Pre-Law Study Abroad Programs in United States

For me the Lex Fellowship was an amazing experience. It was the opportunity to study abroad in a fantastic new country and gain legal experience and perspective I would be hard pressed to find being an undergraduate student in America. I was able to spend time with peers who like me shared the goal of graduating law school and who were also incredibly ambitious and focused on their goals. This made for great friendly competition and amazing conversation in down time. It was amazing to meet with lawyers, who were well renowned in their field, at some amazing firms. It was a truly humbling experience because they took time out of their busy schedules to speak with us, something I never forget and constantly play over and over in my head. I am still in contact with some of the attorneys, and consider some of them life long friends. The other fellows and I also had the opportunity to visit globally recognized schools such as the IESE Business School, IE Law School, and Villanueva. The program staff was amazing. Not only did they take care of the other fellows and I. The relationship was deeper than that. I think of them as care takers, mentors, and friends. Not only do they care about you and your well being. They want to make sure you are satisfied with the trip and if you are not they ask how can they improve. They mentored us because just because it was downtime did not mean anything, and we would often engage in deep philosophical conversation that left everyone involved more understanding and more aware of different perspectives and schools of thought. Finally they were friends because at meals and down time they were amazing to hang around and made for excellent conversation and jokes/banter. They were incredibly hands on with us and you can tell the seriousness and dedication they spent whether it be for meetings, the law firms and lawyers we met with, to little details like making sure we ate at amazing restaurants they catered to every individuals palate. This program promised cultural immersion and it did not disappoint. I love to travel in my spare time and I did plenty of that, enjoying many beautiful and well planned excursions. We visited Toledo and got to see ancient Spanish architecture with an incredible view of city that was simply breath taking. While in Toledo some of us visited a classical Gothic Cathedral that left many of us speechless. In Segovia we visited a classical Roman aqueduct. I studied latin and roman history in high school and to see one of these structures up close was truly amazing. We also received a brief Spanish history lesson on this excursion as well. I am also an avid fan of nature and share a deep appreciation for art. In our down time we visited many a nice park and would simply sit and talk. As mentioned before we visited a Gothic Cathedral. We visited the Botanical Gardens, and we visited one of the most famous museums in the world the Museo Del Prado. The final aspect of cultural immersion, and my favorite, were the amazing meals we were treated to. We must eat to live and as long as we are eating you might as well do it well and we certainly did. I left Spain with many new favorite dishes that I constantly look for now that I am back home from paella to arroz con leche. Something intangible this program helped me decide was what kind of lawyer I wanted to become. I had already decided what kind of attorney I wanted to be, but being in that environment and seeing their work schedule and what it takes. I felt relaxed and excited all at once, and I knew that this was what I wanted to do and where I wanted to be. I walked into the program knowing I wanted to do Corporate M&A and I left knowing I wanted to do Corporate M&A but nevertheless it was interesting to hear about types of law I was unfamiliar with such as Maritime Law, Intellectual Property Law, Industrial Law, and a popular practice in Spain because they have so many unions Labor Law. I built life long friendships with other fellows, some of the locals, and still contact some of the attorneys and warmly call them my friends. I walked in thinking I was going to be studying abroad and learning about lawyers. I left with an open mind, an open heart, a new perspective, and the desire to go out and get it. I implore you to participate in this program as it will truly change your life. I came back different than when I had left, for the better, and that is because I tried new things. You get from the program what you put into it, so to maximize your experience step out of your comfort zone, you would be amazed to see just how much you can do when you put your mind to it!

