phd law and business

Law and Business Program of Study

Lawyers practicing in business-related areas – corporate law, real estate, tax, business litigation, many areas of government regulation, and aspects of nonprofit representation – need to acquire skills in three areas: basic analytics (accounting, finance, economics), an appreciation of transactions, and relevant fields of law. Most courses at HLS fall in the latter area, and a major benefit of all such courses is that they indirectly expose students to principles in the former two areas. For example, a course in Antitrust Law will enhance understanding of mergers, vertical distribution arrangements, and other market interactions. Most of what follows concerns courses in business law per se. Regarding basic analytics, it is very useful to take Analytical Methods for Lawyers (especially if your background in economics and finance is not strong) and/or courses at HLS or at other schools in Accounting, Finance, and Economics. Additionally, occasional offerings such as Real Estate Law – often best appreciated after taking some business law courses – are quite helpful in the second area. Courses in Negotiation can be helpful regarding both analytics and transactions, in addition to being directly valuable. Students interested in Law and Business should also consider the joint JD/MBA program with Harvard Business School .

Academic Offerings

For the latest academic year offerings in Law and Business, please visit the HLS Course Catalog .

Foundational Courses in Business Law

Corporations, taken by many students whether interested in pursuing a career in business law or not, is the base on which all advanced corporate and related courses build, and is a prerequisite or recommended course in related areas (such as Taxation of Business Corporations).

Corporations is taught by Professors Coates, Jesse Fried, Hanson, Kraakman, Ramseyer, Spamann and Subramanian in different years. Content, focus, and approach may vary significantly from professor to professor and over time. Students should read the course descriptions before choosing which Corporations class to take.

Likewise, all students interested in business law (and in most other legal careers) should take Taxation, another course taken by many HLS students. Taxation permeates nearly all areas of law practice (including litigation, family law, and nonprofit advising), so tax literacy is a minimal, but significant, requirement. Taxation is taught by Professors Brennan, Desai, Kaplow, and Warren in different years, as well as by visitors with a variety of backgrounds. The content, focus, and approach of these courses are fairly similar.

For students with no intention of becoming “corporate lawyers” or even general business lawyers, Corporations and Taxation provide an understanding of the legal regimen under which most business is conducted in the U.S., the rules that determine when corporations and corporate officials may be held liable, the ways in which corporations are likely to respond to regulation or litigation, and how various corporate activities are taxed (although the latter requires more advanced study as well). Such an understanding is valuable for litigators, government officials, prosecutors, criminal defense lawyers, and legal services attorneys, not to mention investment bankers, business consultants and entrepreneurs. Additionally, non-profits (such as Harvard University) are organized as “corporations.”

Students who have no background in accounting and contemplate a career in corporate law should take Introduction to Accounting. Students with no background in corporate finance should also take Introduction to Finance Concepts. We would also recommend Business Strategy for Lawyers, which presents the fundamentals of corporate and competitive strategy and through both traditional lectures and business-school case discussions. Topics include competitive advantage, industry analysis, strategic positioning, incentives, corporate control, firm scope, network externalities, and innovation. For an introduction to financial statement analysis for business valuation, we would recommend taking Business Valuation and Analysis.

Business law practice varies substantially, even for “corporate lawyers,” and because practice is increasingly both specialized and changeable, it is difficult to give strong guidance about what courses to take beyond the basics. Students should know that many large law firms expect attorneys to spend almost all their time on corporate transactional work (this is what “corporate lawyer” means to most practitioners). Some firms specialize in deals involving large public companies, often heavily regulated by industry and always subject to extensive federal securities regulation. For this reason, Securities Regulation is often a useful course for students to take. Other firms primarily represent private or family-owned corporations, for which tax or estate planning often takes precedence over securities law. Corporations themselves offer full time, in-house legal practice involving transactional work and a variety of more general “corporate” legal questions, ranging from employment and labor law to intellectual property law to commercial law.

Students often will not know which type of practice they will end up pursuing. Students thinking of Wall Street law firms or investment banks may want more exposure to corporate finance, securities, and international issues. Students thinking of a law firm in a large or mid-sized regional city, or an eventual move “in-house,” may want more exposure to courses relevant to employment disputes, lending relationships, and real estate transactions. As noted, general tools like accounting, business planning, contract negotiation, valuation and basic statistics may benefit lawyers in a wide range of practice areas. The Analytical Methods course is an effective way for students to begin to build these skills.

HLS offers a variety of business law and related courses, and students should remain flexible to take advantage of special courses offered by visiting professors or in the Winter Term. Consultation with professors teaching in the field should be helpful in making course selections.

Intermediate Corporate Law Courses

Two important intermediate courses that build on Corporations are Securities Regulation and Corporate Finance.

Securities Regulation covers the federal laws and regulations governing the public offering, sale and trading of stocks and other types of securities, and thus is the primary course focusing on initial public offerings (IPOs) and the process of “going public.” The approach is primarily statutory and regulatory, covering the Securities Act of 1933, important elements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and an overview of the work of the SEC.

Corporate Finance provides a theory- and policy-oriented approach to important, advanced topics affecting corporations, including valuation (discounting, net present value, uncertainty), debtholders’ rights (protective covenants, debt/equity conflicts), reorganization and bankruptcy, and hostile takeovers. It examines advanced topics in corporate law from a perspective informed by economics and finance. The two principal areas of law covered in the course are (1) relations between corporate debtholders and equity holders, both in the solvent firm and in bankruptcy, and (2) mergers and acquisitions. Both topics are addressed in some depth, although not with as much attention as they would receive in entire courses devoted to corporate reorganizations or mergers and acquisitions. In addition, corporate finance provides a brief introduction to financial economics, including discounting, analysis of risk, pricing models, and market efficiency. This course is not a substitute for financial economics as this would be taught at the MIT Sloan or Harvard Kennedy School, however.

In addition, there are a number of courses that might be of interest to those studying business law offered throughout Harvard University. The Business School, for example, regularly offers courses on valuation and finance theory.

Advanced Corporate Law Courses

Each of the following courses covers advanced areas of corporate law practice in more detail, using a variety of methodological approaches. Not all courses listed below are offered each year.

Mergers and Acquisitions taught in different years (and under slightly different titles) by Professors Coates, Gordon, and Subramanian, covers corporate and securities law issues relevant to mergers and acquisitions of large public companies, including the Williams Act, proxy rules, state case law, and important forms of private ordering (such as poison pills, lockups, and earnouts). It also touches on basics of accounting, tax, and antitrust relevant to a lawyer working on such transactions. The approach is practical rather than theoretical, and the focus is on law, not finance. In addition, Negotiation Advanced: Deals, offered by Professor Subramanian jointly between HLS and HBS, focuses on the negotiation of corporate deals generally. Venture Law and Finance, taught by Professor Jesse Fried, deals with financial contracting, governance, and fiduciary-duty litigation in startups backed by venture capitalists. Antitrust Law is another valuable course in this area.

