Business Law Concentration

The Business Law Institute at the University of Mississippi School of Law offers a program of concentration in business law for students who seek to develop special expertise in business law during their law school careers. In an increasingly competitive marketplace, the concentration provides an edge for students who have demonstrated their commitment to and interest in business law. Upon completion of the requirements of the Business Law concentration, students will be awarded a Concentration evidencing completion and a notation on their official transcript. The concentration in Business Law is one of the many exciting opportunities offered to aspiring business lawyers by the Law School’s Business Law Institute.

Business Law Concentration Requirements

A student may be recognized for concentrating in classes and other credit-earning activities by satisfying the following requirements:

  1. Successfully completing Corporations and Bankruptcy;
  2. Successfully completing at least 6 credit hours of Core Courses;
  3. Successfully completing at least 6 skills credit hours (this includes Contract Negotiation & Drafting);
  4. Successfully completing at least 24 total credit hours in Core Courses, Specialized Expertise courses and Other Eligible Courses.
  5. Corporations and Bankruptcy must be taken for a letter grade. All credits counted toward satisfying the 24-credit hours Concentration requirement must be graded (i.e., at least 24 total credit hours taken for a grade), and the student must obtain at least a 3.0 grade point average for those credits. The GPA calculation shall include grades for Corporations, Bankruptcy, at least six credit hours of Core Courses and at least six credit hours of skills courses).

Due to scheduling constraints and prerequisites, students must plan carefully in order to complete the Concentration.  Core Courses, skills courses, and Other Eligible Courses that have been offered in the past are listed below.  Each Core Course is offered each year but others may not be offered every year.  A list of the specific courses offered in any given term will be disseminated prior to enrollment for that term. You may find it helpful to download the Planning Tool linked below to help you plan your course selection.

Planning Tool for Completion of the Business Law Concentration

Core Courses

  1. Secured Transactions
  2. Partnership Taxation
  3. Income Taxation of Corporations and Shareholders
  4. International Tax
  5. Business Planning
  6. Corporate Finance
  7. Intellectual Property
  8. Real Estate Transactions
  9. Securities Regulation

Skill Courses

Contract Negotiation & Drafting
Transactional Law Clinic

Any of the following provided that it is focused on business law and has been approved by the designated faculty member prior to enrollment for the term in which the credits are earned:

  • Externship
  • Individual Study
  • Writing class that satisfies the Upper Level Writing Requirement
  • Eligible Business Law Concentration Course taught as a skills class

Eligible Business Law Concentration Courses

  • Accounting for Lawyers 573 (1-3)
  • Administrative Law 605 (3)
  • Agricultural Law 674 (3)
  • Alternative Dispute Resolution (2-3)
  • Antitrust Law 621 (2-3)
  • Analytical Methods (1)
  • Banking Law 607 (2-3)
  • Bankruptcy 558 (3)
  • Bankruptcy Reorg. Seminar 622 (3)
  • Business Planning 629 (1-3)
  • Climate Law and Policy
  • Commercial Paper 694 (2-3)
  • Comparative National Space Law 677 (3)
  • Copyright Law 657 (3)
  • Corporate Finance (3)
  • Deferred Compensation 660 (3)
  • Disability Law and Policy 717 (2-3)
  • Emerging Issues in Intellectual Property 756 (3)
  • Employee Benefits Law 728 (3)
  • Employer-Employee Relations 645 (3)
  • Employment Discrimination 640 (2-3)
  • Energy Law 746 (3)
  • Entertainment Law 709 (3)
  • Environmental Law 581 (3)
  • Fed. Tax./Gratuitous Transfers 626 (2-3)
  • Gaming Law 661 (2-3)
  • Health Care Law 726 (3)
  • Income Taxation of Corporations and Shareholders
  • Income Taxation of Individuals
  • Income Tax Clinic
  • Insurance 559 (2-3)
  • Intellectual Property 580 (2-3)
  • International Aviation Financing 753 (3)
  • International Commercial Arbitration 722 (3)
  • International Finance 543 (3)
  • International Intellectual Property 732 (2-3)
  • International Law 620 (2-3)
  • International Space Law 680 (3)
  • International Telecommunications Law 752 (3)
  • International Trade 575 (2-3)
  • International Trade and Commercial
  • Labor Arbitration Law 624 (3)
  • Labor Law I 614 (3)
  • Labor Law II 617 (2-3)
  • Law and Economics 576 (2-3)
  • Mergers & Acquisitions
  • Mutual Fund & Hedge Fund Reg. (2-3)
  • Oil and Gas 609 (3)
  • Partnership Taxation 634 (1-3)
  • Real Estate Transactions
  • Secured Transactions (3)
  • Securities Regulation
  • Sports Law 647 (3)
  • Sports Law Review 611 (1)
  • Tax Problems 623 (1-3)
  • Transactional Law Clinic
  • U.S. Domestic Space Law 679 (3)
  • U.S. National Aviation Law 723 (3)
  • White Collar Crime 735 (3)
  • Workers’ Compensation 618 (2-3)

As appropriate, additional courses and Advanced/Special Legal Topics focusing on business law may be included in this category on a case-by-case basis upon approval by the designated faculty member and/or Senior Associate Dean.

Intent to Pursue Business Law Concentration (pdf)

Statement of Completion of Business Law Concentration (pdf)