ELSA LAW SCHOOLS HANDBOOK

ELSA LAW SCHOOLS

HANDBOOK

SEMINARS & CONFERENCES

2021/2022

ELSA Law Schools - Handbook

FOREWORD

ELSA Law Schools are one of the oldest projects of not only the area of S&C but also of ELSA,

with nearly 30 years of history. They reflect the core values of ELSA - contributing to legal

education while underlining the importance of mutual understanding in the spirit of internationality.

They are a perfect opportunity to enjoy beautiful cities, explore unique cultures, meet individuals

sharing the same interests, and to form friendships for life. Cultural exchange and social interactivity

are of utmost importance for ELSA Law Schools, given the fact that people from many different

countries with different cultural backgrounds gather in one city.

This Handbook thus aims to facilitate and simplify the organisation of ELSA Law Schools in the

Network. It consists of a detailed explanation of its requirements, how to organise it step by step

and many useful tips and tricks.

Best of luck with organising your ELSA Law School!

Created by (2016):

Matej Sadloň

Vice President in charge of

Seminars and Conferences

International Board 2015/2016

Nigel Micallef

Director for ELSA Law Schools

ELSA International 2015/2016

Tibor Korman

Director for Seminars and Conferences

ELSA International 2015/2016

Carolina Sá Duarte, Deniz Hatemi, Denise Roche, Ondřej Chýlek, Hugh McIntyre,

Stephaan Cloet, Lukrecija Oreški,

ELSA Law Schools Team 2015/2016

Updated by (2021):

İlke Yılmaz

Vice President in charge of

Seminars and Conferences

International Board 2020/2021

Pavlos Klagkos

Director for ELSA Law Schools

ELSA International 2020/2021

Ani Koiava, Camilla Perotti, Dora Stambuk, Selin Alpaslan, Jose Miguel Fialho

ELSA Law Schools Team 2020/2021

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Updated by (2022):

Valentin Badert

Vice President in charge of Seminars & Conferences

International Board of ELSA 2021/2022

Dora Štambuk

Director for ELSA Law Schools

ELSA International 2021/2022

Xanthi Agoraki, Dario Schönbächler, Paula Bačić, Diogo Gambini Neves and Ani Koiava

Assistants for ELSA Law Schools

ELSA International 2021/2022

ELSA Law Schools - Handbook

Table of Contents

1. What is an ELSA Law School? 5

2. Requirements of an ELSA Law School 5

1.1. Aiming to be annual 5

1.2. Being open for everyone and conducted in English 6

1.3. Lasting for at least 7 days 6

1.4. Comprising of an academic, cultural and social programme 6

1.5. Including at least 20 hours of academic programme 6

1.6. Close co-operation with an Academic or Institutional Partner 7

3. Key elements of Organising an ELSA Law School 7

3.1. Timeline 7

3.2. Organising Committee 8

3.3. Venues and Logistics 9

4. Academic Programme 9

4.1. Complexity of Academic Programme 10

4.2. Speakers 10

4.3. Tips on how to nd speakers 11

4.3.1. Local/national speakers 11

4.3.2. International speakers 11

4.4. Communicating with the speakers step by step 12

4.5. Invitation letter template for speakers 13

5. Cultural and Social Programmes 14

5.1. Gala Ball 15

6. Finances 16

6.1. Participation Fees 16

6.2. Additional Fees 18

6.3. Grants 18

6.4. Sponsors 19

6.5. Budget of the Local or National ELSA Group 19

6.6. Expected Expenses 19

6.7. Administrative Fee 20

7. Project Timeline 20

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7.1. Coaching System 20

7.2. ELSA Law Schools Training Weekends 21

7.3. Unied Promotion 21

7.4. ELSA Law School Cycles 21

7.4.1. Specication Period 22

7.4.2. Preparation Period 22

Arranging venues for accommodation and academic programme 23

Starting the fundraising 23

ELSA Law Schools Portal and Additional Questions Form 24

7.4.3. Application Period 24

Shaping promotion and marketing strategy 24

Structuring academic programme 25

7.4.4. Selection Period 25

7.4.5. Additional Application Period and Additional Selection Period 27

7.4.6. Event 27

Communication & FB Groups 27

Arrival and departure of participants 27

Welcoming participants 28

Transportation during the week 28

Tips & Tricks 29

7.4.7. Evaluation Period 30

8. Quality Standards 30

8.1. General Standards 31

8.2. Accommodation and Meals Standards 31

8.3. Transportation Standards 32

8.4. Academic Programme Standards 32

8.5. Social and Cultural Programme Standards 33

8.6. Promotion 33

Contact 33

ELSA Law Schools - Handbook

1. What is an ELSA Law School?

ELSA Law School is a Flagship Project of ELSA which is organised by the Organising Committee

(OC) of one or more National or Local Groups and coordinated by ELSA International which

fulfills the requirements regulated in the International Council Meeting Decision Book (Decision

Book).

2. Requirements of an ELSA Law School

Every OC shall fulfill all the requirements regulated in the Decision Book, and make sure that their

ELSA Law Schoolis in compliance with the terms and conditions of the ELSA Law School Hosting

Agreement, and Quality Standards, as mentioned in the Annex of the ELSA Law Schools Hosting

Agreement.

Τhe International Board of ELSA (International Board) has several executive powers in order to

control the quality of ELSA Law Schools, especially in the case of a breach of the regulations as

explicitly mentioned in the Decision Book. In this case, the International Board shall try to solve the

issue by means of dialogue.

Every ELSA Law School needs to comply with the requirements set out in the Decision Book, as

listed below:

1.1. Aiming to be annual

An ELSA Law School shall aim to be annual. If you are organising an ELSA Law School for the

first time, think about a sustainable project and discuss your ideas with your National or Local

Group. In order to keep your ELSA Law School annually organised, make sure that the OC

members pass the knowledge and experience among each other as well as with the other members

of your Local/National Group. You should always create a backup folder with all the important

information, data, documents, etc. Make your ideas, knowledge and experience become your Local

or National ELSA Group's heritage and give a good transition to the OC of the next edition.

1.2. Being open for everyone and conducted in English

An ELSA Law School is an international, academic, social and cultural event open to everyone

regardless of nationality, age, ethnicity, field of studies and sexual orientation. Therefore, not only

ELSA Members, law students and lawyers can participate, but also non ELSA Members and

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representatives of other professions are very welcomed to attend ELSA Law Schools.

An ELSA Law School shall be conducted only in English. Therefore, make sure that your speakers

are fluent in English, as well as that the participants are able to understand the lectures and actively

participate in the academic programme. Hence, when selecting participants, consider their English

level, as stated in their application form.

1.3. Lasting for at least 7 days

An ELSA Law School shall last for at least 7 days. The 7 days are calculated excluding the day of

arrival, but including the day of departure. As an example, an ELSA Law School could start on

Sunday, and finish on the following Sunday.

1.4. Comprising of an academic, cultural and social programme

The academic programme is one of the most crucial parts of ELSA Law Schools. OC shall provide

participants with an engaging and of high quality academic programme including lectures

emphasising in the particular field of law.

