Many new lawyers learn business practices and culture the hard way — on the job. Others enroll in combined J.D.-MBA programs, requiring an additional year of study. UVA Law School offers a third way: The John W. Glynn Jr. Law & Business Program, which builds a bridge between law school and the real problems encountered in business law practice. By integrating business and legal analysis into the law school classroom, the program better prepares students to serve their future clients from day one.
The program is designed for students aspiring to structure and negotiate business transactions, advise company directors and management, represent businesses in litigation and disputes, begin their careers in a corporate position, or serve in government regulatory agencies. The program educates students about the needs and goals of commercial and financial services clients, the concepts and skills needed to guide those clients, and the importance of problem-solving. Students who participate in the program gain experience with the sophisticated and challenging projects they will encounter in their careers.
The study of business law is intellectually engaging and challenging. It prompts us to evaluate the appropriate role of government regulation and mandatory legal rules versus private ordering, default rules and self-regulation. It raises questions about how legislatures and courts address the relationship of the profit motive and other community interests, and it requires consideration of the allocation of risk and responsibilities among private parties, and the conflicting needs and demands of those parties. It gives students an understanding of why businesses behave as they do and prepares students to advise clients about business plans that comply with the law and are socially responsible.
The Law & Business Program provides opportunities to all law students. It is not a separate “track” and does not lead to a separate degree or certificate or a combined J.D./MBA. Instead, the program provides a chance for all students to build skills that many employers are seeking.
Professor Quinn Curtis discusses lawyers’ roles in the business world and the John W. Glynn Jr. Law & Business Program. This session was part of UVA Law’s 2023 Admitted Students Open House.
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The following is a list of courses offered during the current and two previous academic years. Numbers in parentheses indicate the academic year(s) courses were offered: 2023-24 is coded (24), 2024-25 is coded (25) and 2025-26 is coded (26).
Accounting: Understanding and Analyzing Financial Statements (24,25,26) Advanced Contracts: When Financial Contracts Blow Up (26) Advising Boards of Directors (Public and Private Equity) Under Siege (SC) (24,25,26) Agency, Partnership and the LLC (24,25) Antitrust (24,25,26) Antitrust in the Digital Economy (SC) (24) Antitrust Review of Mergers in a Global Environment (24,25) Banking and Financial Institutions (24,25,26) Bankruptcy (24,25,26) BigLaw and the Profession (and Business) of Law (24,25,26) Business Planning (24) Consumer Financial Protection Seminar (26) Contract Theory (25) Corporate Criminal Investigations (26) Corporate Democracy: The Proxy Fight (SC) (25) Corporate Finance (24,25,26) Corporate Governance - Shareholder Activism (SC) (24) Corporate Law as Innovation (SC) (24) Corporate Social Responsibility Seminar (25,26) Corporate Strategy (SC) (24) Corporate Tax (24,25,26) Corporate Transactions - Startup to Exit (SC) (24) Corporations (24,25,26) Corporations (Law & Business) (24,25,26) Corporations, Investors and ESG (24) Cryptocurrency Law and Policy (SC) (24) Deals (26) Drug Product Liability Litigation Seminar (24,25,26) Emerging AI Legal Issues (SC) (25) Emerging Growth Companies and Venture Capital Financing: Principles and Practice (24,25,26) Emerging Markets: Principles and Practice (24,25,26) Employee Benefits Law (25) Employment DEI Legal Principles (SC) (25,26) EU Business Law (SC) (25) European Union Law (SC) (24) Feminism and the Free Market (24) Global Business and International Corruption (SC) (24,25,26) Global Contracting: A Case Study (SC) (24,25) Global Transactions: Key Issues and Contract Drafting (SC) (26) Government Contract Law (24,25,26) Inside the Boardroom (SC) (24) Insurance (25) Internal Investigations (SC) (25) International Business Negotiation (24,25,26) International Business Transactions (24,25,26) International Sales Law (25,26) International Taxation (24,25) International Trade Law and Policy (24,25) Introduction to Law and Business (24,25) Introduction to Negotiation (SC) (25,26) Law and Business Colloquium (24,25) Law of Public-Private Partnerships (24,25,26) Leadership and Team Management (SC) (25) Legal Issues in Corporate