Business Law
Business Law at UC Law San Francisco
Prepare for a Career at the Intersection of Law and Business
UC Law San Francisco offers a robust, integrated pathway for students interested in corporate, transactional, and business-focused legal careers. Through our Business Law Concentration, experiential learning opportunities, student organizations, and scholarly publications, students gain the doctrinal foundation, practical skills, and professional networks needed to succeed as business lawyers.
Business law encompasses overlapping areas of practice that support clients in:
- Business transactions and deal-making
- Entity formation and corporate governance
- Regulatory compliance
- Strategic management of legal, litigation, and business risk
Graduates pursue careers in leading law firms, in-house legal departments, startups, and regulatory and advisory roles.
Business Law Concentration
The Business Law Concentration allows students to tailor their legal education toward corporate and transactional practice through a structured yet flexible curriculum.
Core Curriculum
Students complete foundational courses that form the backbone of business law practice:
- Business Associations – Internal governance and management of business entities
- Bankruptcy or Secured Transactions – Creditors’ rights and commercial finance
- Securities Regulation – Investment transactions and securities markets
Electives
A wide range of qualifying electives enables students to customize their focus, including courses in:
- Taxation
- Intellectual Property
- Regulatory compliance
- Finance and commercial law
Capstone Experience
To complete the concentration, students select one capstone course that emphasizes advanced analysis or real-world practice:
- Startup Legal Garage (Corporate Module)
- Social Enterprise and Economic Empowerment Clinic
- Research Seminar in Law & Economics
Total units required: 22
Advisor: Abe Cable
Students can find the most up-to-date course requirements in the UC Law SF Course Catalog.
How to Enroll
To enroll, students must submit a Concentrated Studies Application to the Office of the Registrar after obtaining the required signatures. To be listed in the commencement program, applications must be submitted no later than the first week of classes of the semester in which the student plans to graduate.
Experiential Learning: Startup Legal Garage
The Startup Legal Garage is the flagship experiential program of the Institute for Innovation Law and a centerpiece of business law training at UC Law SF.
Students provide free, supervised legal services to early-stage Tech and BioTech startups, gaining hands-on experience while working alongside leading Bay Area law firms. Typical client matters include:
- Corporate formations and governance
- Capitalization tables and financing support
- Intellectual property strategy and freedom-to-operate analyses
- Foundational contracts and personnel issues
The program’s active classroom model integrates doctrinal instruction with live client representation, exposing students to real-world legal practice early in their law school careers.
Startup Legal Garage partners with prominent incubators and law firms, offering students unparalleled exposure to the startup ecosystem.
Student Life: Business Law Society
The Business Law Society (BLS) connects students interested in corporate and transactional law with academic, professional, and networking opportunities.
- Programming on business law courses and career paths
- Access to alumni practicing in diverse business law fields
- Information on scholarships, internships, and professional development
- Networking events with practitioners and firms
BLS serves as a hub for students exploring or committed to careers in business law.
Scholarship and Publishing: UC Law Business Journal
The UC Law Business Journal (formerly the Hastings Business Law Journal) is a student-edited scholarly publication featuring work by academics, practitioners, and law students.
The Journal examines domestic and international developments shaping the evolving relationship between law and business. It serves both as a forum for legal scholarship and a practical research resource for the legal community.
Students involved with the Journal gain experience in legal research, writing, and editing while engaging with cutting-edge issues in corporate governance, regulation, taxation, and economic policy.
A Comprehensive Business Law Ecosystem
Together, the Business Law Concentration, Startup Legal Garage, Business Law Society, and UC Law Business Journal create a comprehensive ecosystem for students interested in business law. This integrated approach ensures that graduates leave UC Law San Francisco with:
- A strong doctrinal foundation
- Practical, client-facing experience
- Professional connections in the Bay Area and beyond
- Opportunities to contribute to legal scholarship
For prospective students seeking a dynamic, practice-oriented business law education in the heart of San Francisco, UC Law SF offers an unmatched platform to launch a successful legal career.