Welcome Message
Dear Students, It has often been said that crises are opportunities in disguise: you merely have to change your perspective and see the opportunities that other people don't. Here at the Graduate Program, we are in the business of seeing those opportunities and making sure that our graduates are equipped to take advantage of them. As the United States emerged out of the financial crisis, Congress passed the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. While policy makers debate its effectiveness, this law, and its rules, has fundamentally changed the practice of financial services law in the country. Our students will have a unique opportunity to learn the law at the same time that practicing lawyers, judges and regulators grapple with its provisions. It is a unique moment to gain expertise at the same time that the rest of the legal profession has its first brush with the law. It is an opportunity worth seizing and we hope that you will see our unique perspective on this. The Graduate Program in Banking and Financial Law has been at the forefront of financial services law since 1984. It is the oldest LL.M. program of its kind in the United States and, since its inception, has trained more than 2,000 lawyers for leadership positions both in the United States and around the world. Our graduates hold influential positions in government, law firms, corporations, financial institutions of all types, and multilateral and non-governmental organizations around the world. The program has its roots in Boston University's Morin Center for Banking and Financial Law, which was founded in 1978 as the first institution in an American university devoted to the study of banking law. In this program, we seek to provide an education that is both relevant and practical. We train our students so that they can immediately and effectively contribute in a professional setting. To do this, we make sure that our curriculum reflects the needs of the industry and equips our students with current information and skills. More importantly, we assemble a faculty of financial services professionals who are masters in their field and who have the passion, dedication and commitment to teach and train young lawyers. We also strive to deepen our students' knowledge through co-curricular activities that expose them to the issues of the day and the practical realities of the workplace such as through round-table discussions, lunchtime lectures, internships and fellowship opportunities. Students may, at their option, apply for membership to the Review of Banking and Financial Law, the nation's oldest student-run law journal devoted to this subject. We hope to attract serious professionals who would like to spend their careers in the financial services profession. Because of the recent upheavals in the financial markets, we believe that the Program's mission has never been more relevant than today. The future will offer opportunities in abundance for financial services lawyers who are familiar with the industry and the regulatory and supervisory environment in which it operates. If you share our perspective and see opportunities where others don't, we invite you to join us in the Program. We can assure you that it will be an enlightening experience. Sincerely, |
