Oxford Summer Law Program

Here are a few highlights of the benefits of the Oxford Summer Law Program:

• You will learn about the British and American legal systems as well as comparative and international law subjects, through a combination of class work, guest lectures by distinguished British academics and policy makers, and field trips in Oxford and London. These are designed to broaden and deepen students’ understanding of Britain’s history, culture, and legal system.

• The program will add a global perspective and experience to your legal education. You will be taught by the faculty members of both OSU and the host university - University of Oxford, a feature that many study abroad programs do not offer. 
• With up to 4 credits earned in this summer program, you will be able to reduce your course load in the second and third year, freeing up more time for you to focus on an externship, job search, or bar exam preparation upon return to the U.S., or simply to have extra time to relax!
• The program provides room and board during your entire program, making it a hassle-free experience for you to focus solely on studying and exploring England and Europe at the same time! You will be living in the historic setting of St. Hilda's College, where your daily activities, including lectures, dining, social activities and more will take place. You will not only benefit from the convenience of having all activities in one place, but also enjoy the tranquility of Oxford without having to worry about your daily needs.
• You will be able to expand your networks with globally minded law students and practitioners, and open up yourselves to a new worldview and new people.
• You will be able to take advantage of the central location of London to travel around England and Europe.

Courses 

Law Program: Students will choose from three, 2-credit hour courses — Regulating Emerging Technologies and International Law — both taught jointly by Oxford faculty and Comparative Election law taught by Moritz faculty member (Resident Director).

• Comparative Election Law (Taught by Professor Steve Huefner - 2 credits)
  • “Election Law” is the study of the legal landscape that shapes how citizens participate in governance, including how the core democratic processes of choosing representatives are structured. Comparative Election Law studies these arrangements across multiple countries, exploring the impact of different choices that other democratic countries have made about their electoral structures. Although for many years the United States has offered other nations a model of representative democracy, today it is worth considering alternative ways that election laws and processes can be arranged. In particular, this course will explore differences in: who can vote; direct vs. representative democracy; systems of representation and political districting; how ballots are cast and counted; and the regulation of political campaigns, including campaign finance laws. 

• Regulation of Emerging Technologies (Taught by Professor Tsvetelina van Benthem – 2 credits)
  • This course will introduce you to the different regulatory regimes – domestic and international – that protect states, organisations and individuals from harms produced through the use of information and communications technologies (ICTs) and artificial intelligence (AI). While these technologies have created space for the exercise of our rights in novel ways, they have also ushered in a new era of risks and challenges. Ransomware, disinformation, hate speech, operations against hospitals and IT supply chains, unpredictable algorithmic behaviour all plague the digital and kinetic environments and threaten the well-being of individuals and societies. How have states and other stakeholders responded to that challenge? This is what will be explored 

• Global Crises and International Law (Taught by Professor Gayathree Kalliyat Thazhathuveetil - 2 credits)
  • This course introduces students to the foundations of public international law and explores how the international legal system responds to various global crises. The course emphasises learning through case studies. Each lecture will introduce a global event or crisis followed by unpacking the relevant international legal framework. Students will: Understand the nature and sources of public international law; Analyse how international law responds to humanitarian crises, human rights abuses; explore climate crisis and trade disputes; Evaluate the strengths and limitations of the international legal system; Engage critically with contemporary debates in international legal scholarship and practice; and Develop analytical and legal research skills through Oxford-style tutorials.

Pre-Law Program: 4 credits, awarded for coursework covering the topics Introduction to Law and Anglo-American Legal Systems.

Both program include 2 Oxford-style tutorials, small-group academic discussions that challenge students to think critically and articulate arguments effectively. 30mins for pre-law students and 1hrs for law students

Field Trips (Subject to Change)

• Royal Courts of Justice
• Lincoln’s Inn
• Oxford Crown Court
• Oxford Castle & Prison
• Blenheim Palace
• London Globe Theatre (Shakespeare production)

Faculty teaching in the Summer 2026 program

Professor Steven F. Huefner
C. William O’Neill Professor in Law and Judicial Administration, The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law, huefner.4@osu.edu

Professor Huefner will serve as the Resident Director of the 2026 Oxford Law Summer Program. 

Before joining The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law faculty, Professor Huefner practiced law for five years in the Office of Senate Legal Counsel, U.S. Senate, and for two years in private practice at the law firm of Covington & Burling in Washington, D.C. He also clerked for Judge David S. Tatel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit and for Justice Christine M. Durham of the Supreme Court of Utah. Professor Huefner was a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar at Columbia Law School, where he served as head articles editor for the Columbia Law Review.