Finance (Law & Business) (24,26) Legal Practice and the Startup Company: An Inside Look (SC) (24,25) Litigating in Delaware (SC) (26) Management of BigLaw Firms: Balancing Culture and Profits (SC) (24,25,26) Mergers and Acquisitions (24,25,26) Monetary Constitution Seminar (24,25,26) Mutual Fund Regulation (SC) (25) Nevada v. Delaware: The New Market for Corporate Law (25,26) Nonprofit Organizations (24,25,26) Nonprofit Organizations: Principles and Practice (24,25,26) On Purpose: An Introduction to Leadership, Decision-making and Culture (24,25) Partnership Tax (24,25,26) Real Estate Transactions and Litigation (24,25) Real Estate Transactions and Litigation (SC) (26) Repugnant Transactions (24,25,26) Secured Transactions (24,25,26) Securities Litigation and Enforcement (24,25,26) Securities Regulation (24,25,26) Securities Regulation (Law & Business) (24,25,26) Sports Law (24,25) Stakeholderism and Business Law (SC) (24) Taboo Trades (24,25,26) Telecommunications Law and Policy Seminar (26) The Business of Banking and Prudential Regulation (SC) (24,25) The Business of Sport (26) The Evolving AI Governance Landscape (SC) (26) The In-House Lawyer: Duties and Tensions (SC) (24) Topics in Banking and Financial Regulation (24) Topics in Private Company Acquisitions (SC) (24,25,26) Topics in Public Equity Investing (SC) (25,26) Transactional Approach To Mergers and Acquisitions (24,25,26) Transactional Law: Drafting, Communication and Negotiation (24,25,26) When Financial Contracts Blow Up (SC) (24)
Scholars recently gathered in Connecticut this month for a “festschrift” celebrating University of Virginia School of Law professor Kenneth S. Abraham’s lasting impact on insurance law and tort theory.
Emory University School of Law professor Ifeoma Ajunwa discusses her 2023 book, “The Quantified Worker: Law and Technology in the Modern Workplace,” which argues the workforce science of today is more of a threat than an aid to employees. Ajunwa was introduced by Professor Danielle Citron. The event was sponsored by the LawTech Center.
Students can take advantage of an extensive set of curricular opportunities that allow them the flexibility to sample according to their interests or dive deep.
For students without a background in basic finance, accounting or other business methods, courses taught by UVA’s business and law faculty lay a foundation for understanding the corporate world. They include Accounting and Corporate Finance, Corporate Strategy and other classes focused on business skills.
Core Business Law Courses
Core business law courses include Corporations, Securities Regulation, Bankruptcy, Employment, Environmental Law, Income Tax, Antitrust and Intellectual Property.
Enhanced Core Law & Business Courses
Students who have taken the introductory Accounting and Corporate Finance course or who have equivalent experience are eligible to take enhanced versions of core Law & Business courses that incorporate finance and quantitative concepts. These typically include Corporations, Securities Regulation, Secured Transactions, Corporate Finance, and Mergers and Acquisitions, which are often taught by resident faculty members with graduate degrees in economics or finance.
SPRING Constitutional Law* (4) Legal Writing* (1) Property* (4) Corporate Finance (2) Accounting (2) Other Elective
* REQUIRED first-year curriculum
Second Year
FALL Corporations Securities Regulation (or spring semester) Federal Income Tax Administrative Law Corporate Strategy Negotiation Institute
SPRING Bankruptcy Secured Transactions Intellectual Property, such as Survey of Patent, Copyright and Trademark Antitrust
Other possibilities: Employment or Labor Law, Banking, Environmental Law, Teamwork
Third Year
If you have a good idea of your interests or the areas of law in which you would like to practice, you should start to concentrate on more advanced courses in those areas, such as transactions, tax, securities, intellectual property, international or litigation. A list of courses recently offered is at the Curriculum and Advanced Courses website pages. Otherwise, select a mix of advanced courses from the transaction, litigation and regulatory areas.
Possibilities include: Current Issues in Corporate Law M&A Real Estate Transactions Advanced Topics in Securities Law Private Equity and Hedge Funds Entrepreneurial Law Clinic Finance of Small Enterprises Legal Issues in Corporate Finance White Collar Criminal Defense International Civil Litigation Federal Regulation of Investment Companies International Finance International Tax International Patent Law Patent Clinic
A new project at the University of Virginia School of Law will provide students the opportunity to gain hands-on experience in using artificial intelligence in transactional law simulations.
