Berkeley Law is the leading center for the study and practice of business law on the west coast. The law school hosts a dynamic faculty and provides curriculum in a number of critical focus areas, including antitrust, banking, capital markets, cybersecurity, mergers and acquisitions, private equity, securities regulation, social entrepreneurship, tax and venture capital. Berkeley Law offers business law certificate programs to both J.D. and LL.M. students, 10 core business law courses, and over 30 elective business law courses. We also offer a number of concurrent degrees, including a J.D./M.B.A., and partner extensively with the Haas School of Business.

The business law program at Berkeley Law is driven by the Berkeley Center for Law and Business (BCLB), a research center that supports our faculty and provides extensive programming for our students. Throughout the school year, BCLB brings leading practitioners and corporate executives to campus for special events and lectures.

Explore our full faculty.

At UC Berkeley Law, you’ll find a wide range of business law courses. Offerings may include:

Not all courses are offered every semester.

Berkeley Center for Law and Business

The business law program at Berkeley Law is driven by the Berkeley Center for Law and Business (BCLB), a research center that supports our faculty and provides extensive programming for our students. Throughout the school year, BCLB brings leading practitioners and corporate executives to campus for special events and lectures.

Social Enterprise Clinic

The clinic serves as transactional counsel for social enterprises — for-profit and nonprofit businesses that use market-based strategies to advance racial and economic justice.

Consumer Justice Clinic

Through the East Bay Community Law Center, support clients with pre-to-post litigation civil cases, work with administrative agencies, draft amicus briefs and regulatory comments, organize community workshops, and potentially assist with statewide policy work.

Berkeley Center for Consumer Law & Economic Justice

We work to establish equity and fairness in the marketplace. We believe that building economic justice means developing and enforcing laws that fight fraud and deception, that protect low-income communities and communities of color, and that promote financial security and empowerment.

Law, Economics, and Politics Center

LEAP’s goal is to further interdisciplinary scholarship, ideas, and discussion in law, policy, economics, business, and government.

Robert D. Burch Center for Tax Policy and Public Finance

The Burch Center was established to promote research in tax policy and public finance, to disseminate this research to the academic and tax policy communities, and to stimulate informed discussion of tax policies of national significance. Housed in the Department of Economics and the School of Law, the center works closely with these departments to offer students, faculty and the public cross-disciplinary seminars and conferences in tax policy and public finance.

Berkeley Business Law Journal

Since its establishment in 2004, BBLJ has grown into one of the largest journals at Berkeley Law. The journal works closely with the Berkeley Center for Law and Business (BCLB) to further enhance its national presence. BBLJ runs The Network blog, and hosts a variety of events each year on the Berkeley Campus, culminating in an annual symposium.

Student-Initiated Legal Services Projects (SLPS)

UC Berkeley Law SLPS enable you to develop lawyering and leadership skills while serving the community. Interact with clients and get valuable hands-on experience as early as your first year of law school, while earning pro bono hours and pursuing your passion. Choose from as many as 40 SLPS options, many with a focus on business law, economics, and consumer law, such as the Business Community Legal Advice Workshop, the Startup Law Initiative, and the Consumer Protection Public Policy Order.

Field Placements

The Field Placement Program offers qualified students the opportunity to expand their legal education beyond the bounds of the law school, both domestically and overseas, while earning academic credit. Many business law-related field placements have been offered locally, nationally, and around the world, at organizations and locations such as the U.S. Federal Trade Commission; the U.S. Department of Justice – Antitrust Division; the U.S. Security and Exchange Commission; and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

Business Law Certificate Program

The Business Law Certificate Program allows students to receive recognition for successful completion of a rigorous course of study and advanced training in preparation for professional practice as legal advisors to businesses, to business-oriented NGOs, and to government entities. We offer certificate programs to both J.D. students and LL.M. students.

The Network Blog

A student-run platform publishing topical postings — relevant to professionals, academics, policymakers, and general readers — about new developments in the world of finance, business, regulation and entrepreneurship.

Halloum Business & Negotiation Competitions

Hosted by the Berkeley Law Advocacy Competitions Program and the Haas School of Business, these two competitions aim to develop real-world negotiation and business transaction skills, and give students an opportunity to experience being corporate lawyers and tackle challenging transactions.

Student Organizations

UC Berkeley Law has dozens of student organizations to meet the vast range of our students’ interests and affinities, including many that touch on business and economics.