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International Travel Policy

YLS-Funded International Research Travel Policy

POLICY

Regardless of the country of citizenship or residence of a student or recent graduate*, the Law School has a rebuttable presumption against funding, sponsoring, or otherwise supporting international travel to any country for which:

  • the U.S. State Department has issued a Travel Advisory Level 4 for the country;
  • the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) rates a “4”;
  • the travel assistance organization ISOS has rated the country an Extreme (E) level threat; or
  • Yale has determined that travel to this country poses a credible health or security risk to students.

This presumption applies through the date of departure. If after the student's departure, the destination becomes subject to the above designation, Yale Law School reserves the right to require the student to end the trip and leave the country. Such determinations will be made on a case-by-case basis.

The presumption against funding, sponsoring, or otherwise supporting certain international travel may be rebutted as follows:

PROCESS

To rebut this presumption, the student or recent graduate must meet with, and submit a written application, to the Director of International Law Programs, Mindy Jane Roseman, as soon as possible but not later than four weeks before applications for the relevant Yale Law School funding are due. Meeting with the Director in advance of submitting an application is strongly advised. Contact Aleksandra Kopacz (aleksandra.kopacz@yale.edu) to schedule.

The written submission must include:

  • The security protocol and application to rebut the presumption against certain travel available here.
  • A letter of support from the Yale Law School Faculty Supervisor, if any. 
  • If applicable, a letter from the host organization.

The application requests evidence that:

  • Travel is necessary for the proposed research, fellowship, clinical matter, or other activity.
  • Risks to safety and security are identified, minimized, and addressed in a security protocol.

When complete, the Director of International Law Programs will review the application to rebut the presumption against certain travel and then forward to the Deputy Deans for final decision.

*This policy pertains to all students—JD, LLM, MSL, JSD, and PhD in Law—and post-graduate fellows travelling on Yale Law School funds.