In addition to the academic programme, the OC shall offer participants cultural and social

programmes. The main aim of ELSA Law Schools is to celebrate cultural diversity, encourage

participants to present elements of their cultures and make them acquainted with different

social and cultural environments. In this mindset, you should include sightseeing, excursions

within or outside the city, visits to museums, galleries, archaeological places or cultural centers into

your week. ELSA Law Schools are the perfect platform to meet new people and perform

networking. Hence, you shall shape a social programme for participants to get to know each other

and render the whole event amusing and entertaining for everyone.

1.5. Including at least 20 hours of academic programme

According to the Decision Book, an ELSA Law School shall include at least 20 hours of academic

programme. If the duration of the ELSA Law School exceeds 7 days, the academic programme shall

be prolonged by 4 hours per extra day. For example, if the ELSA Law School starts on Sunday

and finishes on Wednesday over a week after, thus lasting 10 days in total, it should comprise at least

32 hours of academic programme in total. Notwithstanding, it is recommended for you to plan

having two-three more hours than the minimum requirement, in case of some speaker’s

cancellations.

An academic programme can consist of:

● lectures;

● seminars;

● panel discussions;

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● workshops;

● Institutional Visits;

● case studies;

● moot courts;

● Model United Nations.

This kind of programme division will help the participants to gain theoretical knowledge during the

lectures, and then to practise what they have learned by actively participating in the interactive

activities.

1.6. Close co-operation with an Academic or Institutional Partner

Every ELSA Law School needs to be organised under the supervision of an Academic or

Institutional Partner. Academic/Institutional Partner is an entity/a person with whom the OC can

discuss their ideas regarding the topic of the ELSA Law School in the initial stage of organisation.

An Academic/Institutional Partner might advise on which topics are most pertinent and valuable,

and help in searching for speakers and providing contact with them. For this reason, it is very

important that you work closely with partners as they are the ones who will help you to structure the

academic programme in order to optimise its quality and appeal. The partner can be a law firm, law

faculty, public institution or any other legal entity as long as they are specialised in the subject of the

ELSA Law School.

For example: For a Summer ELSA Law School on Banking and Finance, prospective

Academic/Institutional Partners could be: a bank, a major accounting firm or a university’s economics

department.

3. Key elements of Organising an ELSA Law School

3.1. Timeline

It is a requirement for the OC to comply with the deadlines set out in the respective ELSA Law

School Calendar. You are required to provide information and details of their ELSA Law School

before the specified dates.

3.2. Organising Committee

A strong OC, of at least 5 people, is essential for the success of the project. It is also essential that

there is a full-time available person who needs to take the role of Head of the OC, hence, being the

main responsible person. This document was drafted mainly for the Head of OC to get to know

ELSA Law Schools - Handbook

how to plan the process, to gather and lead their team.

It is suggested that the OC is divided into different areas of responsibilities, which are of high

importance for the success of an ELSA Law School. These areas can be listed as: Academic

Programme, Social and Cultural Programme, Participants, Finances, Logistics, Accommodation,

Transportation, Meals and Marketing. The exact number of necessary OC members depends on the

estimated number of participants of your ELSA Law School as well as on the organisational needs

of your event. The basic tasks of the OC members responsible for each area are:

● Head of the OC: coordination of the OC, delegation of tasks, boosting the motivation,

bringing new ideas, providing information;

● Head of Academic Programme: arranging the whole academic programme, contacting

speakers, finalising the topics of lectures/workshops;

● Head of Social and Cultural Programme: arranging sightseeings, visits to museums,

parties, social events for every night and Gala Ball;

● Head of Participants: evaluating the applications received, communicating with the

participants before, during and after the ELSA Law School;

● Head of Finances and Fundraising: setting up a budget, approving payments, preparing

applications for grants, contacting all partners and sponsors before, during and after the

ELSA Law School;

● Head of Logistics: responsible for providing welcome packages to participants, goodies

bags, arranging the equipment of the venue of the academic programme (microphones,

pointers), providing technical support to the speakers;

● Head of Accommodation: arranging the accommodation venue, arranging the room

allocations, providing information to participants regarding accommodation, communicating

with the hotel/hostel before, during and after the ELSA Law School;

● Head of Transportation: arranging transportation for participants before, during and after

the official duration of the ELS;

● Head of Meals: arranging breakfast, lunch and dinner for each day, contacting

restaurants/cantines, providing drinks/refreshments/coffee breaks;

● Head of Marketing: promotion of the ELSA Law School, producing promotional materials

for partners, managing social media accounts.

3.3. Venues and Logistics

It is very important that the accommodation venue should be close to the venue of the academic

programme, the restaurants and the social programme venues. As transportation during the official

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duration of the event shall be taken care of by the OC, it is highly recommended to arrange the

venues of academic and social programmes in a walking distance proximity to the accommodation

venue. If this is not possible in your case, make sure you provide participants with tickets for public

transportation (search the possibility of group discounts), or arrange the shuttles by yourself.

Additionally, you can pursue a partnership with a local municipality or a related entity in order to

arrange transportation via busses free of charge.

In this mindset, the academic programme may take place in the university premises, where

technologically equipped halls can be used free of charge. Also, student dorms can be used as the

accommodation venue for your participants, hence ensuring the proximity of the venues of your

ELSA Law School. Therefore, establishing a partnership with your University will be beneficial for

both the academic quality and logistical aspects related to your event. If the accommodation is

arranged in a hotel, you may consider the possibility of having the academic programme delivered in

a conference hall within the hotel.

4. Academic Programme

An ELSA Law School, as mentioned above, must consist of a minimum 20 hours of academic

programme. Where an ELSA Law School exceeds 7 days (the minimum duration of an ELSA Law

School), the academic programme must be extended by 4 hours for every extra day. The academic

programme is of utmost importance for an ELSA Law School as it will increase the prestige of the

ELSA Law School, draw the interest of more people and improve the ELSA Law School’s

reputation for the following year.

When deciding on the main topic of the ELSA Law School, you can take into consideration the

opportunities offered in your city. For instance, if many maritime law offices and shipping

companies are situated in your city, then organising an ELSA Law School on Maritime Law might be

beneficial. Therefore, it would be easier to assure a rich academic programme and provide your

participants the chance to visit these companies or attend lectures from specialists in the field.

The usual time of the day allocated to the academic programme is 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. The binding

regulations point at a mixture of lectures and workshops where the latter would deepen and

emphasise the knowledge from the previous lecture. Try to make the afternoon sessions more

interactive or use the time for an institutional visit. Try to be creative and include case studies, moot

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courts or negotiations. The aim of ELSA Law Schools is not only to provide theoretical knowledge

but a practical extracurricular education.

4.1. Complexity of Academic Programme

When completing your ELSA Law School Portfolio, you need to indicate the complexity of your

academic programme. This gives an idea to applicants of how advanced the academic programme

provided by each ELSA Law School will be, and they will gain different levels of understanding of a

topic according to its advancement.

