GlawFin Doctoral Funding in Law, Finance for International Students, 2015

The Global Network in Law and Finance (GLawFiN) offers three doctoral scholarships—one at each institution—covering full tuition and a stipend for reasonable living expenses for up to two years. Students may spend one term at another network institution. Candidates must apply for admission to the doctoral program of one of the three participating institutions through the school’s regular application process, and must meet the admission standards (and, later, degree requirements) of that institution. There is no separate application process for the GLawFiN scholarships. The schools are:

• Columbia Law School
• Frankfurt
• Oxford

They include:
J.S.D. Program

• The Doctor of the Science of Law (J.S.D.) Program provides opportunity and encouragement for distinguished scholarship through advanced seminars and colloquia, facilities for independent research, and the advice and guidance of members of the Faculty of Law.
• The J.S.D. Degree is awarded to persons who have completed an approved program of study, research and writing with distinction. To earn the degree, candidates are required to submit a dissertation and to pass an oral defense of the dissertation within six years of enrollment in the program. The dissertation can take the form of a unified work or a set of three articles with a unifying essay. Doctoral candidates are provided workspace at the Law School during their period of residence at Columbia. In addition to the special committee of faculty advisors designated for each candidate, other members of the Faculty of Law and other faculties of the University are generally prepared to offer assistance to J.S.D. candidates when called upon to do so.
• Application Procedure for J.S.D. Admissions: Applications for admission to our 2015-2016 J.S.D. program and all supporting documents must be submitted through LSAC.  The Institution will no longer accept supporting documents by mail or email.  Regretfully, any application items submitted directly to the Graduate Legal Studies office will be discarded.

 
FRANKFRUT LEMF:

•  Applicants for admission to the Doctorate / Ph.D. Program in Law and Economics of Money and Finance must meet certain requirements. Minimum prerequisite for consideration by the program’s admission committee for economic students is a bachelor’s degree. An undergraduate specialization in economics is not required. Law students are required to have obtained a  master degree in law.  Additionally ,a strong interest in both economic and legal issues is essential for success in this Doctorate / Ph.D. Program at Goethe University.
• The minimum standard for admission to the Doctorate / Ph.D. Program for students with economic or legal background is a “B” grade point average. The admision committee’s standards are expected to be well above this threshold. For students with legal background who received their first law degree (1. juristisches Staatsexamen) from a German university, the minimum standard for admission is a “fully satisfactory” grade point average.
• Prospective students with economic background are required to take the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) aptitude test.  As the GRE contains verbal and analytical writing sections, the results can serve the admissions committee as an indicator for the student’s analytical and professional abilities. A GRE quantative score in the upper 20th percentile is the minimum score required. But given the quality of applications, individual admission is likely to be conditioned on a significantly better test performance.
• Applicants whose native language is not English are also required to submit a Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or International English Language Testing System (IELTS) score report, unless they have a degree from an English speaking college or university. The minimum scores are as follows: TOEFL/iBT: 93; TOEFL/PBT/PBT: 580; IELTS: 7.0.
• Applications may be filed prior to availability of GRE / TOEFL / IELTS scores, but applicants cannot expect that the admission committee will be able to reach a decision on their application until the relevant test scores have been made available to the commitee. It is thus in the applicant’s own interest to file their test scores as early as possible.
• Applicants who have been accepted by the admission committee, are admitted to the study program. The students have to pass all the required preliminary exams to be able to continue with the Ph.D. thesis. During the course of study, students with a law background have to obtain the prerequists for writing their doctoral thesis according to the “Promotionsordnung des Fachbereiches 1”.

Application Requirements

• ONLY for students with an economic study background: Possess a valid GRE (quantative score in the upper 20th percentile is the minimum score)
• Possess a valid TOEFL Test (at least 93 points (iBT))
• Application materials to be submitted include
  1. Official transcripts of all necessary documents (1. to 3. above)
  2. CompletedApplication form
  3. Personal Statement (i.e. letter of motivation)
     The Personal Statement should include any matters relevant to your ability to succeed in this program, such as working experiences in a legal profession. Bear in mind the international scope of the program. It is also an opportunity for you to present yourself and your background, ideas, and accomplishments to the Admissions Committee. Regardless of the topic, readers will be seeking to get a sense of you as a person.
     (Separate essay not to exceed two double-spaced typed pages. No less than 12-point font.)
  4. Current resume (not to exceed two pages)
  5. Two letters of recommendation
     At least one letter should be from someone familiar with the applicant’s academic work, if at all possible. Please use the letter of recommendation form.
  6. Please make and retain photocopies of all application material submitted.

For questions about GLawFiN or about possible topics of interest, please contact the project leaders directly:

• Prof. Katharina Pistor ([email protected])
• Prof. Brigitte Haar ([email protected])
• Dr. Dan Awrey ([email protected])

Deadline: Application closing date is not stated.
Click here to apply online