Policies & Disclosures

Admissions Requirements

Candidates from U.S. law schools must be in good standing at an ABA or state-approved law school and have completed one year of law studies at the time of the summer program, or have a J.D. (or equivalent) degree.* Students must arrange for their home law school to send a transcript and letter of good standing. Current St. Thomas Law students whose records are already on file need only fill out the application form; the requirements of a transcript and letter of good standing are waived. Candidates from non-U.S. law schools must also have completed one year of legal studies in their home countries and must arrange forwarding of a certified translation of their transcript or equivalent official documentation of their studies. Attorneys admitted, or to be admitted to the bar in their respective home countries, may also be admitted to the Summer in Spain Program.

Persons for whom English is not the native language must certify to the satisfaction of the Director, by submitting a TOEFL score, a letter from an instructor, or a description of their language instruction and experience, that they are able to follow instruction in English.

*Students from St. Thomas University College of Law must have a cumulative GPA of 2.3 or higher in order to participate in the summer abroad programs.

Refund and Cancellation Policy

The Program accepts students on a rolling basis so applications should be submitted as early as possible. The deadline for applications is April 30 each year. Students will be required to complete the online application and submit full payment by the due date.

This policy applies to all cancellations, regardless of the reason. All requests to withdraw and receive a refund must be made in writing by emailing gospain@stu.edu. The deposit is non-refundable once your application has been submitted.

  • For withdrawal made prior to the start of the program, students will receive a refund of all monies advanced except for the deposit, within 20 days.
  • For withdrawal during the course of the program, all fees including tuition are forfeited.

Please be advised that to participate in the Summer-in-Spain Program you must be in “good standing.” Please see the Policies and Disclosures of your law school for additional information. If you are anticipating participating in such a program and are concerned about your grade point average, you should not commit to buying airline tickets or incurring other significant or non-refundable expenses until your final grades have been received. This is not something that is subject to a waiver or exception. If you have any questions or need additional information, please contact the Program Director.

While our program has only been canceled due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, unforeseen events beyond our control could require cancellation of the program. Reasons that could warrant cancellation of the program based on unacceptable risks of harm to students and faculty include:

  1. If the U.S. State Department issues a Travel Warning declaring an “area of instability.”
  2. In cases of war or terror threats.
  3. In cases of civil unrest or labor unrest making transportation to the site or the use of essential facilities at the site impossible or hazardous.
  4. In cases of epidemics or other dangerous health hazards.
  5. In case of an unforeseen event, such as fire, extreme weather, or a natural disaster.
  6. Incapacity or unavailability of key personnel (including faculty) for which no substitute can be arranged in a timely manner.
  7. Low enrollment.

The Program will promptly notify admitted students of any cancellation and the reason. In the unlikely event that the program is canceled, students will be immediately notified by email. The Program will make a best effort to enroll students, if possible, in another ABA approved summer abroad program. Students will receive a full refund of all payments made (within 20 days) unless the unforeseen cancellation occurs after the program begins. It that case, a full refund will be issued (within 20 days) except for the room and board payments utilized prior to the date of cancellation. The Program would not responsible for any costs incurred regarding air travel or personal expenses.

Medical Insurance

All participants attending the Summer in Spain Program are required to carry their own major medical health insurance. Students are highly encouraged to contact their medical insurance provider prior to departing for Spain to ensure that their policy will cover any needs while abroad. Many insurers do not extend coverage to international travel without notice or additional policy rider. The U.S. State Department’s Your Health Abroad page contains a great deal of useful information on foreign medical coverage and care.

Disabled Students

Compared with the United States, most cities in Europe, including El Escorial, are not as accessible for individuals with some disabilities. Our hotel facilities have modern elevators; but they are not generally accessible to individuals with wheelchairs. A student with a disability, particularly one that affects mobility, should contact the program director for additional information about the suitability of the facilities in Spain.

For more information, please contact:

Professor Siegfried Wiessner
Director, Summer in Spain Program
Telephone: (305) 623-2305
Email: swiessner@stu.edu

Non-Discrimination Policy

St. Thomas University College of Law is an equal opportunity institutions of higher education and conform to all applicable laws prohibiting discrimination, and are committed to non-discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, social condition, sex, gender (including identity and expression), sexual orientation, age, and disability in its programs and activities.

The Director of the Program has been designated to handle inquiries regarding the non-discrimination policies.

Enrollment

Summer 2018 Number of students enrolled
Barry 31
St. Thomas University 16
Florida International University 1
University of Arizona 1
Total 49
Summer 2017 Number of students enrolled
Barry 63
St. Thomas University 19
Ave Maria School of Law 3
Mitchell Hamline School of Law 1
Vermont Law School 1
Total 87
Summer 2016 Number of students enrolled
Barry 48
St. Thomas University 33
Rutgers University 1
Total 82
Summer 2015 Number of students enrolled
Barry 69
St. Thomas University 39
Golden Gate University 2
Florida A&M 1
Total 111