There are 3 different levels of complexity:

a) Introductory: participants will acquire the basic knowledge on the topic;

b) Intermediate: participants will acquire more specific knowledge on the topic;

c) Advanced: participants will acquire advanced knowledge on the topic.

4.2. Speakers

The academic programme must be delivered by at least 6 speakers, and at least 2 speakers shall

have international background. An international background shall be understood as speakers

either being based or having an academic or professional experience in a different country than the

country the ELSA Law School takes place.

These requirements constitute some of the quality standards that any ELSA Law School has to meet

in order to be organised as an event of ELSA. As mentioned before, since the academic programme

is one of the primary features of an ELSA Law School, the speakers and the programme must meet

the set standards.

Speakers should come from different educational or professional backgrounds, meaning that not all

of them need to be lawyers or have a legal background. They can also come from other academic

fields such as economics, political sciences, international relations, depending on the subject of the

ELSA Law School. An ELSA Law School focusing on Maritime Law and Shipping Finance, besides

professionals specialised in maritime law, might also include speakers with a background in finance.

It is recommended that speakers from various jurisdictions are included as it will increase the

diversity of the programme and offer a broader perspective on the relevant subject. It will also make

the conference appealing to a wider range of prospective participants.

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4.3. Tips on how to find speakers

4.3.1. Local/national speakers

● Ask your Academic/Institutional Partner for some recommendations. Keep in mind

that by its nature, an Academic/Institutional Partner should have many connections

and contacts in the respective field;

● Contact professors or PhD candidates from your university or other universities in

your country;

● Approach speakers with whom your Local or National Group has worked with in

the past and you believe could be interested in participating in your ELSA Law

School as a speaker;

● Approach ELSA Alumni, particularly those who were previously affiliated with your

Local or National Group.

● If you have sponsors or partners that are active in an area of law that is pertinent to

the topic of your conference, ask them if they would like to send a speaker i.e. an

ELSA Law School focusing on Banking and Finance law partnered with a bank

might send an employee to speak at the event;

● Contact leading law firms or individuals renowned for their activity in the relevant

area of law.

4.3.2. International speakers

● Ask your Academic/Institutional Partner. They may recommend someone from their

professional/personal network who meets the internationality criteria and would be

interested in participating;

● Contact foreign Local and/or National Groups of ELSA, which have organised

events on the same topic in the past and could put you in contact with speakers or

make recommendations;

● If your partners or sponsors are international firms that are active in a relevant area

of law, kindly ask your contact if they know of someone from another branch of

their company that might be interested;

● Check the staff of the faculties which your OC is affiliated with. It may well be that

they have some previous experience which satisfies the internationality criteria;

● Check with the alumni of your Local and/or National Group, see if any of them

meet the criteria and would be interested in participating;

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● Approach establishments of foreign universities in your country. for example a

satellite campus;

● Use the International Speakers Database.

4.4. Communicating with the speakers step by step

● Create an excel sheet where you can insert and update the following information: which entity

you have contacted, what was their reply, contact information etc;

● If you have sent your first invitation to the speaker, and you do not receive a response within

4-6 working days, send a follow-up email kindly reminding them of your invitation;

● Confirm their attendance as soon as possible and send them a reminder one week before the

session;

● If a prospective speaker declines, ask if they have any recommendations for speakers who

might speak in their stead. They will often know more about the area of law and who is

available to speak. Once you have that recommendation, mention the name of the individual

who made the recommendation in order to establish a more personal connection;

● Have a designated OC member that keeps in touch with the speakers and guides them during

the academic programme;

● Help them with their travel and accommodation arrangements;

● Usually you should reimburse foreign speakers and speakers not residing in the city where the

ELSA Law School takes place for their travel expenses. It might be wiser that you arrange and

book their travel. Where possible, negotiate on how costs will be allocated between the OC

and the speaker;

● Discuss the content they will cover and how they will fit into the programme;

● Provide them with all the technical support and resources they need during the conference

and water;

● After the ELSA Law School has ended, provide them with a thank you gift or memorabilia.

4.5. Invitation letter template for speakers

An invitation letter should concisely and clearly outline what your event is, why you’re running the

event, and why you want that speaker to attend your event. For efficiency it is good to have a

template prepared to maximise efficiency. However, some parts of the template should allow for

personalised notes, which increases the chance of receiving a positive response for a prospective

speaker. The more personal the email feels the better.

Dear [name of speaker],

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On behalf of the European Law Students’ Association (ELSA) [National or Local Group]

I would like to invite you to speak at our upcoming ELSA Law School on [topic] lasting

from the [start date] to the [end date].

ELSA is the world’s largest independent law association with over 69,000 members across 44

countries, all keen to learn about and engage in this fascinating and dynamic area of law.

It is our desire to provide our members with an opportunity to engage in an insightful and

dynamic study of the ways in which the law operates [insert relevant topic here]. As a

result, we are organising an academic programme with high profile speakers from across the

field.

We are approaching you due to your [position/expertise in the relevant area of law] and

your prolific contributions in this field.

Personalised sentences you might wish to include:

● Anecdote: When I was writing my undergraduate thesis last year on [relevant topic]

I found your book [book/article title] to be especially compelling.

● Experience: Your well established and long career in this field have set you above

others in the field. Your thoughts would be a valuable contribution to the discussion

we are looking to cultivate at our conference.

● Perspective: The [unique/intersectional/dynamic] position you hold in the field

as [role] offers you a nuanced perspective in this area of law, which would not be

fully represented without your involvement.

To have your involvement would be invaluable in engaging attendees and provoking high

quality discourse. Based on your expertise, we hoped you would be willing to give a talk

lasting up to 45 minutes on the role of [specific topic].

We are keen to strike up a conversation which engages every facet of [ELS topic], and

therefore aim to include academics, practitioners, and NGOs. We want to offer a panoramic

view of the field, at all levels and from around the globe. This will be a truly all encapsulating

international conference, and we believe your contributions would make an invaluable

contribution to the discussion.

If you have any questions please do not hesitate to get in touch with me at this email address.

We look forward to your response.

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Warm regards,

[your name]

[your title]

5. Cultural and Social Programmes

The cultural and social programmes are vital for the good experience of the participants. They offer

a great opportunity for them to enjoy the new city, culture and allow them to make new friends.

They are the most efficient ways to create a friendly atmosphere, and closer contact between the

participants. You should organise different opportunities for everyone to get to know the city, and

experience your culture.

Since the social and cultural programmes differ in each ELSA Law School, nobody can create a

strict catalogue of what you should include in it. However, there are some elements you may

incorporate in your programmes to make the best out of it. On the first day, you should start with

an introduction session including a warm welcome speech where you give participants the basic

information and rules that will be useful along the week. You may also organise a welcome party

including icebreakers and team building games, therefore participants can get to know each other

and the OC members fastly.

Throughout the week, always leave some free time after lectures for the participants, so they can

rest, catch up and socialise. Make sure that your social programme is balanced and diversified. You

don’t have to party everyday, try to schedule a variety of activities for each and every night. You may

include theme parties, national drinks nights, movie nights, sports, club nights, boat trips, scavenger

hunts, karaoke, laser tag, escape rooms, paintball, bowling, ice-skating, pub crawls, quiz nights into

your social programme, only limit is your imagination!