Corporate Theory, offered occasionally by Professor Kraakman and Professor Elhauge, Corporate Control, offered occasionally by Professor Coates, and Corporate and Capital Markets Law and Policy, offered by Professor Bebchuk, are similar discussion/reading seminars that focus on advanced, current or ongoing research on corporate legal issues. Topics vary from year to year but have included policy analysis of takeover law, limited liability, ownership and financial structure.

Corporate Governance of the Public Firm, offered in some years by Professor Roe, focuses on current academic thinking about corporate governance and ownership, divided among various topics.

Regulation of Financial Institutions covers broker-dealer regulation, insurance regulation and banking regulation.

Regulation of Financial Markets, offered in some years by Professor Jackson, covers the stock and commodities exchanges and the government agencies charged with regulating them. Corporate Finance should be taken prior to this seminar.

Advanced Taxation Courses

Taxation of Business Corporations is the advanced tax course taken most often by those who go beyond the basic Taxation course, which is a prerequisite. Corporations is strongly recommended as a preparation. The course covers the federal income tax issues involved in the organization, operation, and restructuring of U.S. businesses, whether structured as corporations, partnerships, or limited liability entities. Additionally, with the increasingly multinational nature of business activities, International Tax has become ever more valuable.

For those interested in being tax lawyers per se, you should certainly take every tax course offered (or nearly so), including Trusts and Estates. In addition, most tax practice is in connection with other activity, so it is important to take other courses such as Corporations and some more advanced offerings as well as courses in other areas ranging from pensions and family law to Law of Nonprofit Organizations.

Bankruptcy and Commercial Law Courses

Much business law practice, whether centered on corporations or real estate deals, is greatly concerned with financing. Accordingly, it is helpful to know the law pertaining to creditor-debtor relationships, both in the ordinary course of business (Commercial Law: Secured Transactions) and in the event of business distress (Bankruptcy; Corporate Reorganizations).

International/Comparative Law Courses

In addition to the basic and core U.S.-centered courses described above, HLS offers several courses on advanced corporate law topics with an international or comparative dimension.

International Finance examines policies and regulation affecting cross-border banking and securities transactions in three major markets, the United States, the European Union and Japan.

International Trade Law examines the fundamental principles of international trade rules, the relationship between trade and environmental concerns, and domestic remedies to international trade violations.

International Antitrust Law explores competition policy outside the U.S.

HLS offers a number of research, writing and discussion seminars on a variety of corporate law and related topics. Here is a sampling of the seminars and reading groups most directly related to corporate law: Capital Markets Regulation Reading Group; Comparative Corporate Governance; Corporate Governance Reading Group; Current Issues in Executive Compensation and Corporate Governance Seminar; Current Topics in Financial Regulation Seminar; Dispute Systems Design Seminar; International Finance Seminar; Law and Economics Seminar; Laws, Markets and Religions Seminar; Seminar on the Law and Finance of Start-up Companies; and Tax Policy Seminar.

Note that not all seminars and reading groups listed are offered every year.

HLS Business Skills/Concepts Courses

• Analytical Methods for Lawyers
• Business Strategy for Lawyers
• Business Valuation and Analysis
• Introduction to Accounting
• Introduction to Finance Concepts 3-Day Section
• Introduction to Finance Concepts 3-Week Section

Empirical Courses at Harvard

For students interested in pursuing empirical courses in some depth, the following provides guidance on the possible tracks to take. Note that not all courses are offered every year.

Track 1 (introductory)

• Fundamentals of Statistical Analysis (HLS)
• Applied Quantitative Analysis I (HLS)
• Advanced Quantitative Methods (HLS)
• Quantitative Analysis and Empirical Methods (API-201; HKS)
• Advanced Quantitative Methods I (API-209; HKS)
• Advanced Quantitative Methods II: Econometric Methods(API-210; HKS)
• Quantitative Methods in Sociology (Sociology 156)
• Intermediate Quantitative Research Methods (Sociology 202)
• Advanced Quantitative Research Methods (Sociology 203a)

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

• Empirical Analysis of Law: Seminar (HLS)

OPTIONAL (TIME SERIES)

• Analysis of Longitudinal Data: Seminar (Sociology 203b)

Track 2 (intermediate)

• Introduction to Quantitative Methods for Economics (Statistics 104)
• Quantitative Methods for Political Science I (Government 1000)
• Advanced Quantitative Political Methodology (Government 1002)

Track 3 (advanced)

• Introduction to Probability (Statistics 110)  or  Introduction to Probability and Statistics for Economists (ECON 2110)
• Introduction to Applied Econometrics (ECON 2120)
• Econometric Methods (ECON 2040)
• Time Series Analysis (ECON 2142)

Clinical Offerings

Business and non-profit clinic opportunity.

The Transactional Law Clinic engages students in a wide range of transactional legal work including entity formations, contract drafting, sales and acquisitions, licensing, corporate governance, intellectual property matters, and many other kinds of hands-on practice-based legal experiences. Students are immersed in an applied learning context, counseling and representing transactional clients under the supervision of an experienced practitioner. Enrollment in the clinic is through the Clinical Program.

Associated Areas of the Law

Students interested in a possible career in corporate law should, as suggested previously, strongly consider one or more of the following related areas.

Negotiation/Mediation/ADR : A common and important function of corporate practitioners is to represent clients in negotiations and settlements with other corporations, employees, and government agencies. Students interested in corporate law should consider taking one of HLS’s many courses and workshops in negotiations and related fields.

Employment/Labor Law ,  Intellectual Property Law , and  International Law  (especially finance and trade) are areas of the law that all business lawyers encounter from time to time, and which some corporate lawyers encounter routinely. Students preparing for a business law practice should consider taking one or more representative courses in these fields.

Law and Economics : Economic analysis is also an important element of business. Students should consider taking one or more of the Law School’s law-and-economics offerings, such as taught by Professor Shavell. Also, as noted, economics-oriented seminars at HLS usually devote attention to corporate and related research topics.

Regulatory Law/Regulation : Although not limited to corporate law problems, Administrative Law is valuable to corporate lawyers who will find it important to understand the processes of law-making and application by the executive and independent regulatory agencies, as well as the forces that influence how regulators behave and the evolution of regulatory regimes

Advising Faculty

• Arevik Avedian
• Lucian Bebchuk
• John Coates
• Bala Dharan
• Jared Ellias
• Allen Ferrell
• Jesse M. Fried
• Tyler Giannini
• Howell Jackson
• Louis Kaplow
• Reinier Kraakman
• J. Mark Ramseyer
• Robert Sitkoff
• Steven Shavell
• Holger Spamann
• Kathryn Spier
• Guhan Subramanian
• Crystal Yang
• Alvin Warren

Joint Degree in Law and Business

Harvard Law School (HLS) and Harvard Business School (HBS) offer a joint degree program in law and business . Completion of the program leads to the degrees of Juris Doctor and Master in Business Administration (JD/MBA). The program is designed for students who have the background that will enable them to handle the rigorous and concentrated course of study. It allows students to gain expertise in both the law and general management practices. The program prepares students for careers in which an understanding of both legal and business principles is essential.

