Business Law Concentration

1.1. Overview:

The School of Law’s Business Law Concentration is designed for law students who are interested in topics related tobusiness law, whether that be in the context of a transactional or commercial litigation practice.

1.2 Concentration Requirements, In General:

To complete the Business Law Concentration, a law student must:

1.  Submit the Intent to Complete form attached to this document to the Concentration Director prior to September 1 of the student’s final academic year at the Law School;
2. Complete required courses Business Entities (6435); Commercial Law (6420); and Income Tax (6434);
3. Earn at least 10 credit hours by completing the core elective and specialty elective courses stated below (see 1.3 below) and achieve at least a 3.0 cumulative grade point average in the required, core elective,* and specialty elective concentration courses;
4. Complete a scholarly research paper on a topic related to business law (see 1.4 below); and
5. Submit a completed Requirements Summary form to the Concentration Director at least two weeks prior to the last day of class in the semester in which the student plans to graduate.

1.3 Core Elective & Specialty Elective Concentration Courses:

1. Every law student completing this concentration must complete at least two core elective courses totaling no less than five credit hours. 
   Advanced Business Entities (6098)
   Bankruptcy Law (6001)
   International Business Transactions (6306)
   Mergers & Acquisitions (6053)
   Securities Regulation (6028)
   Taxation of Business Entities (6041)
2. Every law student completing this concentration must complete at least two specialty elective courses totaling no less than five credit hours.
   Accounting for Lawyers (6018)
   Agricultural Law (6254)
   Banking Law (6317)
   Copyright Law (6252)
   Commercial Litigation (6218)
   Corporate Restructuring (6242)
   Discrimination in Employment (6065)
   Employment Law (6071)
   Energy Law (6302)
   Energy Tax (6259)
   Energy Transactions (6263)
   Entertainment Law (6217)
   Environmental Law (6327)
   Gaming & Racing Law (6090)
   Insurance Law (6009)
   Introduction to Intellectual Property (6039)
           (NOTE: this course may not be designated as an elective if either Patent
              Law or Trademarks and Unfair Competition is designated)
   Law Office Management (6243)
   Negotiation Workshop (6035)
   Non-Profit Organizations (6312)
   Oil and Gas I or II (6311, 6318) 
             (NOTE: only one Oil and Gas course may be designated as an elective)
   Oil and Gas Lease Negotiation (6112)
   Patent Law (6050)
   Real Property Finance and Transactions (6304)
   Sports Law (6055)
   Tax Practice and Procedure (6324)
   Taxation of International Transactions (6012)
   Technology Transfer Taxation (6232)
   Telecommunications Law and Policy (6014)
   Trademarks and Unfair Competition (6034)
   Transactional Practice (6016)
   Vineyard and Winery Law (6057)
   Special Topics**
   **(NOTE: see Section 1.6 below.)

1.4 Scholarly Research Paper:

Every student completing this concentration must write a scholarly research paper in the subject area. The scholarly paper must be:

1. At least 6,000 words, including footnotes (citations must follow Bluebook and any other applicable citation rules); and
2. On a topic significantly related to business law as approved by the Concentration Director.

If the above requirements are met, the scholarly research paper may be (a) a paper used to satisfy the Law School’s upper-level writing requirement, (b) a paper prepared for an independent research project, or (c) an article selected for publication in the Texas Tech Law Review or Estate Planning and Community Property Law Journal or a non-TTU law journal of equivalent caliber as approved by the Director. The student must have received a grade of at least B on the paper (or in the course if the paper was not separately graded).  
 
If the paper was not prepared for a course or a graded independent research project, the Concentration Directormust review the paper and determine that it would have received a grade of at least a B had it been submitted in a course.

1.5 Concentration Completion:

Each student is responsible for submitting a Requirements Summary form to the Concentration Director at least two weeks before the last day of class during the semester in which the student intends to graduate. Once the Concentration Director certifies to the Office of the Registrar that all concentration requirements have been met, a “completion of concentration” notation will be included on the student’s law school transcript.

1.6 Modifications and Concentration Credit for Special Topics Courses:

The Director may change the requirements of the Concentration and may waive or modify any requirements where necessary or appropriate to achieve equity or fairness. *For example, in lieu of specialty electives, the Director may approve a student’s application of additional core elective credits obtained beyond the first five credit hours toward the required total of 10 credits needed.

**To receive credit for a special topic course to serve as an elective concentration course, you must have the Director of the Business Law Concentration’s written approval, which shall be granted in the sole discretion of the Director.

Concentration Contacts

Lauren Valastro
Assistant Professor of Law
Frank McDonald Scholar in Business Law
lauren.valastro@ttu.edu

Intent to Complete