But let’s not forget about the “cultural” part. You should include in your cultural programme a

guided tour of the city and opportunities for participants to experience the local/national traditions (

gastronomy, coffee near a great vista, cultural dancing, traditional music, etc.). Your event ends with

a closing ceremony, where the participants are awarded with their certificates of participation. This

last ceremony should have a more formal character (but it doesn’t have to be organised as a gala ball

or have a dress code).

We all know that sometimes the social programme can get tricky even while everyone is having fun,

hence you should take some basic precautions into consideration. Firstly, don’t lose anyone (not a

joke), know your way to the venue, keep the participants together and ensure they get to the venue

and back to the accommodation safely. You should make sure that there’s at least one OC member

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who stays sober during the socials and one OC member should stay until the last participant leaves

the social activities. Don’t try to improvise, you should have a set plan for each evening and several

backup options (e.g., the weather might not collaborate, always be prepared). While preparing your

plans, let the venue know you are a group and try to arrange discounts for entry and beverages

beforehand. Keep in mind that local pubs with cheap drinks are a better idea than fancy clubs with

high prices - pick a student-friendly venue. Last, but not least, the whole OC should be ready to

always help and deal with any emergency. We recommend that your local/national group arrange a

Training on Crisis Management and Problem Solving.

5.1. Gala Ball

The gala ball is an important element of an ELSA Law School classic that concludes the amazing

week. The Gala Ball should be organised both as a party (with all due social activities included) and

as a dinner, hence you should take care of the previous arrangements regarding food quality and

dietary restrictions.

When choosing the venue, remember that you don’t have to charge the maximum fee, so you may

take the location, price, food quality and what’s included in the menu into consideration. It’s better

if the venue provides music, DJ, photographer but it might be cheaper to handle those matters

separately. Inform all the participants beforehand of the details of a Gala Ball and the respective

dress code - it’s not necessarily a black-tie event, you can organise it with the environment of a social

cocktail, so they can be prepared.

There are some venues specially dedicated to organising Gala Balls, used to doing arrangements for

big groups. Try to get a group discount and, if it does not include an open bar, try to get some entry

drinks beforehand. If you don’t want to use these venues, you can always organise your own Gala

Ball with a caterer and an adequate to the environment you want your Gala Ball to have - the music

usually performs an important role establishing that environment!

Finally, make sure all the participants get to the venue and to the accommodation venue later)safely.

Even though it’s a formal event, it’s still a social activity, so the OC should be always ready to help.

Above everything else, have fun!

6. Finances

The key consideration in financing an ELSA Law School is to cover the costs of accommodation,

meals, transportation, and other logistics with the income coming from the participation fees. It is

advised that the available funds are not used entirely to cover the costs of accommodation and

meals, as in this case it is highly probable that the income from the event will not cover the overall

costs of the event.

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6.1. Participation Fees

The maximum participation fee for favoured and non-favoured countries shall be calculated and

charged for the whole ELSA Law School. There shall not be a lower fee for participants not staying

for the full official programme. For example a participant arriving on the third day is still liable to

pay for all the days of the official programme.

The participation fee covers:

1. Academic programme (e.g. lectures, moot court, case study, institutional visit, lawyers at

work event);

2. Social programme (e.g. entrance fee for bar/club, party, karaoke, bowling);

3. Cultural programme (e.g. sightseeing, museum visit, traditional night);

4. Accommodation (covering the days of the official programme);

5. Breakfast for every day excluding the day of arrival;

6. Lunch for every day excluding either the day of arrival or the day of departure;

7. Dinner for every day excluding the day of departure;

8. Transportation during the official programme of the ELSA Law School (e.g. public

transport, shuttles between venues, transportation between cities);

9. Administrative costs (e.g. welcome packs, working materials, session presentations, badges,

coffee breaks between the lectures).

OCs are not allowed to charge any extra fees for the services mentioned above unless otherwise

indicated in the Extra Fees section of the Decision Book.

There are various categories of participants that can apply to your ELSA Law School depending on

their membership status and the ELSA National Group they come from. If you are not sure

whether a country is favoured or non-favoured, you can always check it in the latest edition of the

Decision Book. As of 2022, these are the favoured and non-favoured ELSA National Groups:

a) Favoured Countries: Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia & Herzegovina,

Georgia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Rep. of Moldova, Serbia, Ukraine.

b) Non-Favoured Countries: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Cyprus,

Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Island, Ireland, Italy, Latvia,

Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia,

Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, the United Kingdom.

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The maximum participation fees are:

a) ELSA Member from a favoured country - €335 for the first seven days of the ELSA Law

School; €50 for each additional day of the official programme of the respective ELSA Law

School;

b) ELSA Member from a non - favoured country - €375 for the first seven days of the ELSA

Law School; €55 for each additional day of the official programme of the respective ELSA

Law School.

In case the ELSA Law School lasts longer than 7 days, in order to calculate the total fee including

the additional days of the official programme, you need to use the following formula, in which X

represents the number of the additional days.

a) Favoured countries: 335+(X*50)

b) Non-favoured countries: 375+(X*55)

For example, if the duration is 10 days (e.g. from Sunday to Wednesday) the fee for the participants

coming from favoured countries is 335+3*50=485 and for the non-favoured ones is

375+3*55=540.

ELSA Alumni and non-ELSA members may also participate. There is no maximum fee in place for

them hence, the amount charged is left to the discretion of the OC.

Almost every ELSA Law School sets the participation fee to the maximum. Therefore, an ELSA

Law School with lower participation fees might be more attractive and successful in competing with

the rest ELSA Law Schools in terms of receiving more applications.

6.2. Additional Fees

According to the Decision Book, only the following additional fees may be charged up to the

indicated maximum:

a) Gala Ball or Gala Reception: €50,

b) Transfer from/to expectable point of arrival:€30,

It is recommended that the additional fees shall be set up wisely by the OC due to the fact that

participants tend to apply for ELSA Law Schools with lower participation fees. Hence, you need to

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be careful when setting up additional fees. Keep in mind that the above mentioned fees are the

maximum allowed according to the Decision Book.

Additionally, the exact amount of all fees shall not be changed after 28 days prior to the opening of

the application period as stated in the respective ELSA Law Schools Calendar.

Internal transport arrangements during the official programme shall not be deemed as an

additional fee.

What is more, the OC can provide “Extra Nights” for the participants. That service applies for

participants who wish to arrive earlier or/and depart later than the official duration of the ELSA

Law School. Usually, the service covered under this fee is only accommodation. Additionally, the OC

can provide participants a pre-ELSA Law School programme (trip to a nearby city, excursion to a

beach), T-shirts, Hoodies, Hats with the logo of the ELSA Law School and/or the name of the

participant on them etc. For these services, it is at the discretion of the OC to charge any reasonable

fee for these services. The exact additional fees for these services can be indicated by the OC in the

specific section of the Additional Questions Form.

6.3. Grants

We would recommend you to focus on 3 types of grants:

• University grants - they usually have special budgets for extracurricular student activities. In

addition to the official grants published by the University, you may also discuss other potential

funding with your Academic/Institutional Partner.