Professor Guhan Subramanian is the faculty director of the joint degree program at the Law School.

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Law and Business

The Joint JD/MBA Degree Program is designed for students who contemplate a career in law or public service and wish to acquire the skills and background of a general business manager, and for those students who contemplate a career in business management and wish to acquire the skills and capacities of a lawyer. Joint JD/MBA degree students are offered the challenge of synthesizing the problem-solving techniques of a general manager with those of a lawyer.

The Joint JD/MBA Degree Program requires application to, and acceptance for admission by, both the Stanford Law School (SLS) and the Graduate School of Business (GSB). Typically, JD/MBA students apply to and gain acceptance for admission to both programs within the same year. However, it is possible for current JD (or MBA) students, who previously did not apply for the joint degree option, to apply for and pursue the Joint JD/MBA Degree Program. JD students in the third year and MBA students in the second year may not apply for the Joint JD/MBA Degree Program.

Generally, the first year is spent at the SLS followed by the second year at the GSB. Some JD/MBA students reverse that sequence, spending the first year at the GSB and second year at the SLS. During the final five or six quarters, those students take a combination of courses from the SLS and the GSB. Other JD/MBA students complete two years at the SLS followed by one year at the GSB and, during the final two or three quarters, take a combination of courses from the SLS and the GSB. Program requirements and policies applying to a first-year MBA student also apply to a JD/MBA student during the year when the student begins the Autumn Quarter Core Requirements.

JD/MBA HANDBOOK

Law and business are intimately relate both academically and in professional practice. The joint degree program provides an opportunity for students to develop deep expertise in both business and law, strong preparation for academic positions related to both fields.

Course Requirements

Broad pieces of each curriculum are relevant to the other field. The Law School shall approve courses from the Graduate School of Business program that may count toward the J.D. degree, and the Graduate School of Business shall approve courses from the Law School that may count toward the Ph.D. degree in Business. In either case, approval may consist of a list applicable to all joint degree students or may be tailored to each individual student’s program.

Note to applicants:  The Knight-Hennessy Scholars program awards full funding to Stanford graduate students from all disciplines, with additional opportunities for leadership training and collaboration across fields. Joint Degree applicants are encouraged to apply to the  Knight – Hennessy Scholars Program.  Please be aware that the Knight-Hennessy Scholars applications are due in early Autumn one year prior to enrollment. View dates and deadlines: knight-hennessy.stanford.edu/dates-and-deadlines .

My classmates in both law and business schools have exceeded my highest expectations. At Stanford, you find people with a variety of backgrounds, but a common desire to learn from each other, even across disciplines.

Keia Cole, JD/MBA '09

Joseph Bankman

• Ralph M. Parsons Professor of Law and Business

Robert M. Daines

• Pritzker Professor of Law and Business, Emeritus

Ronald J. Gilson

• Charles J. Meyers Professor of Law and Business, Emeritus

Joseph A. Grundfest

• W. A. Franke Professor of Law and Business, Emeritus
• Senior Faculty, Rock Center for Corporate Governance

Michael Klausner

• Nancy and Charles Munger Professor of Business
• Professor of Law

Jeff Strnad

• Charles A. Beardsley Professor of Law

George Triantis

• Charles J. Meyers Professor of Law and Business
• Senior Associate Vice Provost of Research

Requirements and Resources

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• Wharton Online

Ethics & Legal Studies Doctoral Program

The Ethics & Legal Studies Doctoral Program at Wharton focuses on the study of ethics and law in business. It is designed to prepare graduates for tenure-track careers in university teaching and research at leading business schools, and law schools.

The Ethics & Legal Studies Doctoral Program at Wharton trains students in the fields of ethics and law in business. Students are encouraged to combine this work with investigation of related fields, including Philosophy, Law, Psychology, Management, Finance, and Marketing. Students take a core set of courses in the area of ethics and law in business, together with courses in an additional disciplinary concentration such as management, philosophy/ethical theory, finance, marketing, or accounting. Our program size and flexibility allow students to tailor their program to their individualized research interests and to pursue joint degrees with other departments across Wharton and Penn. Resources for current Ph.D. students can be found at http://www.wharton.upenn.edu/doctoral-inside/ .

Our world-class faculty take seriously the responsibility of training graduate students for the academic profession. Faculty work closely with students to help them develop their own distinctive academic interests. Our curriculum crosses many disciplinary boundaries. Faculty and student intellectual interests include a range of topics such as:

• Philosophy & Ethics : • philosophical business ethics • normative political philosophy • rights theory • theory of the firm •  philosophy of law • philosophy of punishment & coercion • philosophy of deception and fraud • philosophy of blame and complicity • climate change ethics • effective altruism • integrative social contracts theory • corporate moral agency
• Law & Legal Studies : • law and economics • corporate penal theory • constitutional law • bankruptcy • corporate governance • corporate law • financial regulation • administrative law • empirical legal studies • blockchain and law • antitrust law • environmental law and policy • corporate criminal law • corruption • negotiations.
• Behavioral Ethics : • neuroscience and business ethics • moral psychology • moral beliefs and identity • moral deliberation • perceptions of corporate identity.

Contact & Resources

Brian Berkey, Faculty Coordinator

Tamara English, Academic & Business Administrator [email protected]

Prospective Students View the Legal Studies Ph.D. FAQ or Visit Wharton

Current Ph.D. Students

Ethics & Legal Studies Career Placements

All Wharton PhD Placements

Our program prepares graduates for tenure-track careers in university teaching and research at leading business schools and law schools. We have an excellent record of tenure-track placements, including Carnegie Mellon University, Notre Dame University, and George Washington University.  Click here to see our placements .

Students enter the program from a wide variety of disciplinary backgrounds, including undergraduate degrees in business, philosophy, pre-law, psychology, and sociology. Some students have earned master degrees or law degrees prior to admission. Prior coursework in ethics, law, social sciences, or philosophy is considered a plus, although no formal credentials in any one of these areas is a prerequisite.

Course of Study

The course of study for the Ph.D. requires the completion of sixteen graduate course units, including two core doctoral seminars as well as two core courses in statistics. Some graduate-level credit from courses at other universities may transfer to Wharton. The expected time required to complete the degree is five years. Students receive tuition waivers, health insurance, and an annual living stipend. Students are expected to play an active and engaged role in the department’s and the University of Pennsylvania’s scholarly community while pursuing their degree, and as such, they are expected to be resident in the local area as they progress through the program.

Academic Enrichment

The Department regularly hosts junior and senior scholars from around the world for talks, lunches, and seminars. Doctoral students are encouraged to take full advantage of these opportunities.

The Legal Studies & Business Ethics Seminar Series features speakers from various areas of law and business ethics.  A wide range of recent topics includes Coin-Operated Capitalism, Paying People to Take Health Risks, The Curious Case of Social Enterprise Law, and Assigning Blame in the Wake of the Financial Crisis.

