Courses and Events

Course Offerings (2023)

Remedies with Professor Rick Cupp (3 units)
Advanced Torts with Professor Rick Cupp (2 units)
Con Law - Individual Rights with Professor Goodman (3)
European Union Law with Professor Turk (3 units)
Human Rights with Professor Barklem (2 units)
International Commercial Arbitration with Professors Gregoire and Evseev (2 units)
International Investment Disputes with Professors Bastin, Saadeh & Taylor (2 units)
Externship (1-4 units)
Orientation to Legal London and British and International Systems (1) (Required)
International Moot Court Court (1 unit)

Tentative Calendar of Events (2023)

Date	Event
Monday Aug 14	Pepperdine London Office opens 10:00am
Monday Aug 21	Orientation - Mandatory for all Students - 11:00am Guided Bus Tour of London - 2:30pm
TBC	Mandatory Lecture
TBC	Legal London Tour Group 1
TBC	Legal London Tour Group 2
TBC	Tour of Houses of Parliament
TBC	Mandatory Lecture - Overview of the British Political System and English Legal System
TBC	Guided Tour of the Houses of Parliament
TBC	Legal London Walking Tour
TBC	UK Study Tour
TBC	Moot Court Competition First Round
TBC	Travel Break - no classes
TBC	Inner Temple Moot - 5pm followed by masterclass and dinner
TBC	Royal Courts of Justice Moot
TBC	Middle Temple Moot
Thursday Nov 23	Thanksgiving Group Dinner. Daytime classes as usual but festivities begin early evening.
Friday Dec 1	Last Day of Classes
Monday Dec 4 - Thursday Dec 14	Final Exams (days and times TBC)
Friday Dec 15	End of Semester

Experiential Opportunities

Study Tours

During the first week of the semester students receive overview lectures on both the British political system and the English legal system. Students also embark on tours of Legal London, Parliament, and the Magistrate's or Crown Courts.

We plan to conduct a 5 or 6 day study tour to Northern Ireland departing sometime in the second half of September, dates to be confirmed during spring or summer. The group will travel together to Belfast and stay in a hotel there, making day trips both within and outside of the city. Visits will include guided tours of institutions, including the Northern Ireland Assembly, walking tours, museum visits, visits to political organisations, and an afternoon exploring the scenic Antrim coast, ending in an evening of dinner, music and storytelling. Themes of the Tour include the devolved assemblies in the constituent countries of the UK, the different systems of law in the four countries of the UK, the Political History of Northern Ireland, ‘The Troubles’, The Peace Process and the American role in that, and the implications of Brexit in the region.

These trips provide students with invaluable exposure to the institutions central to international human rights, commerce, economics, and diplomacy. The study tours are included in the students' activity fees for the semester.

Moot Court Competitions

The International Moot Program offers students an excellent opportunity to improve their advocacy skills in moots with British students and lawyers. Students regularly moot with and against British law students in the Royal Courts of Justice and the Inns of Court. Students attend an orientation lecture given by an English Barrister, participate in an internal Moot-Off, and prepare for and participate in a moot with or against British law students. Students may earn one unit of credit for participation the moot court program, and the class is limited to 24 students.

Past moots have been against Middle Temple, Gray's Inn, Lincoln's Inn, Inner Temple, City University, King's College, The College of Law and St. John's College, Oxford. Past judges have included the late Lord Slynn of Hadley, former Advocate-General of the European Court of Justice and Law Lord; Dame Brenda Hale, UK Supreme Court; and Sir Rupert Jackson, Q.C., High Court, Queen's Bench Division.

Externships

The London Program offers an International Externship Program. Externships in London are an invaluable experience in professional formation and preparation for practice. Students gain impressive work experience, excellent supervision and mentorship, and exposure to sophisticated practice areas.

Externships are unpaid field placements for academic credit in supervised law practice with barristers, solicitors, U.S. law firms, governments offices, or nongovernmental organizations.

Externship Info

Externship FAQ

How do I receive the appropriate credits?

In order to receive the appropriate credits you will need to:

Complete 50 hours of unpaid work for one unit, or 100 hours of unpaid work for two units and so forth.
Submit 3 guided, reflective journals.
Attend bi-weekly workshops which will assist you in your externship by developing professional skills, increasing your knowledge of the United Kingdom legal and political systems in order to help you better engage in the workplace, and improving your networking and career development strategy. Students will need to register for this zero-unit, non-graded workshop as a component of the externship.
Receive a positive evaluation from your externship sponsor.
Return all required evaluation forms to the office.

