Comparative Legal Studies
Cornell Law School
105 Myron Taylor Hall
Ithaca, NY 14853-4901, U.S.A.
(Tel) +1-607-255-5978
(Fax) +1-607-255-7193
E-mail: dfp7@cornell.edu