The Zicklin Center Normative Business Ethics Workshop Series provides a regular forum for scholars working on business ethics from a normative perspective.  A wide range of recent topics includes the Ethics of Big Data in Genomics, Boycotting the Boycott, a Reflection on the Duty of Charity Within Shareholder Theory, and Workplace Sexual Harassment as Sex Discrimination.

Current PhD Students

Chris Hughes 1st year Ph.D. Student

Chris Hughes is a Senior Fellow at the Institute on Race, Power, and Political Economy at The New School and the co-founder and chair of the Economic Security Project. His research focuses on contemporary issues in progressive political economy, including the history of central banking, antimonopoly policy, guaranteed income studies, and tax policy. Hughes is currently writing a book on the history of American economic governance entitled  Marketcrafting: How the Visible Hand Shapes the Economy  to be published in 2025 by Simon and Schuster. His first book,  Fair Shot: Rethinking Inequality and How We Earn , was published by St Martin’s Press in 2018.

Hughes has a masters in Economics from The New School of Social Research and graduated from Harvard  magna cum laude  with a bachelors in History and Literature. He was a co-founder of Facebook and directed Barack’s Obama’s digital organizing efforts in 2008. A former member of the Council on Foreign Relations, Hughes chairs the board of the Brooklyn-based Foundation for Community Psychoanalysis, and serves on the boards of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center and the Washington Square Park Conservancy.

Michaela Lobo 3rd year Ph.D. Student

I majored in business administration during my undergraduate degree, following which I was involved in brand marketing and corporate responsibility for the Estée Lauder Companies. During my bachelor’s degree and my time in the corporate world, I had a growing interest in morality and, more specifically, how ethics should apply within the context of business. This led me to pursue an MLitt in Philosophy at the University of St Andrews and, currently, the Ethics and Legal Studies PhD at Wharton.

During my search for doctoral programs, I was looking for something very specific: a program that would allow me to ask philosophical questions about business organisations, how they should be operated, how their members should behave, and so on. Unlike traditional programs at philosophy or business departments, Wharton’s LGST PhD is unique in that the aim is to prepare students to become academics in business ethics itself. I valued the opportunity to build foundations in business, economics, philosophy, and law. Additionally, I appreciated that we would simultaneously hone skills in our preferred methodology and dive deeper into areas of research we find most interesting. I was fortunate to interact with some of the faculty members and current students one-on-one and via the Zicklin Center’s workshops (enabled by the shift from in-person to the Zoom room). These interactions allowed me to discover first-hand the fantastic academic culture of the department and its members’ passion for normative business ethics.

I would advise prospective students to first focus on themselves: What ideas are you constantly thinking about? What types of questions are you eager to explore and have answered? And, in what ways do you like solving these puzzles? Next, find the department and set of faculty that can best support you in asking these questions, finding ways to solve them, and, eventually, discovering answers to them!

Alessio Salviato 1st year Ph.D. Student

Alessio Salviato joined the PhD program in Legal Studies and Business Ethics in 2023, after having completed his BA in Management at University of Padua (UniPd) and a two-years MPhil in Philisophy at Vita-Salute San Raffaele University (UniSr), where he is currently finishing his PhD in Ethics. Before the PhD, he worked as a corporate social responsibility strategist in a multinational company. He is a member of the European Business Ethics Network (EBEN) and the International Society of Business, Economics and Ethics (ISBEE).

He is interested in corporate moral responsibility; corporations and politics; and philosophical arguments for and against capitalism.

Guilherme Siqueira de Carvalho 4th year Ph.D. Student

I was drawn to studying and researching the vicious cycle of systemic corruption since 2014 with a particular and growing interest in the nuances of the relationship between businesses and corruption. The interdisciplinary approach, the world-class faculty, and the overall academic design of the Ethics & Legal Studies Doctoral Program at Wharton provide the ideal setting for pursuing that interest and will enable me to approach his subject of study from multiple angles.

Yifan Wang 1st year Ph.D. Student

My main research interests lie in moral psychology and applied political philosophy in the context of free markets.

I studied political philosophy and double majored in statistics in college. After graduation, I worked in the industry of economic consulting and served as a staff to expert witnesses who testified in court about economic issues related to antitrust and class action lawsuits. My interest in corporations and market phenomena sprung during that period. Later, I pursued an MA in philosophy at Georgia State, where I studied market phenomena related to emergent technologies such as sustainable brands and state surveillance embedded in markets. In the future, I hope to hone into some of these topics.

Meanwhile, I am drawn to moral psychology, especially emotion-based approaches to moral motivations and moral decision-making. At the LGST Ph.D. program, I plan to further study corporate organization so that I can apply theories in moral psychology to better understand how people make decisions of moral significance in their everyday practice inside corporations.

Olamide Williams 3rd year Ph.D. Student

Since the 2008 financial crisis, there has been a public emphasis on the ethical responsibility of the economic and financial policy-making agencies that oversee the financial system. I hope to explore methodological approaches to ethics and critically apply that to economic and financial policymaking, particularly during crisis time. Wharton not only offers the ethical foundation for my research on what responsibility, if any, such agencies have towards economic participants, but a faculty who will engage and are well versed in the economic, legal, and policy questions that arise along the way. I am confident that as my research evolves, Wharton’s interdisciplinary nature and faculty will offer expert guidance in whatever direction I go.

• Youth Program
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Ethics & Legal Studies

Wharton’s phd program in ethics and legal studies is unique: the only doctoral program in the world to focus on ethical and legal norms relevant to individual and organizational decision-making within business..

The Ethics & Legal Studies Doctoral Program at Wharton trains students in the fields of ethics and law in business. Students are encouraged to combine this work with investigation of related fields, including Philosophy, Law, Psychology, Management, Finance, and Marketing. Students take a core set of courses in the area of ethics and law in business, together with courses in an additional disciplinary concentration such as management, philosophy/ethical theory, finance, marketing, or accounting. Our program size and flexibility allow students to tailor their program to their individualized research interests and to pursue joint degrees with other departments across Wharton and Penn. Resources for current Ph.D. students can be found at http://www.wharton.upenn.edu/doctoral-inside/ .

Our world-class faculty take seriously the responsibility of training graduate students for the academic profession. Faculty work closely with students to help them develop their own distinctive academic interests. Our curriculum crosses many disciplinary boundaries. Faculty and student intellectual interests include a range of topics such as:

• Philosophy & Ethics : • philosophical business ethics • normative political philosophy • rights theory • theory of the firm •  philosophy of law • philosophy of punishment & coercion • philosophy of deception and fraud • philosophy of blame and complicity • climate change ethics • effective altruism • integrative social contracts theory • corporate moral agency
• Law & Legal Studies : • law and economics • corporate penal theory • constitutional law • bankruptcy • corporate governance • corporate law • financial regulation • administrative law • empirical legal studies • blockchain and law • antitrust law • environmental law and policy • corporate criminal law • corruption • negotiations.
• Behavioral Ethics : • neuroscience and business ethics • moral psychology • moral beliefs and identity • moral deliberation • perceptions of corporate identity

Our program prepares graduates for tenure-track careers in university teaching and research at leading business schools and law schools. We have an excellent record of tenure-track placements, including Carnegie Mellon University, Notre Dame University, and George Washington University.  Click here to see our placements .