• ELSA Development Foundation (“EDF”) - each ELSA Law School is eligible to apply for

funding from EDF administered by ELSA International. You may find all the information

related to the foundation in the EDF Guidelines.

• Area specific grants - e.g. Municipality, National or Local Youth grants, etc. You may find more

information about International/National Grants in the ELSA Grants DataBase.

6.4. Sponsors

When contacting sponsors, we would recommend that you have a short leaflet or document

prepared to explain what ELSA is, the ELSA Law School you are planning to run and the

advantages they can gain in sponsoring the event i.e. newsletter promotion, banner at the venue of

the ELSA Law School, exposure etc. Make sure to keep a document noting everyone you have

contacted, their contact information and the content of your communication.

Possible sponsors could be law firms, universities, banks, professional associations, public

authorities, big companies, research centres, etc.

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Keep in mind that you should not only be searching for finances, but sometimes in-kind

sponsorship based on some free products or services is even more valuable. Many companies will be

willing to provide you with free products to offer your participants their goods in exchange for

promoting them in your social media and/or among the participants of your event. In this way, you

will be able to receive refreshments, energy drinks, cookies, coffee or even notebooks and pens for

the welcoming packages of your participants for free.

6.5. Budget of the Local or National ELSA Group

In the aim of ensuring the financial sustainability of your ELSA Law School, you may contact your

Local or National Board and have your event partially sponsored by the budget of the Local or

National Group. Although it is recommended to render your ELSA Law School as a self-sufficient

and economically stable unit, you can discuss with the Local or National Board the possibility of

agreeing on a contingency financial plan for your event.

6.6. Expected Expenses

Below you will find examples of the most common expenses incurred when organising an ELSA

Law School. Bear in mind that some of those costs may not be applicable to your event.

Additionally, some of the listed expenses may be covered by partners.

The example expenses are:

● Accommodation which usually constitutes the largest expense;

● Breakfast for every day, expect the day of arrival,

● Lunch for everyday, expect either the day of arrival or the day of departure,

● Dinner for every day, expect the day of departure;

● Social programme, e.g. booking of a venue, welcome drink;

● Cultural programme, e.g. sightseeing;

● Lunch for speakers and if possible, members of the OC;

● Coffee breaks, including water and refreshments;

● Gala Ball/ Reception for participants, OC and speakers;

● Badges for the OC, participants and the speakers;

● Welcome packages for the participants i.e. notebooks, pens.

● Facebook advertising, marketing materials, camera, printing;

● T-shirts/Hoodies for the participants and the OC;

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● Accommodation, transportation and communication costs (i.e. phone calls with the

participants, speakers) for the OC.

● Transportation of the participants during the official duration of the ELSA Law School. We

recommend the OCs to hold the whole event in a few premises close to each other, if

possible, in order to facilitate the transportation of the participants;

● If affordable according to the budget, accommodation and travel expenses of the speakers.

Here it is important to mention that you should agree in advance with the speakers, whether

those expenses will be covered or not;

● Printing of materials such as: certificate of participation for participants, letters of

acknowledgement, plaques, thank you gifts for speakers, working materials or agenda for

participants.

6.7. Administrative Fee

The National or Local Group organising an ELSA Law School and being part of an ELSA Law

School Cycle shall pay an administrative fee of 300€ including a 50€ deposit to ELSA by the

deadline specified in the respective ELSA Law School Cycle Calendar. The deposit shall be

reimbursed upon the completion of the evaluation form provided by ELSA International.

If the ELSA Law Schools Cycle has to be cancelled as a whole upon a decision of the International

Board, the administrative fee may be waived.

7. Project Timeline

7.1. Coaching System

First and foremost, ELSA International is in charge of coordinating all ELSA Law Schools, and they

assist you in every step of the organising your ELSA Law School. The ELSA Law School Team

serves as a mentor by reminding you of upcoming deadlines and discussing all pertinent details, and

will be available to you at all times.

Each OC will work in close cooperation with a Coach throughout the term.

7.2. ELSA Law Schools Training Weekends

The International Board organises annually the Winter ELSA Law Schools Training Weekend and

the Summer ELSA Law Schools Training Weekend. The ELSA Law Schools Training Weekends

dedicated for the OCs to acquire knowledge regarding the organisation of ELSA Law School. The

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Vice President in charge of Seminars and Conferences together with the ELSA Law Schools Team

held workshops and individual sessions to train the OCs. The OCs are able to ask questions and

hear opinions of other officers, learn about crisis management, legal issues, finances, marketing,

formal communication and many more aspects of the ELSA Law Schools.

7.3. Unified Promotion

ELSA International is responsible for coordinating the unified application process for all ELSA Law

Schools through the ELSA Law Schools Portal, ELSA’s social media channels and mailing lists, and

collecting all the applications received.

ELSA International also creates a unified marketing kit before the opening of the application period

that is necessary for every OC to use it when creating their marketing materials. Each OC has to

conduct their own promotion by using ELSA Law Schools unified marketing kit. There are no

restrictions regarding opening social media pages and/or websites. However, such pages are required

to have certain characteristics:

● First of all, the name for social media profiles for ELSA Law Schools shall follow the

following format: “SELS/WELS (Name of Country or City) on (Topic)”. I.e: SELS

Ankara on Arbitration.

● The profile picture of the page should be the logo of the ELSA Law School. It is not

mandatory to have a designated logo for the ELSA Law School, however having one surely

offers a more professional image to your ELSA Law School. In case you opt for not having

one, you can use the logo of your local board as a profile picture.

● The cover picture of the Facebook page can be a picture of your city or a group picture from

previous editions of your ELSA Law School. However, once ELSA International published

the unified marketing kit for the ELSA Law Schools Cycle, the cover picture of the

Facebook page should follow the predisposed template.

7.4. ELSA Law School Cycles

The ELSA Law Schools Calendars specify deadlines and periods which are binding for the OC of

ELSA Law Schools. During one academic year, there shall be two ELSA Law Schools Cycles: the

Winter ELSA Law Schools (WELS) Cycle and the Summer ELSA Law Schools (SELS) Cycle.

To qualify into the WELS Cycle, the ELSA Law School shall take place between the second

Saturday of January and the last Sunday of March, and to qualify into the SELS Cycle, the

ELSA Law School shall take place between the last Sunday of June and the third Sunday of

September. The WELS Cycle comprises of six periods: specification, preparation, application,

selection, event, and evaluation. Whereas; the SELS Cycle comprises eight periods: specification,

preparation, application, selection, additional application, additional selection, event, and evaluation.

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7.4.1. Specification Period

During the specification period, the start of the respective ELSA Law Schools Cycle is announced

by the ELSA International. The announcement is made by sending the ELSA Law Schools

Specification Form together with the respective ELSA Law Schools Calendar by the end of July for

the WELS Cycle and by the end of October for the SELS Cycle. These Calendars include a set of

binding deadlines with which each OC must comply when organising an ELSA Law School.

