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Finance and Development Program

The School of Law offers students a curricular program focused on finance and the role of lawyers in business transactions, including courses with a particular focus on economic, commercial and residential development.

This Program provides a valuable foundation for students seeking to pursue careers not just in what is traditionally called corporate law, but equally importantly in a wide range of related practice areas including financial services; regulation and compliance; and private or nonprofit development.

The Program in Finance and Development is based on the recognition that the best business lawyers are part of a team engaged in creatively solving problems, with the client's goals always in mind.  Successful representation of clients seeking to develop commercial or residential properties; buy or sell assets; or raise, invest, borrow, or lend money requires much more than a narrow understanding of certain legal constraints or rules that place limits on the client's proposed plans.  Central to finance and development practice is the exercise of informed judgment within the uncertain and complex set of economic, social and political conditions and the relationships that shape the client's business and legal options. 

Our Program is designed to help students begin to acquire the varieties of substantive knowledge, skills and understandings that are important for successful business lawyers.

Contact

Director: Professor John Schlegel

On this page:

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Apply

To apply for a Concentration or Curricular Program, please submit an online application.

Program Structure

Students must receive a minimum grade of B in any course used to satisfy any of the requirements for completion of this program.

A. Required Courses

Students in the Program are required to successfully complete Acquisition Transactions and either (i) one semester of the Finance Transactions Colloquium or (ii) a course in the UB in NYC Program, as well as satisfy the course requirements described in Section B below.  Note: The Finance Transactions Colloquium will only be offered in either the Spring semester or the Fall semester, but not both. Third year students who plan on completing the Program must note when the Colloquium is available and plan accordingly. Acquisition Transactions will not be offered again Spring 2024.

B. Context Courses

Students will be required to complete a total of 15 credits of coursework in courses that study the context of business and business transactions. These courses include law school courses such as corporations, taxation, securities regulation, debtor-creditor law and secured transactions. Any School of Management course which is cross-listed with the Law School can be used to meet this requirement. In addition, 6 credits earned in the NYC Program may be used to satisfy the Context Course requirement. A list of those courses which meet the context requirement can be found below.

C. Transactional Courses

These courses allow students the opportunity to analyze and participate in actual or simulated transactions. Students will be required to complete a total of 3 credits in these courses. Neither Acquisition Transactions nor the Finance Transactions Colloquium may be used to satisfy this requirement. A list of courses which meet this requirement is below.

Courses

A. Context Courses (15 credits required)

  • Advanced Bankruptcy
  • Advanced Corporations
  • Administrative Law
  • Bankruptcy Reorganization 
  • Bankruptcy
  • Business Associations
  • Business Basics for Lawyers
  • Business Organizations
  • Commercial Transactions
  • Community Economic Development Law
  • Comparative Corporate Governance
  • Copyright Law
  • Corporate Compliance Conduct 
  • Corporate Reorganization
  • Corporate Tax 
  • Employment Law
  • Environmental Law
  • Federal Taxation
  • In-House Counseling
  • Insurance and Public Policy
  • International Business Transactions
  • International Trade
  • Introduction to Compliance & Expanding Employment Opportunities
  • Introduction to Patent Practice
  • Land Use Planning
  • Money, Central Banking & Monetary Policy
  • Partnership Taxation
  • Pension and Employee Benefits
  • Regional Economic Development
  • Secured Transactions 
  • Securities Regulation
  • Taxation of Business Entities
  • Theory and Practice of Negotiations
  • Topics in Regional Economic Development
  • Trademark Law
  • UB in NYC Program (up to 9 credits)

Any School of Management course which is cross-listed with the School of Law can be used to meet the Context Course requirement. In addition, Transactional Course credits in excess of the transactional course requirement (3 credits) may be used to satisfy the Context Course requirement.

B. Transactional Courses (3 credits required)

  • Advanced Finance (various topics such as Monetary Policy, Regulation, etc.)
  • Affordable Housing and Community Development Clinic 
  • Corporate Finance
  • Corporate Finance Seminar
  • Entrepreneurship Law Clinic
  • Finance and Financial Markets
  • International Business Transactions
  • Related Practices
  • New York City Program in Finance and Law (Program Faculty) - Maximum of 3 credits

Courses offered may change due to faculty availability. Any student planning to take a course which is not listed above, but which seems appropriate may check with the Program Director.