Overview
Students may pursue a Concentration certificate in one of two areas:
(i) Business Law or (ii) Business Law and Financial Services.
Concentration students pursuing the certificate in Business Law must complete 21 - 22 credits in Concentration courses, broken down to 13 - 14 credits in Core courses, 2 credits in Practicum courses and 6 credits Elective courses.
Concentration students pursuing the certificate in Business Law and Financial Services, must complete 22 - 23 credits in Concentration courses, broken down to fourteen 13 - 14 credits in Core courses, 2 credits in Practicum courses and 7 credits Elective courses. Students who opt to receive the certificate in Business Law and Financial Services must tailor their elective courses to include Banking Law and at least 2 other specific elective courses, as described below. Specific elective courses required of students who opt to receive the Business Law and Financial Services certificate are noted at the end of this section.
For complete course descriptions, please consult the Elective Courses section of the Suffolk University Law School. Please note that not all courses are offered each semester and plan accordingly.
Courses
Core Courses 13-14 Credits
All of the following four (4) courses are required of all Concentration students
Choose one of the following:
B. Business Practicum Courses and Externships
Students must also take one (1) of the business practicum courses listed below or, alternatively, complete a for-credit externship with a business or financial placement pre-approved by the Concentration Faculty Director. Students who opt to complete more than one (1) course from this list may count the additional course(s) as a Concentration elective(s). Externships for the concentration must relate to business law or financial services and eligible externships will be determined by the Concentration Director. All eligible externships must be accompanied by a corresponding classroom component. The classroom component may be satisfied by enrollment in either Legal Process and Practice or in an approved business law or financial services elective course. Students will not receive Concentration credit for their enrollment in Legal Process and Practice. Students who seek to satisfy the classroom component in conjunction with a financial services elective must be supervised in their externship by the full time resident course professor, including meeting with the professor on a regular basis, submitting externship time logs and journals, completing other assignments, and generally complying with the requirements applicable to externships taken in conjunction with a course.
Practicum Courses
| LAW-2945 | Business of Practice: Hit the Ground Running | 2 |
| LAW-2555 | Business Planning | 2 |
| LAW-2716 | Commercial Lending and Finance Practicum | 2 |
| LAW-2972 | Compliance Practice Seminar | 2 |
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| Intellectual Property Law and Entrepreneurship Clinic | |
| LAW-2987 | Negotiating Business Transactions: A Simulation Course | 3 |
| LAW-2283 | Negotiation | 2 |
| LAW-2299 | Private Placements & Venture Capital Practicum | 2 |
| LAW-0064 | Securities Moot Court Team | 2 |
Elective Course Requirements
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| Business Law | 6 |
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| Business Law and Financial Services | 7 |
Students who opt to receive the Concentration certificate in Business Law may choose, in their own discretion, among the following courses to complete the elective course component of the Concentration. Special Requirements for students who opt to receive the Concentration certificate in Business Law and Financial Services are noted immediately following this elective course list.
Elective Courses
With the approval of the Concentration Faculty Director, other courses offered as part of the Law School’s Summer Galway program, that are of a similar curricular character to other general Concentration electives, may be counted as Concentration electives.
Special Requirements for the Business Law and Financial Services Certificate
Students who seek to receive the Concentration certificate in Business Law and Financial Services must take Banking Law and at least two (2) elective courses from the list of courses below as part of the seven (7) elective credits for the Concentration.
Courses
And at least two (2) other courses among the following
The Graduate Program at the Sawyer Business School- up to 6 credits
Students who are not participating in a dual degree program may opt to take a maximum of six (6) elective credits in the Graduate Program at the Sawyer Business School courses. The number of credits taken at the Graduate Program at the Sawyer Business School will reduce a student’s number of Law School elective credits. Students must take the Law School course, LAW-2005 Accounting for Lawyers, or demonstrate equivalent accounting proficiency, prior to enrollment in any of the Graduate Program at the Sawyer Business School. Students who are participating in a dual degree program may not count any credits earned in the Graduate Program at the Sawyer Business School toward fulfillment of the Concentration’s elective course requirements. Students who are not enrolled in a dual degree program may use up to six (6) credits of courses from the Graduate Program at the Sawyer Business School courses, including MBA 650 – Value Based Financial Management, for Concentration credit. Other Graduate Program at the Sawyer Business School courses in Accounting and Finance, which generally fall within the coded ACCT and FIN course headings, are also acceptable, and may be approved for Concentration credit in the discretion of the Concentration Faculty Director. For a complete Sawyer Business School course catalog and current course schedules, please visit the Sawyer Business School.
How to Enroll
Enrollment in the Business Law and Financial Services Concentration is accomplished by filing a Notice of Enrollment form.
Concentration enrollment may occur as soon as a student completes the first year in law school in good standing.
The latest date students may enroll in a Concentration is October 1st for students graduating in January, and Feb. 1 for students graduating in May.
Formal enrollment in the Business Law and Financial Services Concentration is not complete until the Notice of Enrollment form is filed. Once enrolled in the Concentration, students will be invited to participate in a variety of programs and special events of interest to business, corporate, finance and tax practitioners.
Please Note: Students may pursue a Concentration certificate in one of two areas: (i) Business Law OR (ii) Business Law and Financial Services. Specific elective course requirements for the Business Law and Financial Services certificate are noted on the courses webpage, under the headline "Special Requirements for the Business Law and Financial Services."
Requirements
Continued enrollment in the Business Law and Financial Services Concentration is contingent upon the student:
- Completing the four (4) required core courses (13 - 14 credits)
- Completing either an internship with a business, corporate, finance or tax placement OR a Concentration Practicum course; (at least 2 credits)
- Business Law and Financial Services Concentration: Completing at least seven (7) additional elective course credits so that it is possible to complete the required 22 - 23 credits in approved Business Law and Financial Services Concentration courses by the time the student graduates;
- Business Law: Completing 6 additional elective course credits so that it is possible to complete 21 - 22 credits in the Business Law concentration.
- Periodically reviewing the student's progress in attaining the requisite grade point averages with the Concentration Faculty Director and/or the Office of Academic Services; and
- Obtaining the Concentration Faculty Directors' approval of the student's plan for completing the Concentration's writing requirement.
- Meeting the GPA Requirements for the Concentration
Notice of Completion
Upon completion of the required courses, externship, clinical or Practicum course elective courses, the writing requirement and total credit hours required by the Business Law and Financial Services Concentration, students must complete and file a Notice of Concentration Completion form with the Office of Academic Services.
The latest date students may file Concentration Completion forms is Nov. 1 for January graduates, and March 1 for May graduates.