LL.M. Menu

LL.M. Curriculum

The Vanderbilt LL.M. curriculum includes three tracks, each tailored to meet individual goals and satisfy state-specific bar requirements. In one year, our curriculum will help you build a strong foundation and understanding of the U.S. legal landscape.

LL.M. Curriculum
Section Contents

one program, three tracks

LL.M. students enrolled in any of the three curriculum tracks may choose from all courses offered during their year of study at Vanderbilt Law School - all tracks also satisfy the course requirements for New York Bar eligibility. In addition, during the fall semester, all LL.M. students are required to take Introduction to Legal Research, Writing and Analysis in the United States. This course, which is specifically tailored to meet the needs of foreign attorneys and scholars, provides a distinct academic forum in which LL.M. students learn: 

  • how to conduct legal research in the United States
  • the fundamental, generally accepted conventions of written legal analysis and citation in the United States
  • the basic vocabulary of legal analysis and advocacy in the United States

All LL.M. students must also take the course entitled Life of the Law. 

LL.M. students may enroll in an additional non-credit course, Legal English, which addresses the legal vocabulary. This valuable course acquaints students with the legal terms and idioms they will encounter in the classroom and in legal texts. 

Academic Programs

Whatever your scholarly interests may be, Vanderbilt Law has a course for you. We offer 10 academic programs that allow students to tailor their graduate education to suit their professional goals. During their time in the LL.M. degree program, students can choose from the following areas of study and take a deep dive into the fields of law that most interest them.

Law & Business Track

The Law & Business curriculum and is widely known for producing lawyers who understand not only the legal and regulatory environment in which businesses operate, but also understand corporate governance, the principles of finance and accounting, and the economic frameworks of transactions. Upon completion of the track, students receive a certificate in Law & Business. 

The Law & Business Track includes a foundational core curriculum on which students build expertise in areas of interest by choosing from an extensive range of elective courses. 

The core curriculum is comprised of 5 required courses: 

  • Corporations or Corporations and Business Entities
  • Introduction to Corporate Finance and Accounting for Lawyers
  • Securities Regulation
  • Introduction to Legal Research, Writing and Analysis in the United States 

One of the following courses is also required:

  • Federal Tax Law
  • Bankruptcy
  • Mergers and Acquisitions

Students complete an additional 9 credit hours beyond the core curriculum by choosing from a remarkably rich array of elective courses, including corporate governance, mergers and acquisitions, corporate restructuring, bankruptcy, law and economics, antitrust law, corporate taxation, corporate voting, and secured and global transactions. 

Law & Business Track students may enter only in the fall semester each year and must complete degree requirements during one academic year (sequential fall and spring semesters). Students are required to take a minimum of 27 credits and may earn a maximum of 30 academic credits. 

Students may choose from a wide range of courses to fulfill an elective requirement of 9 credit hours.

  • Law & Business Electives

    Advanced Problems in Corporate Law SeminarAlternative Business Entities Short CourseBankruptcy
    Business and Securities ResearchCapital Markets: Theory and PracticeCommercial Litigation Finance Short Course
    Community Enterprise ClinicCorporate Governance: Basic Foundations and Trends in Today's EnvironmentCorporate Litigation
    CorporationsCorporations and Business EntitiesDrafting & Negotiating Private M&A Transactions
    Drafting and Negotiating Public Mergers and Acquisitions TransactionsDrafting Securities FilingsDisruptive Technologies & the Evolution of Corporate Law Short Course
    Entertainment Industry Transactions: Negotiations and DraftingEstate Taxation and PlanningFederal Tax Law
    Gaming LawGovernment Contract LawHedge Fund Regulation and Compliance
    International Economic LawInternational Mergers and AcquisitionsInternational Project Development and Finance Short Course
    International Mergers and Acquisitions International Project Development and Finance Short CourseIntroduction to Corporate Finance and Accounting for Lawyers
    Law as a BusinessLawyering Skills for Cross-Border Corporate PracticeLifecycle of a Corporation
    Mutual Fund Regulation Short CourseNetworks, Law, and Entrepreneurial StrategyPrivate Environmental Governance and Corporate Sustainability Short Course
    Securities LitigationStatutory Revolutions in Delaware Corporate Law: A Short CourseThe Swinging Pendulum in Corporate Law
    Venture Capital Seminar

Course Track

Students in the Course Track choose their courses from the law school's broad curriculum. Your faculty advisor or a law school administrator will help you tailor your studies to your career goals and intellectual interests. Students are required to earn 24 to 28 credits over two semesters of course work. 

Thesis Track

Students in the Thesis Track conduct extensive research that culminates in a lengthy scholarly paper. In addition to elective hours, total credit hours must include a substantial scholarly research and writing project, for which students may earn up to 7 course credits. Students are required to earn 24 to 28 credits over 2 semesters of course work.