Campbell Law, Southwest University School of Law in China Ink Historic Agreement
RALEIGH, NC – Campbell Law School and Southwest University School of Law in Chongqing, China, have inked an agreement that will allow Chinese students to earn an American law degree in as little as two years. The collaboration also anticipates additional exchanges of students and faculty.
The historic agreement was signed on November 6 by Campbell Law Dean J. Leonard and Southwest Dean Tan Zongze in China. Campbell Law Professors Melissa Essary and Greg Wallace accompanied Leonard on the trip, with each providing hour-long lectures to Southwest students and faculty.
“China is a sophisticated and rapidly-changing environment, and it is important that we have a relationship with the lawyers and legal system there,” says Leonard. “As the world continues to become ever more increasingly connected, and as Raleigh emerges as a hub for global businesses and innovation, this presents our law school community with opportunities that are both unique and extremely beneficial.”
Under the agreement Southwest students may attend Campbell Law for a semester or year and earn credits toward their Chinese degree, while Campbell Law students can study at Southwest and earn credits towards their American degree. The collaboration also pledges that the two schools create a Visiting Scholars Program in which faculty members from one school may spend a semester or academic year in residence at the other institution.
Visiting Chinese students seeking the J. D. degree will be required to take Campbell Law’s first-year curriculum during their first year, and the remaining required courses during the second. They will receive up to 29 hours of transfer credit for courses earlier taken in pursuit of their Chinese law degree.
About Campbell Law
Since its founding in 1976, Campbell Law School has developed lawyers who possess moral conviction, social compassion and professional competence, and who view the law as a calling to serve others. The school has been recognized by the American Bar Association (ABA) as having the nation’s top Professionalism Program and by the American Academy of Trial Lawyers for having the nation’s best Trial Advocacy Program. Campbell Law boasts more than 3,800 alumni, including more than 3,000 who reside and work in North Carolina. In September 2009, Campbell Law relocated to a state-of-the-art building in downtown Raleigh. For more information, visit http://law.campbell.edu.