Berkeley Law School professor Abbye Atkinson and UVA Law professor Andrew Hayashi present research on how the law interacts with issues of race in business and finance, following an introduction by University of Chicago Law Dean Thomas J. Miles. Aneil Kovvali of the University of Chicago Law School moderated the event, which was sponsored by UVA Law’s John W. Glynn, Jr. Law & Business Program and the University of Chicago Law School’s Center on Law and Finance.
The following is a list of courses offered during the current and two previous academic years. Numbers in parentheses indicate the academic year(s) courses were offered: 2023-24 is coded (24), 2024-25 is coded (25) and 2025-26 is coded (26).
Accounting: Understanding and Analyzing Financial Statements (24,25,26) Advanced Contracts: When Financial Contracts Blow Up (26) Advising Boards of Directors (Public and Private Equity) Under Siege (SC) (24,25,26) Agency, Partnership and the LLC (24,25) Antitrust (24,25,26) Antitrust in the Digital Economy (SC) (24) Antitrust Review of Mergers in a Global Environment (24,25) Banking and Financial Institutions (24,25,26) Bankruptcy (24,25,26) BigLaw and the Profession (and Business) of Law (24,25,26) Business Planning (24) Consumer Financial Protection Seminar (26) Contract Theory (25) Corporate Criminal Investigations (26) Corporate Democracy: The Proxy Fight (SC) (25) Corporate Finance (24,25,26) Corporate Governance - Shareholder Activism (SC) (24) Corporate Law as Innovation (SC) (24) Corporate Social Responsibility Seminar (25,26) Corporate Strategy (SC) (24) Corporate Tax (24,25,26) Corporate Transactions - Startup to Exit (SC) (24) Corporations (24,25,26) Corporations (Law & Business) (24,25,26) Corporations, Investors and ESG (24) Cryptocurrency Law and Policy (SC) (24) Deals (26) Drug Product Liability Litigation Seminar (24,25,26) Emerging AI Legal Issues (SC) (25) Emerging Growth Companies and Venture Capital Financing: Principles and Practice (24,25,26) Emerging Markets: Principles and Practice (24,25,26) Employee Benefits Law (25) Employment DEI Legal Principles (SC) (25,26) EU Business Law (SC) (25) European Union Law (SC) (24) Feminism and the Free Market (24) Global Business and International Corruption (SC) (24,25,26) Global Contracting: A Case Study (SC) (24,25) Global Transactions: Key Issues and Contract Drafting (SC) (26) Government Contract Law (24,25,26) Inside the Boardroom (SC) (24) Insurance (25) Internal Investigations (SC) (25) International Business Negotiation (24,25,26) International Business Transactions (24,25,26) International Sales Law (25,26) International Taxation (24,25) International Trade Law and Policy (24,25) Introduction to Law and Business (24,25) Introduction to Negotiation (SC) (25,26) Law and Business Colloquium (24,25) Law of Public-Private Partnerships (24,25,26) Leadership and Team Management (SC) (25) Legal Issues in Corporate Finance (Law & Business) (24,26) Legal Practice and the Startup Company: An Inside Look (SC) (24,25) Litigating in Delaware (SC) (26) Management of BigLaw Firms: Balancing Culture and Profits (SC) (24,25,26) Mergers and Acquisitions (24,25,26) Monetary Constitution Seminar (24,25,26) Mutual Fund Regulation (SC) (25) Nevada v. Delaware: The New Market for Corporate Law (25,26) Nonprofit Organizations (24,25,26) Nonprofit Organizations: Principles and Practice (24,25,26) On Purpose: An Introduction to Leadership, Decision-making and Culture (24,25) Partnership Tax (24,25,26) Real Estate Transactions and Litigation (24,25) Real Estate Transactions and Litigation (SC) (26) Repugnant Transactions (24,25,26) Secured Transactions (24,25,26) Securities Litigation and Enforcement (24,25,26) Securities Regulation (24,25,26) Securities Regulation (Law & Business) (24,25,26) Sports Law (24,25) Stakeholderism and Business Law (SC) (24) Taboo Trades (24,25,26) Telecommunications Law and Policy Seminar (26) The Business of Banking and Prudential Regulation (SC) (24,25) The Business of Sport (26) The Evolving AI Governance Landscape (SC) (26) The In-House Lawyer: Duties and Tensions (SC) (24) Topics in Banking and Financial Regulation (24) Topics in Private Company Acquisitions (SC) (24,25,26) Topics in Public Equity Investing (SC) (25,26) Transactional Approach To Mergers and Acquisitions (24,25,26) Transactional Law: Drafting, Communication and Negotiation (24,25,26) When Financial Contracts Blow Up (SC) (24)
Scholars recently gathered in Connecticut this month for a “festschrift” celebrating University of Virginia School of Law professor Kenneth S. Abraham’s lasting impact on insurance law and tort theory.