The Lex Fellowship was an immeasurable experience. Being around aspiring lawyers, who are as driven as myself, challenged me to be better and take meaningful strides towards my goals. Having face-to-face meetings with partners of successful law firms in varying fields of law is an something that i may not have been given the opportunity to do in the states. It has already begun to pay off in ways that I did not expect and has landed me invaluable connections in my field. The dedication of the Lex Fellowship’s staff is evident in the quality of law firms that we were able to engage with and the quality of the cultural exposure we were afforded. They were engaged in the material we were being exposed to and enriched our meetings by tying everything together outside of the office. This program helped me decide that I want to take a gap year before I attend law school in order to gain more professional experience and further explore the vast field of legal practice. It has shown me that I will continue to receive as much as I put in - by showing the relationship between preparation and the information we garnered from our most productive meetings. It exposed me to a new side of my passion - policy; and has further fine tuned my aspirations so much so that I now have a working game plan. I would recommend this program to anyone who is looking for a pre-law summer program as well as cultural immersion.

The Lex Fellowship is an unorthodox Study Abroad program where you and a group of students whom are also interested in a career in Law are exposed to knowledge and experience from some of the most prominent lawyers and legal professionals in Spain. The best part about this is that you are all sharing collective worries. During the Lex Fellowship we got to push our own limits in terms of the breath of our knowledge, while also learning about new cultures and ideas. The Lex Fellowship emphasise personal growth, professional growth and creates life-long friendships. My personal experience what riveting, from start to finish I felt a rush of excitement. Every day was a new and equally satisfying experience, during this time we had the opportunity to meet on average two law firms a day and speak to both Associates and Partners. This was, in my opinion life altering because not only did we have the privilege of sharing ideas with extremely accomplished legal professionals but we also got to see the on a more human level and discuss personal questions. On top this, the Lex Fellowship staff was sensational. They made sure we had everything we needed, and were ready to help at any hour of the day. The Lex Fellowship also provided us with the opportunity to visit some extremely amazing Universities, for example the world renowned IE Business school. All in all, the purpose of the Lex Fellowship was to help us decide our futures, whether it was to discover if law school was for us or not, and what type of law you wanted go into. For me, because I can only speak for myself, this did just that, and I am excited to see what this fellowship grows into. Finally, even if you are not that much into law, the cultural immersion (because you are living in Spain for a whole month) and life long friendships that you make with your fellow fellows, is second to none.

I would recommend the Lex Fellowship to any undergraduate student interested in law, whether as a career or a hobby. The academic rigor of the program makes the experience worth the expense. During my participation in the program, I visited twenty four law firms, four graduate institutions, and several cities in Spain. Attorneys at the respective firms delved deep into their areas of practice and generously engaged the students. While similar study abroad programs will have at least one under-performing firm, the Lex Fellowship's comprehensive selection process ensured that every last stop rendered the students more knowledgeable about the legal system. Attorneys were patient, thoughtful, energetic, and extremely well informed. My group of fellows enjoyed visits to top international firms, such as DavisPolk and others -- a rare opportunity for college students. The Lex Fellowship staff works extremely hard to ensure that students enjoy their experience abroad. I recall deep conversations, fun excursions, tours, among a plethora of additional "free time" activities which added a degree of vibrancy to the trip. Tours of Segovia and Toledo, historical Spanish cities, fascinated me as a student of history and added a new and helpful dimension to my overall educational experience. I appreciate that the Lex Fellowship teaches law in the context of the history throughout which it is crafted. Staff also chose excellent local restaurants for team meals; from boutique diners to large dining establishments, students sample the finest cuisine that Spain has to offer. I found the cultural experience both fulfilling and intellectually stimulating. The Lex Fellowship offers a program with kindhearted staff, excellent itinerary, and exceptional academics. I am proud to recommend it to ambitious undergraduates interested in seeing Spain and learning more about the law.

