Fall 2007:
Corporate and Securities Law Track Curriculum
See also Corporate and Securities Law Sequence.
Note: The faculty and administration increased the number of credit hours required for graduation from 84 to 89 effective with the class entering in the fall of 2006.
Click here to view Track Requirements for students who entered in Fall 2006
Click here to view Track Requirements for students who entered in Fall 2005 or earlier
The Corporate and Securities Law Track is designed to give students specialized preparation for practice in law firms and in-house corporate counsel offices in fields related to corporate finance and financial markets. Approximately one-third of the credits required for graduation must be in corporate and securities law courses.
The course requirements for the Corporate and Securities Law Track are as follows:
- 32 credit hours in corporate and securities law courses
- 40 credit hours in required General Law Program courses (including Professional Responsibility)
- 17 credit hours in elective courses
Selected Course Descriptions
Business Associations provides a detailed introduction to the law and economics of agency, partnerships, limited partnerships, and corporation law. The second half of the course focuses on publicly traded corporations.
Unincorporated Businesses is intended to be a modern successor to "Agency and Partnership." The course focuses on general and limited partnerships as well as several new business forms: limited liability companies, limited liability partnerships, limited liability limited partnerships, business trusts, and unincorporated nonprofits. The course covers the theoretical, legal, and business context of unincorporated firms, including choice of form considerations and exercises in drafting governance documents and statutes.
Securities Law and Regulation examines the disclosure system and securities market regulation, including registration, exemptions, and remedies under the Securities Act of 1933; reporting and accounting standards under the 1934 Act; the proxy system; Section 16(a) reporting; state "blue sky" laws; and the regulation of broker-dealers, specialists, and self-regulatory organizations.
Corporate Acquisitions focuses principally on state corporate law, though consideration is also given to federal securities, tax, and antitrust laws. Topics covered include business and tax considerations relevant to acquisitions, methods of corporate combinations, directors' duties in connection with sales of control, appraisal rights, and target defensive tactics.
Corporate and Securities Track Thesis. The Corporate Track Thesis requires the student to develop, refine, and expand a research paper into an article suitable for publication in law journals.
Schedules for the Corporate and Securities Law Track
Note: The following schedules are illustrative of the general order in which students should take courses. Some courses might not be offered during the semesters indicated in these schedules, so be sure to check with the Records Office for a current schedule of courses.
| Day Division | Evening Division | |||
| First Year - Fall | First Year - Fall | |||
| Legal Research, Writing, and Analysis I | 2 | Legal Research, Writing, and Analysis I | 2 | |
| Torts | 4 | Torts | 4 | |
| Contracts I | 2 | Contracts I | 2 | |
| Property | 4 | Economic Foundations of Legal Studies | 3 | |
| Economic Foundations of Legal Studies | 3 | |||
| Total | 15 | Total | 11 |
| First Year - Spring | First Year - Spring | |||
| Legal Research, Writing, and Analysis II | 3 | Legal Research, Writing, and Analysis II | 2 | |
| The Founders' Constitution | 2 | The Founders' Constitution | 2 | |
| Contracts II | 3 | Contracts II | 3 | |
| Civil Procedure | 4 | Civil Procedure | 4 | |
| Criminal Law | 3 | |||
| Total | 15 | Total | 11 | |
| Second Year - Fall | Second Year - Fall | |||
| Appellate Writing (LRWA III) | 2 | Appellate Writing (LRWA III) | 2 | |
| Constitutional Law I | 4 | Constitutional Law I | 4 | |
| Business Associations | 4 | Property | 4 | |
| Income Tax | 4 | Elective | 2 | |
| Total | 14 | Total | 10-12 |
| Second Year - Spring | Second Year - Spring | |||
| Legal Drafting (LRWA IV) | 2 | Legal Drafting (LRWA IV) | 2 | |
| Unincorporated Businesses | 2 | Criminal Law | 3 | |
| Securities Law and Regulation | 3 | Constitutional Law II | 2 | |
| Constitutional Law II | 2 | Electives | 3-5 | |
| Corporate Acquisitions | 2 | |||
| Electives | 4 | |||
| Total | 15 | Total | 10-12 |
| Third Year - Fall | Third Year - Fall | |||
| Corporate Income Tax | 3 | Business Associations | 4 | |
| Corporate and Securities Track Thesis | 2 | Income Tax | 4 | |
| Bankruptcy | 3 | Bankruptcy | 3 | |
| Secured Finance | 3 | |||
| Electives | 4 | |||
| Total | 15 | Total | 11 |
| Third Year - Spring | Third Year - Spring | |||
| Partnership Tax | 3 | Securities Law and Regulation | 3 | |
| Electives | 11-12 | Unincorporated Business | 2 | |
| Corporate Acquisitions | 2 | |||
| Corporate Tax | 3 | |||
| Electives | 2 | |||
| Total | 14-15 | Total | 10-12 |
| Fourth Year - Fall | ||||
| Corporate and Securities Track Thesis | 2 | |||
| Secured Finance | 3 | |||
| Electives | 6-7 | |||
| Total | 11-12 |
| Fourth Year - Spring | ||||
| Partnership Tax | 3 | |||
| Electives | 8-9 | |||
| Total | 11-12 |
| Total Hours: | 89* | Total Hours: | 89* |
*Professional Responsibility (2) may be taken at any time prior to graduation.
See also Corporate and Securities Law Sequence.