Emory University School of Law professor Ifeoma Ajunwa discusses her 2023 book, “The Quantified Worker: Law and Technology in the Modern Workplace,” which argues the workforce science of today is more of a threat than an aid to employees. Ajunwa was introduced by Professor Danielle Citron. The event was sponsored by the LawTech Center.
Typically offered in small seminar settings, advanced courses prepare students for real-world situations and teach students how to use the law to find constructive solutions to business problems. Top practitioners from law firms, business and government, as well as UVA faculty, engage students in hands-on exercises, such as deal-structuring, negotiating and counseling.
The following is a list of courses offered during the current and two previous academic years. Numbers in parentheses indicate the academic year(s) courses were offered: 2023-24 is coded (24), 2024-25 is coded (25) and 2025-26 is coded (26).
Recent courses include:
ADVISING BOARDS OF DIRECTORS (PUBLIC AND PRIVATE EQUITY) UNDER SIEGE, with Peter Kaufman ’78, president of Gordian Group and head of its restructuring and distressed mergers and acquisitions practice
CRYPTOCURRENCY LAW AND POLICY, taught by Professor Michael Gilbert and Abraham Sutherland, an expert on the regulation and taxation of cryptocurrency
GLOBAL BUSINESS AND INTERNATIONAL CORRUPTION, taught by Richard Dean ’80, an experienced practitioner who led the first American law firm office in the Soviet Union
INTRODUCTION TO NEGOTIATION, taught by Amy Pruett, an intellectual property lawyer at Williams Mullen who has represented prominent Grammy-recording artists, songwriters, producers, record labels and managers, among others
MANAGEMENT OF BIGLAW FIRMS: BALANCING CULTURE AND PROFITS, taught by Art D. Robinson ’88, former global head of capital markets of Simpson Thacher & Bartlett
REAL ESTATE TRANSACTIONS AND LITIGATION, taught by Anthony Arsali ’09, who specializes in the litigation of complex real estate matters on behalf of both plaintiffs and defendants
THE EVOLVING AI GOVERNANCE LANDSCAPE, taught by Tom Robertson ’88, leader of Microsoft’s Corporate, External and Legal Affairs team that supports the Experiences and Devices Group, including Copilot
TOPICS IN PRIVATE COMPANY ACQUISITIONS, taught by Tom Denison ’86, a 30-year veteran of the private equity business
TOPICS IN PUBLIC EQUITY INVESTING (25,26), taught by Barney Wilson ’90, founder and portfolio manager of Robious Capital.
Celia Bigoness, who spent years in private practice before entering academia, has joined the University of Virginia School of Law faculty and will direct the Law School’s John W. Glynn Jr. Law & Business Program.
Professor Guido Alfani of Bocconi University discusses economic inequality in preindustrial times, centralized in Europe and beyond. Alfani was recently published in the Journal of Economic Literature. Professor Ted Seto of Loyola Law School provides commentary, and UVA Law professor Ruth Mason and Oxford University professor Tsilly Dagan also discuss the work. This event was held as part of the “Tax Meets Non-Tax” Oxford-Virginia Legal Dialogs workshop series that builds bridges from tax to other kinds of scholarship.
Students interested in business law have access to a variety of extracurricular activities.
The Virginia Law & Business Review is one of only a few student-edited business law journals among top law schools. The review holds a conference on a current business topic each year.
The Virginia Law & Business Society sponsors a variety of academic, professional and social activities for students interested in careers in law and business.
Rivanna Investments is a student organization dedicated to learning the art of intelligent investing. It manages an investment portfolio.
The Antitrust Law Forum brings together students interested in antitrust issues and opportunities, and sponsors speakers on the topic.
The Law School also hosts speakers and conferences on business topics throughout the year, as well as an annual entrepreneurship competition (part of a broader UVA competition) with a cash prize.
