UC Davis School of Law - Academics and Clinicals - Areas of Concentration: Business Law

Academics and Clinicals

Business Law

Designed for Those Interested in Transactional Law

The Business Law area of concentration provides students with the background necessary to succeed as business lawyers in the global financial world.

Students begin their studies with the fundamentals, including business associations and federal income taxation. They can then select from a wide range of advanced courses in securities regulation, corporate and partnership taxation, finance, antitrust, corporate governance, bankruptcy, and commercial law. Transactional approaches are further explored in a business-planning seminar, where students draft business documents.

Learn Beyond the Classroom

"I had many diverse educational opportunities as a law student at UC Davis, all of which were important contributions to my career as a bankruptcy lawyer and business executive. I attended a broad range of classes taught by commercial law experts, and participated in small and focused seminars on corporate law issues, all the while gaining strong advocacy skills on the moot court team. This breadth and the quality of my education provided the perfect springboard for my professional life."

Pamela Kohlman Webster

Class of 1982
President and CEO
Buchalter, Nemer, Fields & Younger, Los Angeles

UC Davis School of Law specializes in creating practical legal experiences for all students. Many students interested in business law participate in employment relations, federal taxation, legislative, or judicial externships, and gain the writing, research, and negotiation skills essential to practicing in this field. In addition, moot court competitions provide unique opportunities to develop trial and advocacy skills.

Students also enhance their education by participating in organizations or working on journals—the Law School sponsors approximately 40 student organizations and five scholarly journals. A few selected activities particularly useful to business law students include:

Business Law Journal
International Law Society
Journal of International Law and Policy
King Hall Intellectual Property Law Association
Labor and Employment Law Committee
Tax Law Society – Volunteer Income Tax
UC Davis Journal of International Law and Policy
UC Davis Law Review

Studies

Explore Emerging Issues

As globalization of the world economy continues, business is increasingly international in scope. The UC Davis Business Law curriculum ensures graduates have the skills required to succeed in this environment with courses in conflict of laws, comparative law, international business transactions, international tax, and international intellectual property. In addition, cutting-edge courses in e-commerce and intellectual property in cyberspace cover the novel legal issues raised by new information technologies.

Study with Faculty Renowned for Their Scholarship and Experience

Business Law faculty include national corporate law scholars—each with extensive experience in private law practice. They are also some of the best legal scholars in the nation. Many Business Law courses are taught from casebooks authored by UC Davis law professors.

Business Law Courses

Curriculum Clusters Years Two and Three

(Elective courses are offered on a rotating basis. Not all courses will be taught in any given year. Please check the Course Description webpage for current course offerings.)

Antitrust
Basic Finance
Business Associations
Business Planning and Drafting
Commercial and Bankruptcy Law
Estate and Gift Taxation
Estate Planning Seminar
Farmworkers and the Law
Federal Income Taxation
International Business Transactions
International Finance
International Investment
Dispute Seminar
Law and Economics
Law of E-Commerce

Mergers and Acquisitions
Nonprofit Organizations
Nonprofit Organizations: State &
Local Governance Issues
Nonprofit Organizations: Tax Exemptions
and Taxation Focus
Pension and Employee Benefit Law
Private International Law
(Conflicts of Law)
Products Liability
Real Estate Finance
Securities Regulation I
Securities Regulation II
Taxation of Partnerships and LLCs
Trusts, Wills and Decedents' Estates

Earn Additional Advanced Degrees

UC Davis is recognized for excellence in graduate studies and the professions. Law students can take advantage of opportunities to complete combined degree programs in conjunction with the nationally recognized Graduate School of Management (http://gsm.ucdavis.edu External Link ) or most master's degree programs offered by the campus (http://gradstudies.ucdavis.edu ).

Join a Network of Graduates with Diverse, Rewarding Careers

UC Davis law alumni who studied business law work in law firms, corporations, consulting and accounting companies, and nonprofit organizations throughout the world. Their practices involve a variety of legal areas, including:

Banking
Bankruptcy
Corporate Law
Corporate Securities
Finance

Health Care
Intellectual Property
Mergers and Acquisitions
Municipal Bonds

Public Offerings
Real Estate Law
Secured Transactions
Tax Law Trusts and Estates