International & Comparative Law Visiting Scholars Program

The George Washington University Law School's Visiting Scholars Program allows legal scholars and lawyers from around the world to conduct specific legal research at the law school. Most of our visiting scholars participate in the program with stays between six months to one year. The program is tailored towards independent legal research. Our scholars are entitled to use our law school library facilities, and are encouraged to participate in law school events, lectures, conferences, and symposia. They are also given access to a knowledgeable and accommodating library staff. While office space is not available, efforts are made to provide visiting scholars small carrels in the library when they become available.

Eligibility

To be eligible for our Visiting Scholar Program, you must: 

• Have a terminal degree or equivalent or be a recognized expert in your field
• Be visiting from and affiliated with an outside institution or organization 
• Have a source of financial support from outside GW and
• Have a minimum program duration of 4 months

Required Admission Materials

To be considered for the GW Law Visiting Scholars Program, please submit the following:

• Resume/Curriculum vitae
• Statement of Purpose: A thorough description of 1) the research objectives you seek to accomplish while at the law school, 2) reason why GW was selected for this project, and 3) a description of how you plan to financially support yourself during your visit. 
• Statement of Commitment: Each candidate must provide a written statement that the visit is for the principal purpose of conducting research and writing at the law school, and that the candidate intends to visit the law school on a frequent (daily is recommended) basis for purposes of conducting this research and writing.

Please note that visiting scholars are charged a modest fee based on the duration and nature of their stay at GW Law. If you have additional questions regarding the fee, please email us at gwlawvisitingscholarlaw [dot] gwu [dot] edu. 

Admission Process and Guidelines

Our general application deadlines throughout the year are as follows:

January 15 – For Fall visits
May 15 – For Spring visits

Please note that we do not take applications for summer start dates. 

We are now accepting application materials through this online form. If you have issues accessing this form, please email us. 

Apply for Our Program

Interviews and decisions about a candidacy will be made after receipt of all the admission materials. If offered a nomination as a visiting scholar, GW Law will send the nomination to the George Washington University’s Office of the Provost for approval. Upon approval, the Office of the Provost will issue an invitation letter and conduct a background screening. 

GW Law staff will assist with further information requests and J-1 visa processing (if needed) upon approval of nomination by the Office of the Provost. Please note that we will attempt to secure your visiting scholar status, but we cannot guarantee that the nomination will be approved. 

For scholars that require visa document assistance, please note that the law school will attempt to secure the J-1 visa for admitted candidates, but we cannot make any assurances that the visa will be issued as that is handled by the US embassy in the scholar’s home country.

Applicants seeking visa sponsorship from GW are encouraged to apply no less than five (5) months before their intended arrival date due to nomination approvals and visa processing times.

GW Law does not provide fellowships, scholarships, or funding of any kind to visiting scholars. Please keep in mind that you will have to secure funding from an organization, government, or provide proof of personal funds before a visa can be issued. Once GW Law has agreed to host a scholar, and the scholar has accepted the invitation, it is expected that the scholar will withdraw any other applications to potential host institutions.

Additional Information

Additional information regarding your visiting scholar status and requirements will be provided once your application is approved.

The law school does not have housing; therefore, each visiting scholar is responsible for arranging their own housing. Program staff can provide information on identifying possible accommodations, but we make no assurances of the quality, price, safety, and other aspects of accommodations.

The George Washington University does not provide medical insurance coverage for visiting scholars and their J-2 dependents (if applicable). Visiting scholars must acquire their own travel insurance that complies with J-1 visa health insurance requirements. It is the responsibility of the scholar to find and secure travel insurance. We can provide information on commonly used travel insurance companies, but we cannot provide exhaustive lists of companies or consult on which companies best suit a scholar’s individual needs.

Please email gwlawvisitingscholarlaw [dot] gwu [dot] edu if you have any questions. We look forward to hearing from you.