Cornell Law School: JD/Master en droit
The U.S. Juris Doctor/French Master en Droit is a four-year dual degree program in partnership with the Université Paris I Panthéon Sorbonne.
A pioneer in establishing dual degrees with foreign law schools, since 1996 Cornell has offered the J.D./Master en droit.* The program is designed to provide its graduates the education necessary to be licensed practitioners in the United States and in France. Students spend the first two years studying at Cornell Law School, followed by two years at one of France’s leading law faculties, the Université Paris I Panthéon Sorbonne. Upon successfully completing the program, students receive the Juris Doctor degree from Cornell Law School, the Master 1 en Droit, and perhaps also a Master 2 en droit, from Paris I.
*The complete official name for the program is "Master en droit, mention droits français et étranger, spécialité droits français et américain."
On this page:
Applicants admitted by Cornell with Paris I concurrence:
- Applicants must be completely fluent in French. It is possible to apply at either of two points. First, one may apply in conjunction with the initial application to the Cornell J.D. program. Alternatively, following admission to Cornell Law School, one may apply during the Spring semester of the first year, in response to an invitation circulated to the first year class.
- See the First Year Application Form.
- The annual application deadline is in late February. The exact date will be announced in advance.
Applicants admitted by Paris I with Cornell concurrence:
- Two students from France are admitted into the program each year through an application process administered by the Université Paris I Panthéon Sorbonne. Students applying in France must have the Baccalaureate degree and at least two years of advanced study at a French institution of higher learning. Interested persons should consult this Paris I website:
http://www.univ-paris1.fr/ufr/ufr070/diplomes-droits-francais-et-etranger/
Curriculum
The first two years at CornellAt Cornell, the students will be required to complete 62 credits of study. The first year of study will be identical to that of regular J.D. students at Cornell Law School, totaling 32 credits.
In the second year of study at Cornell, the students must complete at least 30 credit hours of study, including a professional responsibility course, a skills course and a course satisfying the Law School’s writing requirement. In addition, the program includes restrictions to avoid course offerings counting toward the J.D. credit requirements that:
(1) would be better taken as part of the curriculum of the Université Paris 1 or
(2) are outside of the regular Law School curriculum (regular J.D. candidates are allowed to take one course in each upperclass semester in other divisions of the university in areas related to their legal studies).
At Paris 1, the students will study in U.F. R. 07, the Département des Etudes Internationales, Européennes et Comparatives. The program curriculum can be found here:
First year (Licence)
Second year (Master1)
The program participants also have the optional opportunity to pursue a "Master 2 en Droit du Commerce International" concurrently with their fourth-year program. Students successfully completing this option will receive both a Master 1 and a Master 2 degree at the end of their fourth year. Students admitted into this concurrent program will be able to count the following courses toward both the Master 1 and 2:
- Droit Fiscal des Affaires I
- Droit Fiscal des Affaires II
- Droit International Économique I
- Droit International Économique II
- Droit du Commerce International
- Modes Alternatifs et Arbitrage
- Droit Bancaire et Cambiaire
Following the award to the students of the French Master en Droit ("M1"), Cornell Law School will evaluate their performance and grant an additional 24 credits in advanced standing toward the Juris Doctor degree.
Acceptance of any credit or grade for any course taken at Paris I is subject to determination by Cornell Law School.
Applicants admitted by Cornell pay full Cornell tuition and fees during the first two years of study at Cornell. In the third and fourth years in Paris, they are required to pay 50% of the normal Cornell third-year tuition. Students may continue to receive financial aid during the two years in Paris. Their package will reflect 50% tuition and the expenses of living in Paris as opposed to Ithaca.
For the academic year 2012--2013, a student admitted into the program in the U.S., through the Cornell admission process, could expect the following expenses in Paris:
- Cornell tuition--$27,610
- Cornell health insurance--$2110 (may be waived if French national insurance is obtained)
- miscellaneous fees to Paris I--approximately $300
- housing and meals--$15,750
- books and supplies--$1,100
- travel and miscellaneous--$6,000
The estimated total expenses for the year are thus $52,570
Most cities in Europe, including Paris, are not as handicapped-accessible as U.S. cities. In the Sorbonne and Faculté de Droit buildings at the Université Paris I, access for persons with disabilities to classrooms, offices, and other facilities is limited. Persons with questions about their circumstances should contact the Program Coordinator at Cornell Law School.
Graduates of the J.D./Master en Droit program have received the necessary legal education for, and are eligible to take, bar examinations in the United States and in France. Typically, U.S. graduates take the New York bar examination first and, if they choose, the bar examination in France, under the special procedures available to lawyers licensed to practice outside France. To learn more about these procedures, frequently referred to as "Article 100," see this page:
http://cnb.avocat.fr/Avocats-inscrits-a-un-barreau-en-dehors-de-l-Union-europeenne-Procedure-et-conditions-pour-beneficier-des-dispositions_a238.html
American Bar Association accreditation criteria require that all programs of study abroad must provide the students therein access to the relevant U.S. Department of State Consular Information Sheets, Travel Warnings and other notices regarding the country in which the study will take place. There currently are no travel warnings or other notifications for France, other than its Consular Information Sheet, which can be accessed here. Persons enrolled in the program must consult this information immediately prior to traveling to Paris to begin the program there.
Professor John J. Barceló III
William Nelson Cromwell Professor of International and Comparative Law and Elizabeth and Arthur Reich Director
Leo and Arvilla Berger International Legal Studies Program
john-barcelo@postoffice.law.cornell.edu
Laura Spitz
Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and
Executive Director, Clarke Center for International and Comparative Legal Studies
lms76@cornell.edu
Professor Sophie Robin-Oliver
Joan Divol
joandivol@yahoo.com
The J.D./Master en droit dual degree program has operated continuously following its creation in 1994. In the event that Cornell University Law School and/or its partner, Université Paris I Panthéon-Sorbonne, were to decide to cancel the program, all students who had been approved for, and committed to, participation nonetheless would be permitted to continue in the program.