Business Law Track Requirements
A Guided Path of Study
The Business Law Track will expose you to core substantive courses in business law and socialize you to the business community and business law practice through experiences such as Foundations of Business Law, Financial and Accounting Basics for Lawyers, and individual mentoring with faculty and practitioners involved with the Business Law Program. The Business Law Program will work closely with you to develop and market your transactional and counseling skills. Upon successfully completing the Business Law Track, you will receive a Letter of Completion to accompany your transcript, which will highlight your skill sets and professional attributes that make you well-suited for a business law-related career.
The Business Law Track requires students to complete the following: (i) seven Core Courses; (ii) a business focused Experiential Learning Requirement (i.e., externship or clinic); and (iii) two business-related Elective courses. Each of these components is further described below. In addition, students pursuing the track are expected to attend at least two meetings with the program director or associate director prior to graduation.
Participating in the Business Law Track
Students are not required to commit to the Business Law Track, but those who are considering it should join the Business Law Track Blackboard course as soon as possible as an expression of interest. Students enrolled in the track course will receive exclusive news, invitations, and other offers by email from the Business Law Program, and they may also receive priority consideration for certain opportunities, such as participation in the transactional law team. To join, please log on to Blackboard, search the course menu for "Business Law Track," and submit a request for enrollment. Prior to graduation, students will formally elect the Business Law Track upon completing the requirements and requesting a Letter of Completion.
Learning Outcomes
1. Students will demonstrate understanding of substantive law related to business associations; income taxation; and another business law-related practice area, such as bankruptcy, secured transactions, or securities regulation
2. Students will be capable of performing legal analysis and reasoning in the areas of business law above
3. Students will demonstrate a basic understanding of business, accounting, and finance fundamentals
4. Students will demonstrate the ability to perform legal analysis and reasoning, problem solving, and written and oral communication to address challenges in working with parties whose business concerns and objectives may differ
5. Students will demonstrate the professional skills of negotiation, collaboration, and counseling through 1) drafting and negotiating contract terms; 2) putting together a completed group work product; and 3) making presentations to clients
6. Students will hone their practical business law skills in research, problem solving, client counseling, advocacy, and professional and ethical responsibility through an immersion experience in a business focused externship or business focused clinical program.
The Business Law Program requires students to complete seven Core Courses, as listed below.
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* Financial and Accounting Basics for Lawyers may be waived for students who have undergraduate or graduate degrees or minors in Business, Accounting, Finance, or related areas. Any student who may be eligible for a waiver must request program review and receive a signed approval form from the director or associate director.
** Courses that currently qualify for the Transactional Skills Course Requirement are: Business Planning Seminar; Contract Drafting; Environmental Law Seminar: Business Transactions; Real Estate Negotiation and Drafting; and Writing in Law Practice: Drafting Negotiated Agreements.
*** Courses that currently qualify for the Statutory Course Requirement are: Administrative Law; Bankruptcy & Creditors Rights; Securities Regulation; and Commercial Law: Secured Transactions.
Sequencing
We recommended that students interested in the Business Law Track sequence their course work according to the following schedule:
| Fall 1L | Spring 1L |
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| Fall 2L | Spring 2L |
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| Fall 3L | Spring 3L |
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In addition to the Core Courses, the Business Law Program requires students to complete at least 4 credit hours of experiential learning in business law, either in a program-approved externship or the Intellectual Property and Entrepreneurship Clinic, Low-Income Taxpayer Clinic, Mediation Clinic, Consumer Protection Clinic, or Consumer Bankruptcy Clinic. Students choosing to satisfy the Experiential Learning Requirement through an externship must receive approval of their proposed externship experience from the Business Law Program’s associate director, who serves as a faculty advisor and teaches a course in conjunction with the Business Law Externship program. (Additional information and examples of externship placements follows in the “Experiential Learning Plan” section.) This requirement may be waived under certain circumstances for evening students (or, in some cases, day students) who are working in an environment that provides equivalent experiential learning opportunities to a traditional business-related externship. Any student who may be eligible for a waiver must request program review and receive a signed approval form from the director or associate director.
Total credits: minimum 4
We're glad you're interested in dropping in on our new Foundations of Business Law course.
The schedule of classes is below and all students are welcome to attend any and all classes they choose. Foundations in Business Law classes are being held virtually via Zoom. For Zoom access to a class session or if you have any questions, please email Frank Lancaster. We look forward to seeing you!