Sample Schedule

Core courses.

In addition to the Wharton Doctoral course requirements, the student’s four-course unit core in the Legal Studies and Business Ethics Department consists of two required doctoral seminars, LGST 9200 Ethics in Business and Economics, and LGST 9210 Foundations of Business Law. The remaining two LGST courses may be selected from a list of LGST courses that the faculty coordinator has approved.

Students without basic law courses will be required to take LGST 1010 in their first semester. Students will take LGST courses, other than Ph.D. seminars, under an independent study number, meet with the instructor periodically outside class, and write a paper. These requirements should be satisfied through courses taught by members of the LGST standing faculty, though exceptions will be made in special circumstances. The requirements may be adjusted for students with law degrees.

Ethics and Law in Business Courses

Students must take four LGST courses, including these two core course seminars:

• Ethics in Business and Economics (LGST 9200)
• Foundations of Business Law (LGST 9210)

Major Disciplinary Cluster

The purpose of the cluster is to ground students in a single academic specialty other than Business Ethics. Clusters include the following:

Students must choose a disciplinary cluster during the first year, in consultation with a faculty advisor. Required courses may not be double-counted. For example, a student choosing Philosophy as the cluster may not use the two required courses in ethical theory as part of the five course cluster requirement.

Get the Details.

Visit the Ethics & Legal Studies website for details on program requirements and courses. Read faculty and student research and bios to see what you can do with an Ethics & Legal Studies PhD.

Ethics & Legal Studies Doctoral Coordinator Brian Berkey Associate Professor of Legal Studies & Business Ethics

Academic & Business Administrator Tamara English Legal Studies and Business Ethics Department Email: [email protected]

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PhD Joint PhD/JD Program

Leverage the strengths of two powerhouse schools in business and law..

The Joint PhD/JD Program at Chicago Booth prepares you for an academic career in either business or law. You’ll earn two advanced degrees—one through Chicago Booth’s Stevens Doctoral Program and the other through the University of Chicago Law School.

As a doctoral student in this joint-degree program, you’ll have the flexibility to pursue your research interests wherever they lead. Working with renowned faculty from both the Law School and Booth, you will graduate with a richer understanding of both fields and valuable perspectives on important research questions.

Our Distinguished Faculty

This interdisciplinary program brings together world-renowned faculty from Chicago Booth and the University of Chicago Law School. These distinguished scholars will advise you, guide you, and serve as colleagues throughout your career. Chicago Booth Faculty   Law School Faculty

Alumni Success

A PhD/JD in business prepares students for faculty positions at law schools and business schools, as well as for other careers in research and law. See more of our alumni success .

Greg Buchak, PhD ’19, JD ’19

Assistant Professor of Finance Stanford Graduate School of Business Greg Buchak’s research focuses on issues related to financial technology, financial intermediation, consumer finance, and the interplay between the evolving industrial organization of the financial sector, regulation, and technological progress. He is a graduate of the Joint PhD/JD Program.

How to Apply

To earn the joint PhD/JD degree, students must be admitted to both schools. 

Program Expectations and Requirements

The Stevens Program at Booth is a full-time program. Students generally complete the majority of coursework and examination requirements within the first two years of studies and begin work on their dissertation during the third year. For details, see General Examination Requirements by Area in the Stevens Program Guidebook below.

Download the 2023-2024 Guidebook!

• School of Law

Ph.D. in Law

The Ph.D. in Law prepares graduates for global leadership in the judiciary, academia, business and government. Since 1966, the program has offered a select number of diverse students the opportunity to attain their highest professional aspirations and career goals. A preeminent center for interdisciplinary legal studies, UW Law offers a global focus and innovative approach to integrating legal scholarship within the humanities and social sciences, medicine and global health, business and technology, and environmental and public policy.

The Ph.D. program is designed to provide a rich and thorough foundation in research methodologies, jurisprudence, legal theory, policy, dissertation preparation and ready access to specialized elective coursework from within the law school and university-wide research centers, institutes and schools. Throughout the program, our graduate students receive individualized attention from exceptional faculty and staff.

With its long and respected history, the Ph.D. program provides students with a global alumni network. Alumni are committed supporters and mentors and lead in many sectors around the world.

The Ph.D. program requires a minimum of three years’ study, at least two years of which are comprised of coursework taken while in residence at the UW. Ph.D. candidates must complete 90 credits. A minimum of 60 credits must be taken at the UW including a minimum of 27 dissertation credits. Some of the credits earned in an LL.M. program may be counted among the 60 credits.

Doctoral dissertation committees are led by faculty experts from UW Law and include members with deep knowledge and expertise from across the university. Students can customize their studies with interdisciplinary coursework, independent study, field research, global internships and externships.

See full curriculum

• Current Ph.D.s in Law
• PhD Admissions

Related Links

Graduate Programs, UW School of Law William H. Gates Hall Box 353020 4293 Memorial Way Seattle, WA 98195-3020, USA gradlaw@ uw .edu

Ph.D. Program

The ph.d. in law degree.

The Ph.D. in Law degree program is designed to prepare J.D. graduates for careers as legal scholars and teachers through a doctoral program aimed at the production of a substantial body of academic research and writing under the close supervision of a three-member faculty dissertation committee. Unlike programs designed for students who wish to learn about law from the disciplinary perspectives of the social sciences or the humanities, the Ph.D. in Law is directed at students who wish to pursue advanced studies in law from the perspective of the law. This program offers emerging scholars an opportunity to contribute to the development of law as an academic field, and it provides an alternate pathway into law teaching alongside existing routes such as fellowships, advanced degrees in cognate fields, legal practice, and clerkships.

Because our entering Ph.D. students will have already completed their J.D. degrees, the anticipated course of study toward the Ph.D. in Law degree is three academic years and two summers in residence. In their first two semesters, Ph.D. students will enroll in courses designed to help them acquire the background and research skills needed to complete a dissertation in their field of interest and to prepare them for qualifying examinations that test the depth and breadth of the literacies and skills they have acquired. During their second year, students will prepare a dissertation prospectus and begin work on a dissertation. The dissertation may take the form of either three law review articles or a book-length manuscript and will make up a portfolio of writing that will be essential for success in the job market. Ph.D. students will also gain experience in the classroom, and receive the full support of Yale Law School’s Law Teaching Program , which has had remarkable success in placing graduates in tenure-track positions at leading law schools.

Ph.D. students receive a full-tuition waiver, a health award for health insurance coverage, and a stipend to cover their year-round living expenses, as well as support for participation in national and international conferences.

