CEES is one of North America's leading academic institutes for the study of the member states of the European Union, the countries of the former Soviet Union, and Central and Eastern Europe. CEES promotes interdisciplinary scholarship and teaching in the social sciences and humanities and provides a rich academic environment for graduate students. Apart from access to the country's largest group of faculty experts on the region, students also benefit from the presence of a number of visiting scholars, past and current leaders and policymakers from the region of study, and a full roster of lectures, workshops, and conferences in all the related disciplines throughout the academic year.<br>Legal issues are at the forefront of the changes currently transforming Russia and Eastern Europe, and the Combined JD/MA (European and Russian Affairs) Program in partnership with the Center for European, Russian, and Eurasian Studies at the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy enables students interested in these issues to combine their law degree with intensive study of this region. The program permits the completion of both degrees in four years rather than the five years it would take to acquire them independently. In the first year of the program, students complete all first year courses at the Faculty of Law. In the three combined upper years, students fulfill the compulsory requirements of the upper years of the JD and the course requirements for the combined program.