It is recommended that the planning process for ELSA Law School starts 8-10 months before

the event. In these very early initial stages, you should begin laying the foundations for what your

ELSA Law School is going to look like. What is the topic going to be? When will it be held? Where

will it be hosted? You should be looking to answer the fundamental questions which relate to a large

scale event such as this.

The specification period ends by the 15th August for the WELS Cycle and by 30th November for

the Summer ELSA Law Schools Cycle. After filling in the Specification Form, ELSA International

will allocate to you a Coach from the ELSA Law Schools Team, and you will be asked to sign an

ELSA Law School Hosting Agreement as an Head of OC together with the legal representative of

your group.

7.4.2. Preparation Period

The deadline for filling in the Specification Form marks the beginning of the Preparation Period. In

order to facilitate communication, ELSA International establishes a Facebook group for Head of

OCs, which will be used as a primary communication channel together with the emails.

You should begin putting your plans into action. As the Head of OC, start by recruiting your OC

Members, particularly those most valuable in the early stages of preparation, such as the Head of

Academic Programme, Head of Finances and Fundraising, and the Head of the Accommodation.

Firstly because it is a good idea to make early estimates of costs which will be incurred, in order to

gauge what budget you will have to spend on speakers travel, welcome bags and other additional

expenses. Secondly, finding an Academic/Institutional Partner, which will ensure the quality of the

academic programme and assist you in approaching speakers and determining the subtopics of the

lectures/workshops is crucial. The structure of the academic and social programme should begin to

take shape at this point. You may alter this plan later in the process, you do not need to worry about

committing to one structure. Research on speakers will also be well underway, and a spreadsheet

containing speakers’ details should be developed.

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Arranging venues for accommodation and academic programme

You should research the costs of accommodation and it’s availability for the proposed dates. The

latest by one month before the application period, decide the maximum number of participants.

When the dates are set, you should negotiate a deal with the accommodation provider to book the

dates. The earlier you do,the more likely you are to find suitable accommodation for a suitable price.

During the negotiation, highlight the potential of a long term cooperation that your ELSA Group

can provide.

You should also book the venue for the academic programme, which is preferably a university

lecture hall. It is crucial to get the venue for free to minimise costs in the budget. In case the

university is not willing to provide it for free, try to contact other public institutions, law firms and

other bodies. Attending several venues during the programme might be attractive for participants

and convenient to combine with visits to law firms and institutions.

Once the accommodation and the academic programme venues are settled, search for food

providers near those venues. In order to get the best deals, try to have as many meals as possible at

the same establishment. Keep in mind that in case your accommodation provider does not provide

breakfast you might prepare the breakfast yourself. Take into consideration that traditional meals

could enrich your cultural programme!

Starting the fundraising

Contact a large number of potential partners and negotiate partnerships. During the whole

organisational process, the budget must be kept in mind, and the ELSA Law School should be

financially stable. Relying on future income from fundraising may be risky therefore, it is

recommended to take care of most of the fundraising at least 5 months before the event. Any

further income is good news, but the ELSA Law School should not be dependent on the possible

incomes on it at that point. In case you decide to rely on future uncertain income, there must be

enough resources in your Local or National Group budget to cover the shortfall.

ELSA Law Schools Portal and Additional Questions Form

ELSA Law Schools Portal is a website that offers all types of information accessible about ELSA

Law Schools to the public, hence being the main channel of the promotion related to ELSA Law

Schools. ELSA International is responsible for managing the portal and the allocation of login

details for each Head of OC. After the allocation, the Head of OC shall upload their ELSA Law

School portfolio to the Portal before the announced deadline. Each ELSA Law School portfolio

includes the information about the place, the venue of accomodation, the intended number of

participants, the date of arrival/departure, name of the Academic/Institutional Partner,

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academic/social programmes of the ELSA Law School. The steps of submission to the ELSA Law

School Portal is explained in detail in the Upload Manual prepared by ELSA International.

Additional Questions Form is a tool that facilitates collecting the necessary information about the

ELSA Law School. The form contains basic information about the ELSA Law School such as the

topic, city/country, organising ELSA group(s), participation and extra fees, and any additional

questions included in the application form. The form has to be filled in by the OC before the

announced deadline.

7.4.3. Application Period

ELSA International will review the ELSA Law School Portal to ensure compliance with the

regulations and any breaches will be brought to the attention of the OCs. In case of any doubt

regarding the regulations, contact your Coach before uploading any information to the Portal. The

applications can only be accepted through the unified ELSA Law Schools Portal.

Shaping promotion and marketing strategy

Keep in mind that everything is marketing, marketing is everything! You shall promote your ELSA

Law School using the unified marketing kit. It is important to remember that all the posts need to

meet the requirements and the characteristics of the templates found in the unified marketing kit.

Recommended focus concerning the individual promotion:

● Promotion during the internal meetings of ELSA

● Cross-promoting your ELSA Law Schools with other ELSA Groups by sharing each other

posts on Facebook and Instagram Pages;

● Creating interesting posts to attract more participants. Such posts can mention the different

aspects of your ELSA Law School:

○ Historical and cultural fun facts about your city/country;

○ Fun facts about your culture and cuisine;

○ Interesting aspects of the academic programme;

○ Presentation of the academic partner;

○ CV of already confirmed speakers;

○ Sneak peeks regarding the social programme;

○ Presentation of the sponsors;

○ Pictures of the accommodation venue;

○ Anything else which makes your ELSA Law School stand out!

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Structuring academic programme

Firstly, consult your Academic/Institutional Partner about the speakers and contact them well in

advance to confirm their availability. The template email should be fully drafted and your Head of

Academic Programme should be personalising emails for each individual. Aim to have this process

finished as soon as possible, and to have your first wave of invitations sent out. Continue to send out

more invitations where necessary. It is recommended for all the OCs to have all the lecturers

confirmed at least 4 months before the event so that you can discuss with them the flow of the

whole programme and its interactive parts (such as moot court, case study, institutional visit, etc).

Since there should be at least 2 international speakers, it is advised that all the bookings and other

arrangements for them are done well in advance. The final academic programme shall be published

by the OC at least 2 months before the event.

7.4.4. Selection Period

After the application period has been concluded, you should assess whether you have a sufficient

number of applicants. This is crucial to be checked at the latest within 2 days after the deadline in

order for you to decide whether to join the Additional Application Period, which will allow you to

receive further applications. There are two possible outcomes after the deadline:

a) If you have about thrice as many applications as spots available, you don’t need to be

concerned with the additional application period.

b) If you do not have enough applications, and considering that some applicants most likely

cancel their application after the selection, you should apply for the Additional Application

Period. In such cases, inform ELSA International in due time according to the respective ELSA

Law Schools Calendar, and request to be added to the Additional Application Period.

The first week after the application deadline, the selected applicants shall be contacted via email.

The email should congratulate the applicant and request to confirm their participation.

Furthermore, the email shall contain attached the invoice based on their application and a clear

statement that the invoice needs to be paid by a specified date otherwise the application is cancelled.

