Studying in Venice

The Law School offers two courses during the Venice summer program, for a total of 5 credits, with at least one class satisfying the LAWR IV requirement.

Classes are held in the newly renovated classroom in the Wake Forest University Property Casa Artom Monday through Thursday, usually from 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. (class times may vary to accommodate guest speakers’ schedules, as well as field trips). Past field trips have included visits to courthouses, administrative offices, private law offices, and a chemical plant on the Venetian lagoon.

Course materials and reading assignments are assigned in advance and can be easily obtained. You should expect daily reading assignments, which students often complete during the afternoon quiet times when many shops and museums are closed.

Internships may be available. Interested students should contact Christi Hardwick at hardwic@wfu.edu for more information.

Italian students are an integral part of the Venice summer program. Italian students, selected on the basis of their English proficiency and interest in comparative law, participate in the courses and all program activities. In the past, Italian law students and recent graduates have come to the program primarily from the law faculty of the University of Padua, as well as the Universities of Venice, Ferrara, Florence, and Bologna. For many students, the most rewarding aspect of the Venice summer program is the opportunity to meet, study, and become friends with students from another country. Both American and Italian students have a chance to share their perspectives on their own legal education, as well as their country’s legal system and profession.

Non-Wake Forest students should confirm that credit for these courses is accepted in their home law school. Grades for non-Wake Forest students will be only on a Pass/Fail basis (with a “C” being the minimum grade to earn a passing grade.)