TRANSACTIONAL LAW PROGRAM Boston University School of Law’s Transactional Law Program addresses an important need in today’s legal marketplace. Law firms and other legal employers increasingly expect their new hires—from the time they start practicing—to be real contributors in providing high-quality legal services on a cost-effective basis. This requires that students leave law school with not only an understanding of relevant core legal doctrine, but also a solid foundation of essential practice skills they can use starting their first day on the job. The principal goal of our TRANSACTIONAL LAW PROGRAM is to provide these skills to students seeking a career in transactional practice and to those who will need these skills at some point in their careers, regardless of the specific area of legal practice they pursue. The program includes intensive hands-on training and practice in drafting, analyzing, and negotiating contracts, and in various other practice skills required of transactional practitioners. Students may pursue a concentration in Transactional Practice, or take a few courses in the Transactional Law Program. Either way, they have access to a broad array of courses and learn key practice skills taught by our faculty, including seasoned transactional practitioners. TO COMPLETE THE TRANSACTIONAL PRACTICE CONCENTRATION, STUDENTS MUST: Complete the following five courses: ȖȖContract Drafting ȖȖCorporations ȖȖIntroduction to Federal Income Taxation ȖȖCorporate Finance or Financial Management or Corporate Financial Management ȖȖFinancial Reporting for Lawyers or Financial Reporting and Control
Complete at least two of the following courses: ȖȖAntitrust Law ȖȖBankruptcy & Creditors’ Rights ȖȖBusiness Law: Secured Financing Transactions ȖȖIntellectual Property ȖȖInternational Business Transactions ȖȖMergers & Acquisitions ȖȖMutual Funds (Investment Companies) ȖȖPartnership Tax I and II ȖȖSecurities Regulation ȖȖShareholder Activism ȖȖTaxation of Corporations and Shareholders Complete at least two of the following courses*: ȖȖBankruptcy Practice: Chapter 11 Reorganization and Sales of Businesses ȖȖHealth Care Transactions ȖȖInternational Business Agreements: Negotiating, Structuring, and Drafting ȖȖNegotiated Mergers & Acquisitions ȖȖNegotiation ȖȖPrivate Equity and Venture Capital Transactions ȖȖRepresenting Life Sciences Companies: Biotechnology, Pharmaceuticals, and Medical Devices ȖȖTransaction Simulation: Sale of a Family Business and Related Real Estate ȖȖTransaction Simulation: Auction and Sale of a Private Company ȖȖTransaction Simulation: International Business Collaboration * Commencing with the Class of 2017, one must be a transaction simulation.
Professor Kent Coit Professor of the Practice of Law Director, Transactional Law Program Kent Coit joined the BU Law faculty after retiring as a partner in the Boston o�ice of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, where he practiced in the �irm’s Mergers & Acquisitions Department for nearly 30 years.
“
“
The transaction simulation course, Auction and Sale of a Private Company, provided an excellent primer on many of the tasks I regularly perform today. Due to this course and the Contract Drafting course, I not only feel comfortable implementing the mechanics of a deal into an agreement, but I also learned how to identify and think about higher-level issues and risks.
”
“
HAN CHOI (’14)
Gunderson Dettmer, New York
Our 2014 graduate who participated in the Transactional Law Program has been a tremendous asset to our practice. We worked closely together on one of the largest private financings of a life science company ever reported, and she was with us every step of the way. She had a firm grasp of the structure of the transaction, the documentation that was being negotiated, and the overall process to get the deal closed. First-year associates often struggle with understanding the ‘big picture’ of a particular transaction, but she was ahead of the curve. We closed a record deal ahead of schedule, and she was a significant contributor to the team.
”
Our Transactional Law Program helps bridge the gap between what students learn in traditional law school classes and the skills they need when they enter the legal practice arena. Our innovative, intensive hands-on courses are designed to provide training in foundational transactional practice skills to enable our graduates to ‘hit the ground running’ in a law firm or other practice venue. The foundational course of the program is a one-semester course called Contract Drafting. Students who complete this course are eligible to take one of our ‘capstone’ skills-focused courses. These are intensive semester-long simulations of a business transaction, some based on actual deals, in which students perform the tasks typically assigned to junior, and even more senior, attorneys at various stages in the transaction. We’ve received very encouraging feedback on the program, both from students, and, importantly, from employers.
”
+
For more information, visit bu.edu/law/ transactionallawprogram
JOHN M. MUTKOSKI
Partner, Goodwin Procter Boston 0315