It is advisable to give the selected applicants no longer than a week, or five working days, to pay their

fee. You should require the successful applicant to reply to the e-mail with a copy of the

confirmation of their bank transfer for the full fee or at least confirmation document that the fee

has been transferred by the bank - considering that bank transfers from abroad could take a couple

of days to reach your bank account! Therefore, after you select the participants, you should inform

the respective applicants by kindly asking them to confirm their participation and to pay their fees as

soon as possible. In accordance with the Terms and Conditions of ELSA Law Schools, the applicant

becomes a participant once you inform them that their application has been accepted, at which

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point an agreement will come into force between you and them. As a result of this agreement, they

have an obligation to pay the full amount of fee.

Also keep in mind that if you take too much time on selection, it is very likely for on hold applicants

to make alternative plans.

The OC has full discretion in selecting the applicants, however, the following criteria are

recommended:

• Academic background and relevant professional experience

• Motivation letter

• ELSA Experience

• Level of English

The aim is to make the ELSA Law School as academically and culturally diverse as possible, hence

selecting participants from different countries and backgrounds is advisable.

ELSA Law Schools are open to anyone, of any age and nationality, to both ELSA members and

non-ELSA members. Furthermore, other criterias, such as the age of the candidate, should be taken

into consideration to guarantee the best unity of the participants’ group. It could otherwise then

result in it being practically difficult to adequately accommodate a more mature individual, when the

rest of the participants are all in their twenties. The goal of the OC should also be to create a group

as cohesive as possible, for making the best of the academic and the social programme.

It is also important to keep in mind that even locals and members of the organising ELSA Group

can apply and participate in the ELSA Law School. However, no discount should be applied to the

fee of these participants, even in the case of participants turning down the offered accommodation

or wanting to attend only part of the academic programme. Furthermore, the requirement of

creating a culturally diverse group should always be kept in mind.

In conclusion, all the applicants should know by the deadline specified in the respective Calendar

whether their application has been accepted, on the waiting list, or unsuccessful. The unsuccessful

applicants should be informed via an email about the outcome of their application and the

possibility to apply during the additional application period for another ELSA Law School. It is

advised that this is done as soon as feasible after it appears very likely that all spots will be filled. By

doing this early the OC helps the other ELSA Law Schools to receive further applications.

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7.4.5. Additional Application Period and Additional Selection Period

Additional application period is for ELSA Law Schools that received an insufficient number of

applications during the application period. The additional application period has the same form as

the standard application period, however, in a much shorter time frame. The abovementioned

application and selection procedure remains the same. Therefore, there will be a unified application

form and promotion by ELSA International. The selection to fill in the remaining spots should

comply with both the criteria established for the standard selection period. You should contact

applicants about the results of their selection within one week from the end of the additional

application period, and the successful applicants should be given no more than one week (or five

working days) to confirm their participants and send a copy of the bank transfer. For the additional

application and selection periods, these deadlines are even more compulsory mainly due to visa

considerations and travel arrangements.

After the closing of the additional application period, no more applications can be received!

7.4.6. Event

Communication & FB Groups

You should open a participants group in Facebook at least one month before your ELSA Law

School to make communication streamlined, and to allow them to familiarise with the OC. You can

also share pictures taken during the week from here.

Additionally, send an email to all participants before the event providing the working materials

including the timetable of the event, enue address for accommodation, academic and cultural

programme, speakers’ information, and background reading for the academic programme.

Arrival and departure of participants

In order to coordinate the participants, it is necessary to gather all the information about their

arrivals and departures (exact date, time, vehicle and place). This is suggested to be done the latest 2

weeks before the event. There are 2 kinds of participants with regard to the transfer:

a) Those who paid an extra fee and have to be transported by OC from the point of arrival to

the place of the accommodation.

b) Those who did not pay the extra fee and shall be given guidance on how to reach the place of

accommodation.

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In any case, we would recommend that you share with the participants a map explaining the easiest

ways of transport from the main points of arrival, OC’s contact details and the address of the venue.

Do not forget that the members of the OC picking up the participants who paid for the transfer

should be visible as ELSA members (a printed sign saying ELSA works best). They should have a

list of all the participants they are supposed to pick up with their phone numbers and details of the

transport. Additionally, if departure transfer has been offered as an extra fee, ensure that the

participants are informed well in advance about the time of their departure from the

accommodation premises.

Welcoming participants

The reception of the participants is key in creating a friendly atmosphere. An OC desk should be set

up for the whole day of arrival, preferably in the accommodation venue, to which all the participants

will be guided. There should be at least 2 OC members all-time ready to welcome and help the

participants with their check-ins and THE distribution of the welcome packages.

Welcome package may include:

● Name badge including the telephone number of Head of OC, emergency services, taxi and

the accommodation, and the address;

● Marketing materials distributed by your partners or sponsors (pens, notebooks, markers,

bags, calendars, educative brochures, t-shirts etc.);

● Brochure about the city and the country;

● Water and Snacks.

Transportation during the week

As it is stated above, we recommend booking premises within walking distance. If this is not

feasible, you have to bear additional costs for arranging shuttles or using public transportation. In

such cases, consider contacting the university as well as municipalities for shuttles free of charge,

look into arranging cheap shuttles or buying weekly tickets for public transportation.

If the distance is within reach, you may let the participants walk to the venues as long as they are

guided by the members of the OC. The OC should ensure to fix official departure times and

announce these to the participants in advance, so that they are ready on time and that the whole

group can leave in due time.

During the social programme, please keep in mind that several options of return should be provided

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to the participants at different times during the night. At all times, there should be a member of the

OC present to ensure that the remaining participants know how to get back.

Tips & Tricks

You planned your whole week and everything is covered, but the work is not over yet! During the

event’s week, you should pay more attention to the participants, to your OC and to the event itself,

since it’s the most crucial moment of all the process, and the one where you take responsibility the

most. Of course, each ELSA Law School is different, and there’s special details you should always

have in mind regarding your specific venue, logistics, participants, and location. With that in mind we

have established a set of advice that we recommend you pay close attention to, no matter where you

are from.

The first keyword to a successful ELSA Law School is time. If you have your whole academic, social

and cultural programmes set, you should send it to your participants beforehand, hence they can

plan their whole week according to your timetable. Previous ELSA Law Schools Cycles reveal that

delays and long waiting times are some of the most significant causes of participants’ frustration. If

you went to an unknown country with nothing but the little information the OC gave you, it is most

likely you won’t feel comfortable too! We advise you to avoid delays as much as possible. If they do

happen just remember that the participants are grown-ups, you can always talk to them and explain

any unexpected circumstances. Keep an eye on your speakers as well, they will be waiting for all the

participants at the academic programme venue! You must not keep them waiting, not only for their

sake, but also so the remaining scheduled activities can be respected and take place at the right time.

We strongly advise you to make sure all the participants are in the lecture venue on time, and that

you always accompany them from/to the venues. Keep the participation list with you at all times,

you can therefore ensure that they are all present when and where they should.