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Syllabus |
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Week |
Class |
Subject Matter |
Lecturer |
Readings |
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Week 1 |
Monday, 1/11 (Two Hours) |
Introduction / Basic Financial Principles |
Professor Van Alstine |
Hamilton/Booth, Chapter 1 |
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Wednesday, 1/13 (One Hour) |
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Week 2 |
MLK Holiday, 1/18 |
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Wednesday, 1/20 (One Hour) |
Basics of Accounting and Financial Reporting I |
Professor Blair-Stanek |
Hamilton/Booth, Chapters 2 & 6 |
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Week 3 |
Monday, 1/25 (Two Hours) |
Basics of Accounting and Financial Reporting II |
Professor Blair-Stanek |
Hamilton/Booth, Chapters 2 & 6 |
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Wednesday, 1/27 (One Hour) |
Commercial Law I |
Professor Van Alstine |
Materials on Blackboard |
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Week 4 |
Monday, 2/1 (Two Hours) |
Legal Capital |
Guest Presenter: James Hanks |
Background Reading, Manning/Hanks, Legal Capital (4th ed., 2013) |
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Wednesday, 2/3 (One Hour) |
Commercial Law II |
Professor Van Alstine |
Materials on Blackboard |
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Week 5 |
Monday, 2/8 (Two Hours) |
Business Organizations I |
Professor Moon |
Hamilton/Booth, Chapters 10 & 11 |
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Wednesday, 2/10 (One Hour) |
Real Estate and Mortgages |
Professor Van Alstine |
Hamilton/Booth, Chapter 3 |
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Week 6 |
Monday, 2/15 (Two Hours) |
Business Organizations II |
Professor Moon |
Hamilton/Booth, Chapters 10 & 11 |
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Antitrust Law |
Guest Presenter: Michael Brockmeyer |
Materials on Blackboard |
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Wednesday, 2/17 (One Hour) |
Securities Regulations and Related Subjects I |
Professor Tu |
Hamilton/Booth, Chapter 12 |
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Week 7 |
Monday, 2/22 (Two Hours) |
Securities Regulations and Related Subjects II |
Professor Tu |
Hamilton/Booth, Chapter 12 |
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Wednesday, 2/24 (One Hour) |
Basic Principles of Corporate Finance |
Professor Van Alstine |
Materials on Blackboard |
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Week 8 |
Monday, 3/1 (Two Hours) |
Tax Law |
Professor Tobin |
Materials on Blackboard |
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Wednesday, 3/3 (One Hour) |
Corporate and Commercial Litigation |
Guest Presenter: Ava Lias-Booker |
TBA |
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Week 9 |
Monday, 3/8 (Two Hours) |
Bankruptcy Law |
Guest Presenter: Judge Michele Harner |
Bankruptcy Basics: A Primer (on Blackboard) |
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Wednesday, 3/10 (One Hour) |
Accounting, Auditing, and Consulting Firms |
Guest Presenter: Tamika Tremaglio |
Materials on Blackboard |
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Spring Break: 3/15–3/19 |
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Week 10 |
Monday, 3/22 (Two Hours) |
Contract Drafting |
Professor Ertman |
Developing Prof. Skills: Secured Transactions 1-25 (on Blackboard) |
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Wednesday, 3/24 (One Hour) |
Sports and the Law |
Guest Presenter: Barry Gogel |
Materials on Blackboard |
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Week 11 |
Monday, 3/29 (Two Hours) |
Deal Structuring for Mergers and Acquisitions |
Guest Presenter: Joseph Ward |
Hamilton/Booth, Chapter 13 |
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Wednesday, 3/31 (One Hour) |
Corporate Compliance |
Guest Presenter: Alexina Guiomar-Jackson |
Materials on Blackboard |
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Week 12 |
Monday, 4/5 (Two Hours) |
Intellectual Property Law I |
Professor Campbell |
Materials on Blackboard |
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Commercial Arbitration |
Guest Presenters: James Egerton-Vernon & Melissa Gorsline |
TBA |
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Wednesday, 4/7 DIFFERENT TIME 3:15-4:10 |
Intellectual Property Law II |
Professor Campbell |
Materials on Blackboard |
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Week 13 |
Monday, 4/12 (Two Hours) |
Intellectual Property Law III |
Professor Campbell |
Materials on Blackboard |
| The Work of In-House Lawyers | Shayon Smith Assistant General Counsel, The Hershey Company |
Materials on Blackboard |
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Wednesday, 4/14 (One Hour) |
International Business Transactions I |
Professor Van Alstine |
Materials on Blackboard |
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MLK Holiday Makeup Day |
Monday, 4/19 (Two Hours) |
International Business Transactions II |
Professor Van Alstine |
Materials on Blackboard |
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Training Your Brain for Practice & Life |
Professor Hansen |
Materials on Blackboard |
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In addition to the Core Courses and the Experiential Learning Requirement, the track requires students to complete two business law-related elective courses, which may also satisfy a student’s Cardin Requirement. Some course choices are noted below. For more information, please visit the course catalog.