Being a part of this program was an incredibly fulfilling experience for me. I was fresh out of my first year of undergrad with a passion for the law, and this experience gave me the guidance and experience I was looking for. We had the chance to visit 24 firms, as well as top-ranked universities in Madrid such as IE Law School and IESE Business School, allowing me to consider Spain as an option for graduate school. Speaking to lawyers and partners everyday gave me an unimaginable amount of insight into the day-to-day works of a law firm that I never would have experienced in the States. Being able to ask the lawyers questions about their past cases, as well as having them explain to us the ins-and-outs of everything from maritime law and intellectual property to corporate law and labor, allowed me to learn so much about the realm of the legal field as a whole. Coming into this program, I was very interested in pursuing international law; however, I did decide to keep an open mind in order to get out as much as I could and further narrow my interested area of law. Now, I have decided to pursue international human rights after meeting with the firm Ernesto Diaz-Bastien, an experience I will never forget. The knowledge of the program staff was immaculate; from daily philosophical talks to a deep understanding and explanation of the rich culture of Spain, I always felt like there was something new to learn. The balance of meeting with law firms and having time to explore the city was perfect in my opinion. By living right in the heart of the city right off one the main streets, Gran Via, the program allowed for just the right amount of free time to experience Madrid to its fullest, while still providing group excursions. For example, we visited two historic cities in Spain - Toledo and Segovia - that broadened my scope of the culture of this beautiful country. This program truly helped me understand what I wanted my future legal career to look like, as well as gave me a great understanding of the culture of Spain, and I could not be more grateful. I would definitely recommend this program to individuals who want an international experience of the law and are willing to come in with a very open mind!

This program changed my life. I came into this program very open minded which was key. I was able to gain an incredible amount of knowledge about all different types of law including corporate law, intellectual property law, and maritime law. By visiting over 26 different law firms we got great advice and insight from prestigious lawyers that very few people get to experience. Every single firm and lawyer we met with were so charming it was honestly impressive. They were so welcoming and willing to provide us with information that would help us further our careers, from their own law school experience to actual cases they have worked on. This program helped me figure out which type of law I personally want to study in law school but also helped me figure out which ones I do not which is just as important. Most people go into law school with no real insight into how a law firm works but through this program we got to see the ins and outs of 26 beautiful and prestigious firms. Besides the learning part of this program the cultural experience was amazing. We had planned excursions that were so much fun and had tours so we got to see the most important parts but also were allowed free time to go explore on our own. They provided group meals at times throughout which made sure we experienced actual Spanish culture. Our living area was located right off Gran Via which is one of the most popular roads in Madrid with tons of shops and restaurants and allowed us to experience some of the best parts of Madrid. The program allows you freedom to get as much out of it as you want, it is up to you to make the most of it and you really can.

Deciding to participate in the Lex Fellowship program was one of the best decisions of my life. The program gave me the opportunity to learn more about the field of law, but it also gave me the chance to fully immerse myself in another culture. During the program we met with lawyers from over twenty firms in Madrid. Every lawyer we met was very welcoming, and the meetings were very engaging and informative. Through these meetings we were able learn about the different fields of law, as well as the types of cases that these lawyers deal with on a daily basis. For someone like me, who came in very undecided about which field of law I wanted to go into, these meetings helped me decide on the field of intellectual property law. Not only did this program get me excited about a specific area of law, it also renewed my confidence in law school. On the study abroad side everything from the location, the housing, the group meals, and group excursions were amazing. The housing was very comfortable and very clean. It was located right in the middle of Gran via, one of the most popular destinations in Madrid. This location was perfect because we were a short walk to so many beautiful sites, as well as so many authentic restaurants. The excursions were definitely one of my favorite parts of the trip. We took trips to Segovia, Toledo, as well as a bull fighting arena in Madrid. I was able to tour Cathedrals, and Castles, and also learn more about the rich cultural background of these cities. The program also gives you a lot of free time . This allowed me to really get to know the other fellows and to really experience Madrid. The time I sent with other fellows has given me not only great memories, it has also provided me with life long friends. I also thought the staff was amazing, all the program directors were super helpful and knowledgable, and they made the experience even better. I would definitely recommend the Lex Fellowship to any student hoping to learn more about law, as well as have a rich and fulfilling cultural experience.