Penn Law Visiting Scholar & Visiting Researcher Program

Program Description

Penn Law's Visiting Scholar and Visiting Researcher Program is intended to accommodate legal professionals who wish to spend a limited period of time at the Law School. We believe that the intellectual lives of Penn Law faculty and students are enriched by the academic and regional diversity our visitors, and we invite applications from both domestic and international scholars and practitioners.

For important information on faculty sponsorship requirements, please click here.

Program descriptions and application instructions are provided below. Further information can be requested via email to GradAdmissions@law.upenn.edu.

Library Access and Services

Visiting Scholars and Visiting Researchers will be provided with a Penn ID; an email account; library access; wireless computer network access; use of Lexis/Westlaw; and access to all general Law School events.

In addition, Visiting Scholars and others with similar professional experience will be invited to attend all faculty-only events, such as ad hoc workshop; legal studies conferences; and colloquia hosted by the Institute for Law and Economics and other groups. At the discretion of the faculty committee chair, they will also be allowed to present their work at an ad hoc workshop. With an instructor's permission, they will be permitted to audit classes at the Law School's standard per class rates.

Lockers will be provided in which visitors can leave books and personal effects. The Law School may be able to reserve limited work space for visitors at a dedicated carrel or small shared office. Visitors are responsible for confirming before arriving whether such space will be available to them.

Categories

Visitors may apply as either Visiting Scholars or Visiting Researchers. Visiting Scholars are generally those with a faculty appointment at their home institution or equivalent professional status (e.g., experienced jurists, government officials, and senior practitioners). Visiting Researchers are generally degree candidates, younger professionals and others who are at the beginning of a promising legal career.

In the event of uncertainty, a prospective applicant is invited to ask for guidance at GradAdmissions@law.upenn.edu.

Application, Arrival and Length of Stay

Visiting Scholar and Visiting Researcher candidates should apply online after creating an account at this page: http://www.law.upenn.edu/prospective/grad/apply. Absent special permission from the Office of Graduate and International Programs, applications submitted on paper will not be considered.

Applicants will be asked for, in addition to other data and materials, a curriculum vitae; their proposed dates of stay of the Law School; one letter or email message of recommendation; a proposed sponsor from among the Penn Law faculty; and a description of what they intend to do while at Penn Law. Non-native English speakers will be asked to provide evidence of English language ability. An application fee of $75 must be submitted by either credit card, cashiers check, or other instrument acceptable to the Law School.

Applications will be considered all year, although candidates are advised that processing make take up to 2-4 months. Visiting Scholars and Visiting Researchers may arrive at the Law School at a mutually agreed upon date that need not correspond to the start of our academic term. We do encourage applicants to arrive at Penn at the beginning of our fall or spring term, however, as Lexis/Westlaw training and other orientation activities may only be available at that time. Visitors must remain at Penn for a minimum of one week and a maximum of one year, renewable for an additional year.

Faculty Sponsors

The integration of visitors into the Penn Law community is important to the program, and faculty sponsors are meant to facilitate that goal.

Faculty sponsors are not expected to be research mentors or advisors, though individual faculty may choose to perform both of those functions. Instead, Penn faculty sponsors are asked to be available to welcome visitors when they arrive at Penn. They may also assist visitors with introductions to other members of the faculty and volunteer to serve as informal hosts as appropriate.

All prospective visitors must have a faculty sponsor to be invited to participate in the program. In all cases where applicants do not have a pre-existing relationship with a faculty member, prospective visitors must request a faculty sponsor by completing the form accessible through this link:

Click here to request a sponsor

Visiting Fees

For a 12-month visit, both Visiting Scholars and Visiting Researchers are charged a visiting fee equal to 10% of Penn Law's tuition. For longer or shorter stays, this fee is pro-rated on a monthly basis. For current tuition levels, please click here: www.law.upenn.edu/prospective/grad/financial.html

Please note that fee waivers are available. For further information, contact GradAdmissions@law.upenn.edu.

An additional, non-waivable technology fee of $700 will be charged for any stay of more than three months, with a fee of $350 charged for any stay of shorter length. Visitors are asked to pay their fee in full upon arrival at the Law School.

Immigration Issues

Once accepted into the program, the Law School will send Visiting Scholars and Visiting Researchers the necessary forms to obtain a J-1 visa. These forms should be returned as described in the accompanying instructions. Please note that immigration regulations require all foreign visitors to provide documentation of their ability to support themselves financially while in the United States. As of a recent date, regulations called for at least $1800 per month per visitor, plus an additional $800 per month for an accompanying spouse and $400 per month for an accompanying child. Updated financial requirements will be provided along with other materials upon a visitors acceptance into the program.

Housing

Please note that the Law School does not reserve housing for Visiting Scholars or Visiting Researchers. We do provide resources to assist accepted applicants to conduct their own housing search, but regret that staff members are not able to undertake such searches on individuals' behalf.