Applications for admission to the Ph.D. in Law program are available starting on August 15. The deadline for submission of all materials is December 15. Applicants to the Ph.D. in Law program must complete a J.D. degree at a U.S. law school before they matriculate and begin the Ph.D. program. Any questions about the program may be directed to Gordon Silverstein, Assistant Dean for Graduate Programs, at [email protected] .

Watch Gordon Silverstein, Assistant Dean for Graduate Programs, describe the Ph.D. program at Yale Law School.

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Akriti Gaur ’22 LLM

A student perspective on the LL.M. program, and how Yale Law School offered theoretical foundations to previous experience as a tech lawyer.

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A student perspective on getting an LLM at Yale Law School, constitutional law, and the graduate programs community.

Thomas Kadri PhD

A student perspective on the Ph.D. in Law program and his research on tort liability.

Graduate Student Life

2020 and 2021 Graduate Programs alumni celebrate in the YLS Courtyard with Assistant Dean Gordon Silverstein before their in-person ceremony in May 2022

2022 Graduate Program degree candidates with Dean Heather K. Gerken in April 2022

Between my colleagues and students, showing up for work means that I will have my premises challenged, my ideas tested, and my creativity spurred three times before I finish my morning coffee.

• JD/PhD Legal Studies and Business Ethics

The Ethics & Legal Studies Doctoral Program at Wharton focuses on the study of ethics and law in business. It is designed to prepare graduates for tenure-track careers in university teaching and research at leading business schools, and law schools.

• Degree Requirements
• JD/MBA (4 Year)
• JD/MBE Bioethics
• JD/MSSP Social Policy
• JD/MS Nonprofit Leadership
• JD/MSEd Education Policy
• JD/MSEd Higher Education
• JD/MA or MS Criminology
• JD/MD Doctor of Medicine
• JD/MSE Engineering
• JD/MCP City & Regional Planning
• JD/MPH Master of Public Health
• JD/AM Islamic Studies
• JD/MA and JD/PhD Philosophy
• JD/PhD Anthropology
• JD/PhD Communications
• JD/PhD Psychology
• Certificates
• Legal Practice Skills
• Clinics & Externships
• Academic Support Program
• International Affairs
• Future of the Profession Initiative
• Legal Education Programs
• Executive Education
• Academic Calendar
• Learning Outcomes
• Advocacy Competitions

About the JD/PhD Legal Studies and Business Ethics

The Ethics & Legal Studies Doctoral Program at Wharton trains students in the fields of ethics and law in business. Students take a core set of courses in the area of ethics and law in business together with courses in an additional disciplinary concentration such as management, philosophy/ethical theory, finance, marketing, or accounting.

The program size and flexibility of the PhD Legal Studies and Business Ethics allow students to tailor their program to their individualized research interests and to pursue a joint degree with the Law School. Resources for current PhD students can be found on the Wharton Website .

Program Course Overview

The University’s world-class faculty take seriously the responsibility of training graduate students for the academic profession. Faculty work closely with students to help them develop their own distinctive academic interests. The curriculum crosses many disciplinary boundaries.

Faculty and student intellectual interests include a range of topics such as:

• Philosophy & Ethics : • philosophical business ethics • normative political philosophy • rights theory • theory of the firm • philosophy of law • philosophy of punishment & coercion • philosophy of deception and fraud • philosophy of blame and complicity • climate change ethics • effective altruism • integrative social contracts theory • corporate moral agency
• Law & Legal Studies : • law and economics • corporate penal theory • constitutional law • bankruptcy • corporate governance • corporate law • financial regulation • administrative law • empirical legal studies • blockchain and law • antitrust law • environmental law and policy • corporate criminal law • corruption • negotiations.
• Behavioral Ethics : • neuroscience and business ethics • moral psychology • moral beliefs and identity • moral deliberation • perceptions of corporate identity

How to Apply

Students must apply and gain admission separately to each department. Applications to the Department of Legal Studies & Business Ethics are welcomed contemporaneously with the Law School application and vice versa.

Applications for Fall 2021 Wharton admission opened September 15th, 2020. The deadline to apply is December 15th, 2020. In assessing your application, the Wharton admissions committee considers previous academic work, standardized graduate examination performance (GRE/GMAT), and the evaluations of instructors and professional supervisors. More information is on the Wharton Doctoral Admissions Website.

For more information, admitted or current JD students should contact Amanda S. Aronoff. Applicants or prospective applicants to the Law School should contact [email protected] .

Interested in other PhD joint degrees?

JD/PhD American Legal History

JD/PhD Philosophy

Ph.D. Program in Law & Economics

• Student Profiles

Program Overview

Vanderbilt Law School's Ph.D. Program in Law and Economics is unlike any other. Dual-degree students pursue a J.D. and a Ph.D. concurrently in a fully integrated curriculum that combines economic theory and methodology with the study of law. The program is designed so that students complete both degrees in just six years. Admitted students receive a full funding package , including tuition for both degrees and a competitive annual stipend, for all six years of study.

• Explore our History

About our Program

Applicants must complete separate applications to Vanderbilt Graduate School and Vanderbilt Law School. Each applicant's Law School and Graduate School applications will be considered together in a collaborative admissions process.

Program faculty guide students through an innovative law and economics curriculum in which students pursue policy-relevant research. The program offers four primary research fields: behavioral law and economics, labor markets and human resources, law and economics, and risk and environmental regulation.

Program graduates are in tenured or tenure-track positions at University of Alabama, University of Arkansas, University at Buffalo, Florida State University, George Mason University, University of Texas, Vanderbilt University, and Western Kentucky University, as well as in positions in government, legal practice, and consulting.

The Law & Economics/Applied Microeconomics Seminar Series brings scholars from around the world to Vanderbilt to present research spanning a variety of fields and topics. The program also hosts a variety of conferences, including the biennial Frontiers in Law and Economics (FILE) conference. 

Application Closed for Fall 2024

• How to Apply

August 15, 2024

Applications open for Fall 2025

January 15, 2025

Deadline for priority consideration

April 1, 2025

Final deadline

In the News

Have questions.

Contact the Ph.D. in Law & Economics Program Manager.

Postgraduate Department Office

Viale Pola 12 00198 Rome T 06 85225997 [email protected]

PhD in Law and Business

The educational goal of the Luiss PhD program in Law and Business is to offer an advanced course of study that combines the theoretical and practical aspects of legal and regulatory issues affecting the market and business, from a national, EU, international and comparative perspective, focused on both the analysis of theoretical models and on the resolution of practical cases.

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Support NYU Law

Law and Business at NYU

Corporate Powerhouse. Comprehensive Offerings.

Located in the heart of the world's financial center, NYU Law has the most extensive range of law and business offerings in legal education, with outstanding programs in corporate law as well as specialized programs for those interested in less traditional career paths. (The  Mitchell Jacobson Leadership Program  is for exceptional students with an interest in pursuing high-level careers in law and business.)

