one program, three tracks

LL.M. students enrolled in any of the 3 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; and 
  • 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. 


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

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 Securities RegulationEntertainment Industry Transactions: Negotiation and DraftingNegotiation and Drafting of Key Corporate Documents
    Alternative Business Entities Short CourseGovernment Contract LawPartnership Taxation
    Antitrust LawHealthcare Mergers & AcquisitionsPrivate Equity: Transactional Drafting and Practice
    Antitrust Law for Big TechHedge Fund Regulation and Compliance Short CoursePrivate Mergers and Acquisitions - Drafting and Negotiation
    Approved Non-Law ElectivesIntellectual Property & Antitrust LawPrivate Mergers and Acquisitions Short Course
    BankruptcyInternational ArbitrationReal Estate Finance and Development
    Business and Securities ResearchInternational Business TransactionsReal Estate Transactions
    Comparative Corporate Governance Short CourseInternational Mergers and Acquisitions Short CourseRegulation of Financial Institutions
    ContractsInternational Trade LawRole of Corporations Seminar
    Corporate BankruptcyIntroduction to Private Equity Short CourseRole of In-House Counsel
    Corporate ComplianceLaw and Business SeminarSecured Transactions
    Corporate Legal Risk ManagementLaw as a BusinessTaxation of Non-Profit/Tax Exempt Organizations
    Corporate Litigation Short CourseLegal OperationsTextualism and Originalism Seminar
    Corporate TaxationMergers and AcquisitionsThe Swinging Pendulum in Corporate Law Short Course
    Disruptive Technologies and the Evolution of Corporate Law Short CourseMergers and Acquisitions Short CourseTransactional Practice Workshop Short Course
    Economic Regulation of Finance SeminarMutual Fund Regulation Short CourseVenture Capital Seminar
    Energy Industry Mergers and Acquisitions Short CourseNegotiated Public M&AWhite Collar Crime 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.

Have Questions?

If you have any questions about the application process, please contact the Admissions Office at (+1) 615-322-6452 or the email below.