Why should I do an externship in London?

Externships give students an opportunity to gain valuable legal experience.
It will help you decide the sort of legal career you wish to pursue – or perhaps do not wish to pursue – once you graduate.
An ever-increasing number of American law firms are opening offices around the world and having international experience will enhance your resume – particularly if you decide you are interested in an international legal career.
You will be able to visit important institutions that have played a significant historical role in the development of the law in the United States. Past visits include the British Parliament, the Royal Courts of Justice, a Magistrates' Court, the new UK Supreme Court, and the Old Bailey.

How are students matched with externship sponsors?

We try to match a student's interests to an externship position – for example, whether you prefer a small firm or a large organisation, or you wish to gain more experience in a particular area of law such as immigration or entertainment law. Working with a barrister would be of particular interest for those students interested in advocacy and observing court work. Please give us as much information as possible about your skills (including language skills and any other relevant experience) so we can search for a suitable externship placement for you. Obviously, to some extent, the opportunities vary and may also be limited by the law firms that offer externships from year to year.

Am I guaranteed an externship placement?

The answer is, unfortunately, no. This is because it is up to the externship sponsor who they hire. However, we begin the interviewing process during the Spring semester with the goal of having you placed before you arrive in London. This is why it is essential that you submit your cover letter and resume as soon as possible. On occasion, even though we have had an externship placement arranged for a student, the sponsor has had to cancel at the last minute. In that case, we do everything reasonably possible to find a replacement position.

How do I apply?

Interested students should apply as instructed below as soon as possible.

Please note that you are required to pay an externship deposit of $500 by 17 April 2023. The deposit becomes non-refundable on 1 May 2023, so if you change your mind about taking an externship, you can have your deposit refunded on or before that date. However, if a CAS has been issued before 1 May 2023 at the student's request to make an early visa application, the deposit will become non-refundable on the date the CAS is issued. After 1 May the deposit will be credited to your fall semester tuition if you enroll in an externship placement or if you have completed all the necessary application requirements but have not been offered an externship. If you fail to complete the application process after a CAS number has been issued to you, or if you fail to accept a placement that is offered, the $500 deposit will be forfeited. Please note that we are unable to guarantee placement in an externship and you must be prepared to accept any placement that is offered or the deposit will be forfeited.

Students must submit the following materials:

An up-to-date resume. We recommend that you go over your resume with the Career Development Office before you send it to us.
A formal cover letter addressed to the London Program's Assistant Director, Karen Haygreen, incorporating the following:
- Are you interested in a one-unit externship, a two-unit externship, or more?
- Are you flexible as to the number of units you take?
- What areas of law are you interested in?
- What areas of law are you not interested in?
- Do you have any previous experience or have you taken any courses in your area of interest? If you are unsure about the area of law, you are welcome to indicate that you are just looking for legal experience.
- Do you have any language skills of which we should be aware? Are you hoping to make use of your language skills if possible?
- Where (geographically) do you hope to work after graduating?
- What do you hope to do work-wise after you graduate?

Feel free to add any other information that you believe will be helpful in identifying a good externship match for your skills and interests.

Please send all of your materials to Karen Haygreen.

Do I have to comply with UK immigration rules?

Students who wish to obtain a clinical placement are required to comply with UK immigration rules. Pursuant to the UK immigration rules currently in force, this will entail additional costs to obtain a short-term Tier 4 student visa. More information about visas can be found under Immigration Requirements.

What do I need to do before I leave the U.S. to prepare for the externship?

Send a clear and readable scan of the photo and data page of your passport by email to Karen Haygreen, Assistant Director. Karen Haygreen will generate a "CAS" number which will be sent to you. Apply online for the visa and include your CAS number in the application. Attend a biometric data appointment as directed when you make the application. Mail all relevant visa application supporting documents including your passport, two passport photos, receipt from your biometric appointment, an official transcript, letter of acceptance and Financial Aid letter (if applicable), or bank statements to the UK Visa processing office address you are given when you make your visa application. Ensure that you have registered for the International Clinical Law course (Law 360) in Wavenet during fall registration. If you have not registered your placement will be given to someone else. Pack business dress – you will need to wear professional clothes for interviews with potential sponsors, for work, and for our court visits.