Law and business at NYU encompasses several scholarly areas taught by faculty who are leaders in their fields. Areas of expertise include compliance and enforcement, corporate and commercial law, international business law, intellectual property and innovation, labor and employment law, social entrepreneurship, and taxation. A distinctive feature of the Law School's law and business curriculum is the  Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison Transactional and Law and Business courses , which bring top practitioners into the classroom to analyze how their deals were negotiated and constructed. Students can also get real-world exposure in law and business clinics such as the  International Transactions Clinic , which provides legal services to clients conducting cross-border transactions in emerging markets. Law students can take courses at  NYU's Stern School of Business  and actively participate in the intellectual life of centers, such as the  Pollack Center for Law & Business  and the  Program on Corporate Compliance and Enforcement . 

Several combined degrees and certificate programs are also offered, including JD/MBA ,  JD/MA, PhD in Economics , business-oriented  LLM  degrees, and an  Advanced Certificate in Law and Business .

The  Entrepreneurship & Venture Capital Program (formerly NYU Law Venture Fund) empowers student and alumni entrepreneurs with summer grants, summer internships, and equity investments.

Related Centers & Institutes

• Pollack Center for Law & Business
• Program on Corporate Compliance and Enforcement
• Institute for Corporate Governance and Finance 
• Center for Financial Institutions
• Center for Law, Economics and Organization
• Center for Transnational Litigation and Commercial Law
• Center for Labor and Employment Law
• Engelberg Center on Innovation Law and Policy
• Furman Center for Real Estate and Urban Policy
• Grunin Center for Law and Social Entrepreneurship
• Information Law Institute
• National Center on Philanthropy and the Law
• US-Asia Law Institute

© 2024 New York University School of Law. 40 Washington Sq. South, New York, NY 10012.   Tel. (212) 998-6100

Doctoral Programs

School of Law

D'amore-mckim school of business, law and business administration (llm/mba).

In our LLM/MBA dual degree program, you'll position yourself to succeed by deepening your knowledge of the law and adding a complementary foundation of advanced business expertise. By building on your JD (or equivalent) degree, you'll develop a firm grasp of complex legal and business issues in a world increasingly driven by data and technology, enabling you to serve your clients' changing needs.

Expertise in law and business carries significant weight in today's interconnected global economy, and lawyers with advanced credentials in both areas are in high demand.

By earning your LLM/MBA degree from Northeastern Law and the D'Amore-McKim School of Business, you'll build on your JD (or equivalent) degree by exploring a legal specialty more deeply and cultivating a strong base of knowledge in sought-after areas of business. You'll also build your analytic skill set and strengthen your understanding of the role of data and technology in an evolving business world. This powerful fusion of disciplines will help you meet your clients' needs as they adapt to the new realities of doing business in a global economy.

The experience you'll gain in this program will set you apart, including an optional co-op semester of legal work in your chosen specialty, strengthening your learning as you make connections in your chosen field. 

Dive deeper into the LLM/MBA program on the D’Amore-McKim School of Business website.

More Details

Unique features.

• Build expertise by earning two advanced degrees in two years with an accelerated curriculum, saving time and money 
• Choose from a diverse list of law practice areas and in-demand business concentrations—including Northeastern's one-of-a-kind MBA x concentrations, which allow you to grow your network and knowledge base in a complementary area outside business and law
• Pursue an optional semester of full-time co-op work in the legal field—a chance to collaborate with other lawyers in your area of expertise and make a real impact
• Receive personalized support from your dedicated advisor in the Northeastern Law career development office
• Work, study, and make connections in Boston, a well-known hub for the legal profession and home to seven companies in the Fortune 500

Program Objectives

The LLM/MBA dual degree allows you to build valuable business credentials while you deepen your knowledge in your chosen legal specialty. This program can be the pathway to a more prominent role in the legal field—or a way to expand your opportunities as you re-enter the workforce. It also provides a route for lawyers outside the United States to earn the credentials required to practice in this country.

By studying in both the Northeastern Law and the D'Amore-McKim School of Business—with the possibility of completing a semester of full-time legal work—you'll distinguish yourself as a multifaceted expert who understands issues from many different perspectives.

Your law courses will deepen your knowledge in a specific area of the law. In addition, your business courses will give you a comprehensive understanding of business principles and expertise in two focus areas that support your career goals.   

Career Outlook

The LLM/MBA degree can be a path to becoming a senior decision-maker in the legal profession or in business. It can also build distinguishing credentials ahead of a return to the workplace or qualify those with international legal degrees to practice law in the United States.

Employers especially value D'Amore-McKim's signature emphasis on understanding the role of data and technology in the global marketplace. You'll graduate with a dual degree designed for a digital-first world, distinguishing you from your peers in the job market and creating opportunities in a wide range of professional fields. 

Accreditation Information

Accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business International—the highest standard of achievement for business schools worldwide.

Testimonials

Dan danielsen, professor of law and faculty director, program on the corporation, law and global society, looking for something different.

A graduate degree or certificate from Northeastern—a top-ranked university—can accelerate your career through rigorous academic coursework and hands-on professional experience in the area of your interest. Apply now—and take your career to the next level.

Requirements

You must apply and gain admission independently to both Northeastern Law and the D'Amore-McKim School of Business. You'll enroll first in Northeastern Law before seeking admission to the D'Amore-McKim School of Business. 

School of Law Admissions Requirements

You may submit your application through the Law School Admission Council or directly through the Northeastern Law website to apply to Northeastern Law.

• Application form
• Personal statement
• Academic transcripts
• One letter of recommendation (a second letter is optional)
• TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo English Test score report (If your first law degree was conducted in English, you do not need to submit an English language proficiency score report.)

D'Amore-McKim Additional Admissions Requirements

• A personal statement (<=500 words) and a short essay (<=300 words)
• One additional letter of recommendation
• Kira online interview (by invitation, access is provided after submitting your application)

Northeastern University is test-optional for the 2024-2025 academic year and does not require applicants to submit GMAT or GRE scores to be considered for admission. For more information, review our admissions policies .

Are You an International Student? Find out what additional documents are required to apply.

Admissions Details Learn more about the School of Law admissions process, policies, and required materials.

Admissions Dates

You must be admitted to the School of Law before being admitted to D’Amore-McKim School of Business. Below are the application deadlines.

School of Law Application Dates

You're encouraged to apply by April 1 for priority consideration.  Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis after that date. 

D'Amore-McKim School of Business Application Dates

Industry-aligned courses for in-demand careers..

For 100+ years, we’ve designed our programs with one thing in mind—your success. Explore the current program requirements and course descriptions, all designed to meet today’s industry needs and must-have skills.

View curriculum

There's no more powerful teacher than experience, which is why we've embedded opportunities for practice-oriented learning into all our programs: 

Law co-ops Our law co-op program is nationally recognized for its robust and diverse base of 1,000+ employers, allowing you to create a singular work experience that propels you toward your goals. As an LLM/MBA student, you can pursue a semester of co-op work in your chosen legal field and make a meaningful contribution to your host organization. Learn more about our law co-ops .