Professor Huefner has published a number of articles and several books, including From Registration to Recounts: The Election Ecosystems of Five Midwestern States, co-authored with his Election Law @ Moritz colleagues, and its sequel, From Registration to Recounts Revisited, as well as “Legislation & Regulation in a Nutshell,” and “Learning Legislation & Regulation” (with Anuj Desai). His research interests are in legislative process issues and democratic theory, including election law. He is conversant in Japanese, spent one summer working for a Japanese law firm, and remains interested in Japanese law.

Professor Huefner is deputy director of Election Law at The Ohio State University, as well as director of the Moritz Legislation Clinic and director of the Moritz Washington, D.C., Summer Program. His law school courses have included the Legislation Clinic, Legislation & Regulation, Election Law, Jurisprudence, Law & Religion, and Legal Writing; he also frequently co-teaches an undergraduate course on Civics, Law, and Public Policy. 

Applications for acceptance to the Oxford Summer Law Program 2026 are now open. 

Who May Apply

J.D. students who will have completed at least one academic year and who will be in good standing at an ABA-approved law school by June 30, 2026 may apply via our online application for admission. Graduate students in law-related fields will be considered for admission on an individual basis.

Application Deadline and Fee:

The application deadline is February 16, 2026. An application fee of $150 is due by credit or debit card at the time of submitting the online application. The application fee is non-refundable except where (i) the applicant withdraws application before February 16, 2026, (ii) the applicant is denied admission to the program, or (iii) the program were to be cancelled.

Application Process

1. For OSU students: complete and submit an OSU online application. 
2. For non-OSU students currently enrolled in a JD program at an ABA-approved law school: please express your interest via this online interest form before applying. Please ensure to submit the letter within that form that confirms your academic standing.
   1. For non-OSU students currently enrolled in a JD program at an ABA-approved law school: Please submit an OSU online application. You will go to the bottom of the page and click "apply now." Then you will choose to log in with non-OSU credentials. Once you create an account and log in, you will be prompted to upload a photo ID of a passport or driver’s license. A notification will be sent to Ohio State’s Office of International Affairs (OIA) to review that identification, once it is reviewed, you will receive an email from OIA staff member, Kennedy Sepsi, letting you know that you can complete your application.
   2. If you run into issues with the online application, please email Kennedy Sepsi at The Ohio State University Office of International Affairs: sepsi.5@osu.edu. She will be able to assist you with the application portal.

Notification of Acceptance

The official acceptance notification will be communicated by February 26, 2026. Applicants have 10 days from the date of receipt of the official acceptance notification to commit to the program or decline the offer of admission.

Withdrawal/Cancellation

• By committing to the program (i.e. accepting the offer of admission), you are agreeing to participate in the program, and you understand and are bound by the Program's Cancellation Policy if you withdraw from the program after committing to the program.
• In addition, since global conditions may change rapidly, you acknowledge that The Ohio State University reserves the right to cancel this program at any time should conditions warrant, including but not limited to the event of under-enrollment or other compelling circumstances that prevent the program from being held. All fees, including application fee, will be immediately returned in the event of cancellation.

Contact Information

For information, please contact program administrators at MoritzOxford@osu.edu.

The Oxford Law Summer Program charges a flat program fee.

1. Flat program fee: The program cost of $9,214. 

The flat program fee will include:

• Instructional fees for up 4 credits and mandatory guest lectures, site visits & excursions
• Housing and meal service (Students will have half-board meal service: daily breakfast and weekday lunches, with select group dinners (11 total) on the days following evening lectures.)
• Books
• Supplemental health insurance through for the duration of the program (NOTE: participants must maintain their primary health insurance from the U.S. while studying abroad)
• Welcome and farewell receptions, and a formal farewell dinner

2. Non-refundable fees: $200 (a $150 application fee and a $50 administrative fee)

3. Out-of-pocket costs: These expenses include airfare to and from UK, lunch and dinner off site on Saturdays and Sundays, and all other personal expenses (such as passport/visa fees, immunizations if required, supplies during the program, entertainment expenses, and local transportation and travel expenses). Out-of-pocket costs may vary depending on each individual’s needs and lifestyle.

With the program fee, the total estimated out of pocket cost (including airfare, insurance, books, etc) is $12,220.

4. Financial Aid:

For financial aid related questions, please email lawfinaid@osu.edu or 614.292.8807.

