Graduate Program in Banking & Financial Law

The Graduate Program in Banking & Financial Law prepares domestic and foreign-trained lawyers for leadership positions in the American and international banking and financial services industries.

Degree Requirements and Curriculum

As of the 2012–2013 academic year, this LLM program requires successful completion of 12 courses. With the exception of the Banking Structure and Regulation course, all courses are elective. The course offerings are focused and seek to give students a thorough understanding of financial services law through a combination of regulatory, transactional, and business-oriented courses. Students with non-U.S. law degrees may need to take additional courses, such as Introduction to the American Legal System, if they wish to qualify to take American bar examinations, requirements for which vary from state to state. With the permission of the associate director, students may take a maximum of two courses related to banking and financial services in the School of Law’s JD program and Graduate Tax Program or from the graduate curriculum of the School of Management.

Optional Concentrations

The program offers six optional concentrations:

• American Banking & Financial Law offers a full range of financial law courses designed for students who intend to practice law or work in the United States financial services industry.
• Compliance Management focuses on designing a compliance system for financial and commercial institutions in a heavily regulated environment in order to avoid mismanagement and fraud.
• Financial Services Transactions is ideal for lawyers seeking to gain experience in conducting complex financial services transactions (internship required).
• International Banking & Financial Law is intended to meet the needs of lawyers who must work in a financial services market that is increasingly global in scope.
• Lending & Credit Transactions is geared for lawyers who wish to specialize in debt financing, including issues involving the constitution of security over property, foreclosure, and bankruptcy.
• Securities Transactions is designed for those interested in matters involving equity and debt securities and the management of funds.

Internships

The Financial Services Law Internship course was launched to provide students with real-world experience in the practice of financial services law. During their second semester, foreign and domestic students completing the concentration in Financial Services Transactions may work at a law firm, financial services organization, or regulatory agency under the supervision of a lawyer and a faculty advisor. Students have completed internships at ACCION International, Bank of America, Craig and Macauley PC, the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, and Neighborhood of Affordable Housing, among others.

Student Activities

The program is administered by a team of professionals dedicated to the academic and personal growth of each student. At the beginning of the academic year, students attend an orientation program and Financial Services Basics, a two-day primer on the business of the financial services industry. Each student meets with an academic advisor to develop an individualized study plan. The program regularly collaborates with the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, the Boston Bar Association, and the Center for Finance, Law & Policy to organize lectures, symposia, and round-table discussions on issues affecting the financial services industry. Students are encouraged to deliver lectures to their colleagues as part of the Student Lecture Series. Membership in the Review of Banking & Financial Law, a scholarly publication of BU’s School of Law, is open to students in the program through competitive examination. Students may also participate in community service opportunities organized by the program, such as those involving financial literacy and foreclosure prevention.

Additional Information and Applications

You can learn more about the Graduate Program in Banking & Financial Law, including the application process and tuition and financial information, at www.bu.edu/law/prospective/llm/banking.

• Candidates must hold a JD from an accredited law school in the United States. For applicants educated abroad, we require a first degree in law, such as a bachelor of laws or its equivalent, from a comparably recognized law school or law faculty outside the United States.
• LLM Scholars Program: All applicants to the Graduate Program in Banking & Financial Law are eligible to receive merit-based scholarship awards in the form of generous partial tuition waivers. All applicants are automatically considered, with no additional forms required.