The second word you should have in mind is comfort. When we talk about “comfort” we are not

just talking about your participants’ well-being, but for your speakers to enjoy the experience and

your OC to have fun as well. Don’t be afraid to talk to the participants about what they want or how

they would feel better. In addition to the social and cultural programme, prepare some icebreakers

and team building games to encourage their networking. We all agree that the ELSA Law Schools are

a perfect opportunity to make lifetime friends and meet future business partners! Nonetheless, you

may be some sort of babysitter for them during the whole event as well. It is recommended to have

some of your OC stay accommodated with participants in case any of them needs assistance during

the night. Additionally, comfort is not all about games, making friends and having a good night's

sleep: you’re not yourself when you are hungry! Food is a delicate matter, and your ELSA Law

School is not an exception. We advise you to prepare coffee breaks, refreshments, and snacks

throughout the day, participants should access food and beverages at least each 3 hours. Always keep

in mind their dietary restrictions: the waiters or restaurants should all be notified and reminded of

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these restrictions well in advance, and usually the OC members can only “rest” when everyone gets

their adequate meal!

Our last keyword is communication. It is impossible to organise a fun and successful event without

good communication with the OC, the participants and third parties involved in your plan. It is

perfectly normal that the participants get a bit “lost” during the week, have doubts or that your

programme has some last-minute changes. You should all be in constant contact with participants

through private WhatsApp/Facebook Group Chats. Therefore, everyone will know what to expect

and that they will have the full experience they signed up for!

7.4.7. Evaluation Period

There are two Evaluation Forms provided by ELSA International that need to be completed. Firstly,

the OC shall send ELSA International a list of their selected participants including their contact

information. Subsequently, ELSA International sends out the ELSA Law Schools Participants

Evaluation Form to the respective participants in order to carry out evaluation of the whole process

of the event by the end of each month preceding the respective ELSA Law School. Secondly, after

acquiring feedback from the participants, OC, partners and any other entity involved in the

organisational process of the ELSA Law School, the Head of the OC or a designated member of the

OC shall fill in the ELSA Law Schools Evaluation Form by the announced deadline.

8. Quality Standards

ELSA Law School Hosting Agreement regulates the relationship between the International

Board and Organising Committee. It sets out, inter alia, the responsibilities of the Organising

Committee and the International Board, Quality Standards of ELSA Law Schools, Discharge of the

ELSA Law School and the Privacy Policy. During the Preparation Period, ELSA International shall

sign an ELSA Law Schools Hosting agreement with each Organising Committee.

As set out in the ELSA Law School Hosting Agreement, ELSA Law Schools are subject to Quality

Standards binding for all OC. Please find all relevant Quality standards below.

8.1. General Standards

a. Participants of an ELSA Law School shall be provided with immediate action and necessary

assistance in issues involving medical attention. There shall be at least one member of the OC

of the ELSA Law School present at the hospital or other medical institution unless otherwise

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requested by the participant;

b. Participants of an ELSA Law School shall be provided with all the necessary information with

regards to the whole programme of the ELSA Law School at least three weeks prior to the

opening of the ELSA Law School; including at least a detailed description of the

accommodation, available equipment and facilities therein, and other information about

logistics;

c. Participants of an ELSA Law School shall be provided with a participants’ badge including at

least the name of the participant, the address of the accommodation, the phone number of the

Head of the OC of the ELSA Law School and the phone number of the emergency services in

the country where the ELSA Law School takes place;

d. Participants of an ELSA Law School shall be provided with a reception package upon their

arrival at the ELSA Law School, including at least the programme of the ELSA Law School

and information about the city.

8.2. Accommodation and Meals Standards

a. Information about the accommodation shall be shared with the prospective participants of an

ELSA Law School the latest by the opening of the application period;

b. No more than six participants shall be accommodated in one room;

c. Rooms shall be divided between the participants of an ELSA Law School based on their

gender unless they agreed otherwise;

d. Only participants of an ELSA Law School shall be accommodated together in one room

unless they agreed otherwise;

e. At least one showering facility and one toilet shall be at the disposal of every six participants

of an ELSA Law School;

f. Rooms and bathrooms shall be cleaned at least once every two days;

g. Free wireless internet connection shall be at the disposal of the participants of an ELSA Law

School in the venue of the accommodation;

h. Served meals shall be diverse and shall respect dietary restrictions, allergies and preferences of

the participants of an ELSA Law School stated by them in the application form;

i. Water shall be included in every meal served to the participants of an ELSA Law School.

8.3. Transportation Standards

a. Public transportation tickets for the participants of an ELSA Law School shall be purchased in

advance unless it is impossible due to external factors;

b. Participants of an ELSA Law School shall be taken from the place of arrival or receive detailed

guidance on how to get to the place of destination including information about estimated

transportation prices and possible discounts;

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c. A minimum of one member of the OC the ELSA Law School shall be present when using

public or private transport providing all the necessary assistance to the participants. This shall

not apply to participants who are late to the provided transportation or those who have

waived their right to the presence of a member of the OC of the ELSA Law School.

8.4. Academic Programme Standards

a. Preliminary academic programme of an ELSA Law School shall be published at the latest by

the opening of the application period and a complete academic programme at the latest two

months before the starting date of an ELSA Law School;

b. Materials relevant for the academic programme shall be distributed to the participant of an

ELSA Law School at least three weeks prior to the event;

c. At least six speakers with various academic backgrounds shall be delivering the academic

programme of an ELSA Law School;

d. At least two speakers delivering the academic programme of an ELSA Law School shall be

international, wherein international means either being based or having an academic or

professional experience in a different country than the country the ELSA Law School takes

place;

e. The academic programme shall not be separated from the ELSA Law School and shall be

delivered exclusively for the participants of the respective ELSA Law School;

f. Free wireless internet access shall be at the disposal of the participants and speakers of the

ELSA Law School in the venue of the academic programme;

g. At least one member of the OC of the ELSA Law School shall be present during the academic

programme in order to be at the disposal of the speakers and participants of the ELSA Law

School;

h. A certificate of participation shall be granted to participants of an ELSA Law School; however

only to those participants, who attended at least 85% of the academic programme of an ELSA

Law School. If this requirement is not fulfilled, the OC of the ELSA Law School may decide

whether or not the absence of the participant of the ELSA Law School is justified.

8.5. Social and Cultural Programme Standards

a. The social programme shall be diverse, be provided each day of the official programme of an

ELSA Law School, and aim at giving the participants the opportunity to get to know each

other as well as the culture of the country;

b. The cultural programme shall include at least sightseeing;

ELSA Law Schools - Handbook

c. At least one member of the OC per 10 participants shall be present at the official social and

cultural programmes of an ELSA Law School, providing all necessary assistance to the

participants.

8.6. Promotion

a. All marketing materials used to promote an ELSA Law School shall be compliant with the

ELSA Law Schools marketing kit;

b. An ELSA Law Schools portfolio published on the ELSA Law Schools website shall include at

least: a description of the event, information about the venue of the event, preliminary academic

and social programmes, and contact information of the OC.

Contact

If you need any additional assistance, do not hesitate to contact the Director of ELSA Law Schools

at lawsc[email protected]. Furthermore, you can always seek support from the Vice President in

charge of Seminars & Conferences of the International Board of ELSA at

[email protected]