Many lawyers describe themselves as "business lawyers."  Indeed, according to one estimate, sixty per cent of lawyers identify business law as a significant part of their practice, and the range of their experiences is varied.  Business lawyers may, for example, represent multi-national corporations in sophisticated financings, advise family-owned businesses on succession planning, or assist entrepreneurs in starting up a new business.  They may serve as outside counsel to their business clients or join the business as inhouse counsel.  Lawyers who are employed by, or practice before, federal or state governmental agencies can also play an important role in the regulation of business.      

The Business Law Curriculum offers students a solid foundation in the issues confronting business lawyers.  Students interested in business law should plan carefully to take full advantage of the offerings in this area and are encouraged to meet with Professor Black, the Director of the Corporate Law Center, in their first year.

Business Law Core Curriculum
Core business law courses help students build a foundation for advanced-level courses and prepare them for summer employment after the second year.  We strongly encourage second year students to take the following courses:

• Accounting for Lawyers (open only to students with no accounting background)
• Corporations I
• Corporations II
• Federal Income Tax
Securities Regulation

In addition, we have identified the following courses as "core."  Students should plan to take these courses in either their second or third year.

• Administrative Law
• Agency, Partnership and Unincorporated Associations
• Antitrust
• Bankruptcy
• Corporate Finance
• Corporate Tax I and II
• Intellectual Property

Business Law Electives
We also recommend that students chose, depending upon their particular interests,  from a variety of other electives.  Students are encouraged to take courses that will help them improve their lawyering skills, such as drafting and negotiating. 

• Bankruptcy:  Business Reorganization
• Business Planning
• Corporate Transactions:  Negotiating and Drafting
• Counseling the Public Corporation
• Employee Benefits Law
• Employment Discrimination
• Employment Law
• International Business Transactions
• Mediation Advocacy
• Negotiations
• Partnership Tax
• Payment Systems
• Real Estate Transactions
• Sales
• Secured Transactions
• Securities Enforcement and Litigation
• White Collar Crime

Corporate Law Externships
Students have opportunities to gain experience and earn academic credit by working in the legal departments of some of Cincinnati's leading corporations.

Joint J.D./M.B.A. Programs
Qualified students may earn both the J.D. and the M.B.A. degrees in four years. The first year is spent exclusively in the College of Law; the second in the College of Business Administration, with the third, and fourth years primarily in the law school. Students must apply and be admitted separately to the Law School and the College of Business Administration M.B.A. program.