Non-OSU students should consult with their own law school's Financial Aid Office as well as coordinate with Mr. Marc Nawrocki at lawfinaid@osu.edu. Each university does financial aid differently. Sometimes the students are given the money from their university, and sometimes the university sends it straight to OSU. In order to complete this process, students should coordinate with Mr. Nawrocki at lawfinaid@osu.edu.

The program will be hosted at a new location, St. Hilda’s College, University of Oxford, running July 12 – August 8, 2026. This location offers a compact campus setting, proximity to the main Oxford sites, and improved access to classroom and dining facilities.

Students will have half-board meal service: daily breakfast and weekday lunches, with select group dinners (11 total) on the days following evening lectures. This schedule allows for greater flexibility and cultural exploration in Oxford and London.

Visa

Students with a valid U.S. passport can enter the U.K. and European countries that are members of the Schengen Agreement and can stay in these countries for up to 90 days for tourism or business. Since participants in the Oxford Summer Program will be present in England to study in a non-degree program a short duration, those with a valid U.S. passport are not required to apply for a visa to enter England for this purpose. Similarly, you can travel within the Schengen area with your U.S. passport without a visa while you are in Europe next summer. Learn more about traveling to and in Europe on the website of the U.S. Department of State.

If you are not a U.S. citizen and hence do not have a U.S. passport, you may need to apply for a visa to enter the U.K. Please check if you need a U.K. visa and how to apply for a visa to visit the U.K. here.

Located 54 miles northwest of London, the ancient city of Oxford is home to a renowned university that dates from the twelfth century. The city enjoys a remarkably rich artistic and cultural life, and is within easy reach of splendid countryside and unspoiled villages. The city and its university provide an exciting setting for a study program in law.

The University of Oxford began as a confederation of independent colleges. The extensive grounds and magnificent buildings of the colleges still exist, each as a self-contained academic unit with a dining hall, classrooms, student living and recreational facilities, and faculty offices.

Read more about Oxford (from The New York Times)

The Oxford program can be of substantial value in helping students find a job. The program offers instruction in comparative and international law subjects, something that is vital in an age where the practice of law has become increasingly transnational. Over the years, many students have reported that law firms and other prospective employers are interested in discussing their Oxford experience during interviews. In addition, getting to know Moritz professors on a more informal basis while taking courses from them can help students develop relationships that form the basis for recommendation letters and other networking opportunities.

All of the courses offered count toward Moritz graduation requirements, and students may take up to four credits toward their J.D. degree. This increases the flexibility of your schedule in the second and third year of law school. The Comparative Legal Professions course satisfies Moritz’s Legal Professions requirement and the Ohio bar’s legal ethics requirement (though not the additional requirement of one hour of instruction on substance abuse). Other law schools have also accepted credits from Moritz's Oxford summer program in the past, although non-Moritz students should confirm the credit transfer with their own law schools. Those planning on applying for another state’s bar should likewise check with that state. Pursuant to ABA guidelines, participants should be aware that it is unlikely that participation in a foreign summer program may be used to accelerate graduation.

Yes, you may be eligible to get a loan for tuition and other expenses associated with the Oxford Summer Program. You should consult Marc Nawrocki in Moritz’s financial aid office, at lawfinaid@osu.edu or 614.292.8807.

Non OSU students should consult with their own law school's Financial Aid Office as well as coordinate with Mr. Marc Nawrocki at lawfinaid@osu.edu. Each university does financial aid differently. Sometimes the students are given the money from their university, and sometimes the university sends it straight to OSU. In order to complete this process, students should request the consortium agreement from their university and ask the university to work with Mr. Nawrocki.

Yes. The program runs for four to five weeks starting in July each year, which allows for at least six weeks of summer work before Oxford classes commence. Many past participants in the program have worked for the first part of the summer before attending the Oxford Summer Program. Students interested in “splitting” their summer between work and Oxford should consider applying for research assistant positions with professors.

Please note that students participating in the Oxford Summer Program are NOT allowed to work for pay, or do any unpaid internships while in the UK. This is a condition of their visa and is not negotiable.

The deadline to apply is February 16, 2026.

See Application Process section above.

This varies a great deal from student to student, and depends on their lifestyle choices while in Oxford and the amount of extra travel they do. The only truly unavoidable expenses are the program fee, transportation to and from Oxford, and the cost of living difference between the US and Oxford (everything here is just a bit more expensive).  Those who travel a lot and eat out/go out often will spend more; those who travel less and eat the meals provided by the host college will spend less. The best source of more precise information about this is likely to be their friends currently in the program.