Business Law

Lawyers today in all areas of practice must have a good understanding of business and commercial law. As a result, business and commercial law is a focus of teaching, scholarship and public service at UC Irvine Law.

Courses

In addition to Business Associations, which is a fundamental core course for all UC Irvine Law students, UC Irvine Law offers a range of upper-division courses in the business and commercial law area. These courses include Accounting and Finance for Lawyers, Antitrust, Banking Regulation, Bankruptcy, Consumer Law, Corporate Tax, Federal Income Tax, Insurance Law and Policy, International Business Transactions, Mergers and Acquisitions, Non-Profit Corporations, Partnership and LLC Tax, Secured Transactions and Securities Regulation.

Hands-On Learning and Public Service

At UC Irvine Law, students can get real-world business and commercial law experience through clinics and pro bono work.  In the Community Economic Development Clinic, students have the opportunity to do transactional work on behalf of community groups, individuals, non-profit organizations and small businesses. The Community Economic Development Clinic focuses on the development of transaction-oriented lawyering skills, and provides students with business skills and the fundamentals of business law and an introduction to public-spirited legal work outside the litigation context. 

The Startup and Small Business Clinic (SSBC) provides students with an opportunity to gain real-life experience handling transactional legal issues. Students in the Clinic assist business owners and entrepreneurs in Orange County and the surrounding region in navigating the legal complexities of the startup and/or small business world. The Clinic aims to operate as a capstone law school experience for students interested in practicing business and transactional law.

Additional Opportunities

Business law opportunities at UCI Irvine Law go beyond coursework, clinics and public service. UCI Irvine Law students have established a number of organizations with a business and commercial law focus, including the Business Law Society, which provides students with professional networking opportunities and leadership training in corporate and business law sectors, and the Entertainment Law Society, which focuses on business and legal issues relating to music, film, fashion, video games, sports, and other industries of interest.

UC Irvine Law is also home to the UCI Long US-China Institute, established as a premier research entity to facilitate and further develop important relationships between the U.S. and China as related to commerce and law.