Administrative Law
Admiralty Law
Alternative Methods of Dispute Resolution
Antitrust Law Seminar / Course
Arbitration
Bankruptcy and Creditors Rights
Business Aspects of Health Care Law Seminar
Business Planning Seminar
Commercial Law: Sales
Commercial Law: Secured Transactions
Consumer Protection Clinic
Consumer Protection Seminar / Course
Contract Drafting
Copyright Law
Corporate Accountability and Social Justice
Corporate Governance Seminar / Course
Corporate Taxation
Employment Law
Estates & Trusts
Financial Derivatives Regulation
Foundations of IP Practice
Foundational Transactions Skills in Secured Transactions
Government Contracts
Insurance Seminar / Course
Intellectual Property and Antitrust Law
Intellectual Property Law and Entrepreneurship Clinic
Intellectual Property Law Survey
International Arbitration
International Business Transactions
International Tax: Structuring Cross Border Transactions
International Trade Law Seminar / Course
Law and Economics
Law and Policy of the Regulatory System
Law Practice Management
Low Income Taxpayer Clinic
Mediation Theory and Practice Clinic
Mergers & Acquisitions
Negotiation
Not-for-Profit Corporations
Patent Law
Real Estate Transactions
Securities Regulation
Tax Controversies and Tax Fraud
Taxation of Executive Compensation
Taxation of Partnerships and Limited Liability Companies
Tax Policy Seminar
Trade Secrets Seminar
Trademarks and Unfair Competition
Transactional Lawyering Competition
Workers' Rights in the Global Economy Seminar
Writing in Law Practice: Advising Government Agencies
Writing in Law Practice: Drafting Negotiated Agreements
PLEASE NOTE: Courses chosen to satisfy one requirement will not also count to satisfy a different requirement. You may not “double-count” any courses you take for the Business Law Track, although you can choose how to count a particular course that may fall into more than one requirement category.
Q: Do I have to declare myself as a candidate or do something affirmative to pursue the Business Law Track?
A: Yes. You should submit a request to be enrolled in the “Business Law Track” course through Blackboard. This identifies you to the Business Law Program as a student interested in business law and gives us the opportunity to work with you and get to know you for purposes of providing the Letter of Completion upon your graduation. The expression of interest is non-binding, and you can opt not to pursue the track at any time.
Q: Do you need a business or finance background to participate in the Business Law Track?
A: No. You simply need an interest in business law and a desire to learn basic business and finance principles that will enrich your understanding of the legal concepts you will study in the courses included in the Business Law Track. The Financial and Accounting Basics for Lawyers course is designed to provide this understanding of basic business and finance principles.
Q: Can I receive a waiver of the Financial and Accounting Basics for Lawyers course if I have a business or finance background?
A: Yes. The Financial and Accounting Basics for Lawyers course is designed to provide a basic understanding of key business and finance principles. Accordingly, students who already possess this general understanding can obtain a waiver of the Financial and Accounting Basics for Lawyers requirement upon approval from the program.
Q: Do Business Law Track students get a preference for enrollment in the Core Courses?
A: The Business Law Program will work with students and the registrar's office to ensure that students are able to take the required courses prior to graduation.
Q: What is the difference between the 4-credit and 3-credit Business Associations course?
A: Although the content of each section of Business Associations, as with any course, is determined by the professor teaching the section, the primary difference is the extent of coverage given to the various components of business law. The 4-credit course covers agency law, partnership and limited liability company law, corporation law and securities law. The 3-credit course will not cover all of these areas or necessarily cover them in the same detail.
Q: Do I have to take Corporate Finance if I took that course in Business School or during my undergraduate studies?
A: The Corporate Finance course offered in connection with the Business Law Track is different in scope and focus from courses of a similar name offered outside of the law school. Although the Corporate Finance course covers some basic finance and valuation principles, the majority of the course focuses on the legal implications of corporate finance principles and how the law instructs decisions regarding a company's capital structure and the rights of the parties participating in that capital structure. Students may, however, be able to take a different course in place of Corporate Finance with program approval.
Q. Can I substitute a different course for one of the non-core course requirements?
A. Maybe. Students seeking recognition for the non-core course requirement with a substitute course must receive written approval for the substitution from the director or associate director of the Business Law Program.
Q: Will I receive a certificate upon completing the Business Law Track?
A: No. The Business Law Track is designed as a guided curriculum that will help students develop the skill set necessary to work or practice law in the business community. Students pursuing the Business Law Track will work closely with the program director, and upon completion of the required courses, the Business Law Program will issue a Letter of Completion that details the student's preparation for practice through the Business Law Track.
Q: How can I identify myself as a student pursuing the Business Law Track to prospective employers?
A: Prior to completing the Business Law Track, students can identify themselves as a "Business Law Concentration Candidate." After completing the Business Law Track and receiving their Letter of Completion, students can list "Business Law Concentration" on their resumes. In addition, students can provide copies of their Letter of Completion to prospective employers.
Q: Do I have to pursue the Business Law Track in order to take courses identified as part of the track?
A: No. All students are welcome to take the courses identified as part of the Business Law Track, including Financial and Accounting Basics for Lawyers. We also welcome all students to take Foundations of Business Law, provided that there is available space.