Rivanna Investments offers University of Virginia School of Law students a unique opportunity to confront common investor issues and learn more about the corporate world.
UVA Law professor George S. Geis leads a mock class of admitted students through understanding the law of agency, including the cases Gordon v. Doty, Bushey v. United States and Grimsley v. Manning.
Students at the University of Virginia School of Law can shift from studying legal scholarship to helping create it as research assistants for faculty members. Five students share their experiences.
With an array of classes related to artificial intelligence offered in the new academic year, University of Virginia School of Law faculty discuss why exploring the many facets of the emerging technology is critical for legal education.
University of Virginia School of Law professor Danielle Citron examines Meta’s $17 billion settlement over claims that the company deliberately designed products to be addictive to children.
Celia Bigoness, who spent years in private practice before entering academia, has joined the University of Virginia School of Law faculty and will direct the Law School’s John W. Glynn Jr. Law & Business Program.
Professor George Geis leads a mock class and demonstrates how cold-calling works with help from UVA Law students during orientation. The class covers the intricacies of contract law as shown by the Supreme Court of Virginia case Lucy v. Zehmer.
UVA Law professor George S. Geis leads a mock class of admitted students through understanding the law of agency, including the cases Gordon v. Doty, Bushey v. United States and Grimsley v. Manning.
Emory University School of Law professor Ifeoma Ajunwa discusses her 2023 book, “The Quantified Worker: Law and Technology in the Modern Workplace,” which argues the workforce science of today is more of a threat than an aid to employees. Ajunwa was introduced by Professor Danielle Citron. The event was sponsored by the LawTech Center.
Professor Andrea Matwyshyn of Penn State Law School discusses her article “Exploit Machina,” which looks at organizational choices to knowingly leverage technology as part of legally problematic conduct, including through various forms of fraud. The event was sponsored by UVA Law’s LawTech Center.
Lee C. Buchheit, an expert in sovereign-debt restructuring and a former UVA Law School lecturer, discusses the current state and future of Russian assets frozen during the war with Ukraine. UVA Law professors Mitu Gulati, Paul B. Stephan ’77 and...
The Entrepreneurial Law Clinic at the University of Virginia School of Law allows students to partner with business owners to gain valuable real-world experience and help firms resolve legal issues.
Columbia University professor Robert Scott, a former UVA Law dean, discusses the growth of scholarship in contract production at the 34th Sokol Colloquium.
At the first meeting of the Virginia Law Market Forum, attendees will talk through the most pressing issues corporate clients are facing in a low-stakes, student-led environment. Snacks and refreshments will be provided.
This event is sponsored by a student organization.
Join Paul Hastings’ chair of the firm, Frank Lopez, and global managing partner Sherrese Smith for a presentation on the business of law. Food will be provided.
This event is sponsored by a student organization.
Join the ECVC Society for a panel and recruiting reception to learn about a career in emerging companies and venture capital. Hear from practitioners in the ECVC field and learn more about life at these firms. A reception in Purcell Reading Room will follow through 7 p.m.
This event is sponsored by a student organization.
Join Rivanna Investments for an introduction to the club and a chance for interested students to meet members of Rivanna’s leadership. Rivanna Investments is a student-run endowment fund and no prior finance experience is necessary.
This event is sponsored by a student organization.
Interested in transactional or corporate law practice? Join the Law and Business Kickoff to learn more about the Virginia Law and Business Society. Food will be provided.
This event is sponsored by a student organization.
Learn more about practicing law in the emerging companies and venture capital field, learn about upcoming ECVC events and hear from lecturer Mike Lincoln, a leader in the ECVC space. Food will be provided.
This event is sponsored by a student organization.
The joint event that will examine the interaction of international law, corruption and U.S. domestic law with Professor Jayanth Krishnan, Court Golumbic ’90 of Goldman Sachs and Professor Paul Stephan ’77. Professor Kevin Cope will moderate. Food will be provided.
This event is sponsored by a student organization.
Join VSELS and VLBS to learn about representing student-athletes. Don Jackson ’90, who began his career as a corporate attorney, has experience representing athletes on a wide range of matters, including NIL contract negotiation. Breakfast will be provided.
This event is sponsored by a student organization.
Professor George Geis leads a mock class and demonstrates how cold-calling works with help from UVA Law students during orientation. The class covers the intricacies of contract law as shown by the Supreme Court of Virginia case Lucy v. Zehmer.