The 360 Huntington Fund 360 Huntington Fund offers a fantastic opportunity to join an actual mutual fund management team in Northeastern's endowment. No matter your experience level with managing stocks, you'll learn invaluable skills in an environment that no simulated fund exercise can match. Learn more about the 360 Huntington Fund . 

IDEA Student-Led Venture Accelerator Share your expertise by offering legal and business advice to aspiring entrepreneurs at IDEA, our student-led venture accelerator—and become part of a real startup's journey to the marketplace. Learn more about IDEA .

Global Consulting Project Through this transformative elective course, you'll work in a team to tackle a real business issue or opportunity for a multinational company. You'll travel to the company's international location for approximately one week, conducting research, analysis, and client interviews to inform your consulting recommendations. Learn more about working on a global consulting project . 

Washington, DC, Residency This one-week, three-credit intensive course in Washington, D.C., showcases the intersection of government with business. Meet with current and former legislators and staff, senior civil servants, business executives, lobbyists, and other officials to learn firsthand how public policy affects companies, industries, and economies worldwide. Learn more about a Washington DC residency . 

Global Field Study In this three-credit course, you can immerse yourself in the business practices and culture of another country through a semester of study and a ten-day trip abroad. Learn more about the global field study .

Our Faculty

Northeastern University faculty represents a broad cross-section of professional practices and fields, including finance, education, biomedical science, management, and the U.S. military. They serve as mentors and advisors and collaborate alongside you to solve the most pressing global challenges facing established and emerging markets.

Todd M. Alessandri

Sonia Elise Rolland

Martin Dias, PhD

Marla Baskerville

Margaret Y. K. Woo

Dan Danielsen

By enrolling in Northeastern, you’ll gain access to students at 13 campus locations, 300,000+ alumni, and 3,000 employer partners worldwide. Our global university system provides students unique opportunities to think locally and act globally while serving as a platform for scaling ideas, talent, and solutions.

Below is a look at where our business alumni work, the positions they hold, and the skills they bring to their organization.

Where They Work

• Proctor & Gamble Company
• Ropes & Gray 
• Wellington Management
• U.S. Attorneys Offices

What They Do

• Business development
• Corporate law
• Law firm legal practice 
• Public interest law

What They're Skilled At

• Negotiation
• Communication
• Critical thinking

Learn more about Northeastern Alumni on  Linkedin .

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A legal background in the business world.

It's common for leaders of large corporations to have a master's in business administration degree. An MBA can be a major asset for those with CEO or C-suite ambitions. But a small contingent of top business executives have a law degree on their resume. Here are 15 Fortune 500 CEOs who are law school graduates.

Cindy Ord | Getty Images for American Institute for Stuttering

Priscilla Almodovar, CEO of Fannie Mae

Law school: Columbia University Law School in New York

U.S. News law school rank: 8

Median LSAT score: 173

Acceptance rate: 12.2%

Almodovar was named CEO of mortgage financing company Fannie Mae in 2022. She was previously president and CEO of Enterprise Community Partners. Before earning her law degree at Columbia, she got her bachelor's from Hofstra University in New York.

Michael Swensen | Getty Images

Robert M. Blue, chair, president and CEO of Dominion Energy

Law school: Yale University Law School in Connecticut

U.S. News law school rank: 1 (tie)

Median LSAT score: 175

Acceptance rate: 5.6%

Blue was named president and CEO of Virginia-based Dominion Energy in October 2020 and chair of the board of directors in April 2021. Before joining the company, he served as counselor to the governor and director of policy for Virginia Gov. Mark Warner, and worked as an attorney. He earned his law degree in 1994.

Bennett Raglin | Getty Images for The New York Times

Calvin Butler, president and CEO of Exelon Corporation

Law school: Washington University in St. Louis School of Law

U.S. News law school rank: 16 (tie)

Acceptance rate: 17.2%

According to the company's website, Exelon "is the nation’s largest utility company by customer count, serving 10.5 million electric and gas customers." Butler held senior leadership roles in the print, digital and supply chain solutions industry before joining Exelon, where he was named CEO in 2022.

Spencer Platt | Getty Images

Safra Catz, CEO of Oracle

Law school: Carey Law School at the University of Pennsylvania

U.S. News law school rank: 4 (tie)

Median LSAT score: 172

Acceptance rate: 9.9%

Catz joined software giant Oracle in 1999 and was named CEO in 2014. Catz, who is also a director of The Walt Disney Company, immigrated to the U.S. from Israel at six years old. She earned a bachelor's degree from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania in 1983 and a law degree in 1986.

Tom Williams | CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images

Robert M. Davis, president and CEO of Merck

Law school: Pritzker School of Law at Northwestern University in Illinois

U.S. News law school rank: 9 (tie)

Acceptance rate: 15.5%

Davis was named president of pharmaceutical company Merck in April 2021, then was named CEO three months later. In addition to his law degree, Davis has an MBA from Northwestern's Kellogg School of Management and a bachelor's from Miami University—Oxford in Ohio.

(Getty Images) |

Kenneth David DeGiorgio, CEO of First American Financial

Law school: University of California—Los Angeles School of Law

U.S. News law school rank: 13

Median LSAT score: 170

Acceptance rate: 16.8%

DeGiorgio was named CEO of First American Financial in February 2022 after serving as president from 2021 to 2022. In addition to his law degree, he has a graduate degree from Harvard University in Massachusetts and an MBA from UCLA's Anderson School of Management .

(Wavebreakmedia | Getty Images)

Nicholas Fink, CEO of Fortune Brands Innovations

Law school: Pritzker School of Law at Northwestern University

Fink joined Fortune Brands Innovations, which manufactures brands like Master Lock and SentrySafe, in 2015. He was named CEO in January 2020 after serving as president and COO. Before earning his law degree, Fink earned his bachelor's at the Institut d’Etudes des Relations Internationales in France .

Jemal Countess | Getty Images for TIME

Glenn D. Fogel, president and CEO of Booking Holdings Inc.

Law school: Harvard University Law School

Median LSAT score: 174

Acceptance rate: 9.6%

Fogel was named president and CEO of Connecticut-based Booking Holdings Inc. in January 2017 and CEO of its subsidiary, Booking.com, in June 2019. Before earning his law degree, he earned a bachelor's from the Wharton School.

Raymond Boyd | Getty Images

Chris Leahy, chair and CEO of CDW

Law school: Boston College Law School in Massachusetts

U.S. News law school rank: 28 (tie)

Median LSAT score: 167

Acceptance rate: 13.4%

CDW provides information technology solutions for businesses, governments, educational institutions and health care systems in the U.S. and abroad. Leahy was named CEO in 2019 after serving as chief revenue officer. Before earning her law degree, she graduated with a bachelor's from Brown University in Rhode Island.

Brandon Sloter | Getty Images

Jeffrey W. Martin, CEO of Sempra

Law school: The University of Miami School of Law in Florida

U.S. News law school rank: 82 (tie)

Median LSAT score: 162

Acceptance rate: 32.9%

Martin was appointed CEO of California-based energy infrastructure company Sempra in May 2018. In addition to his law degree, he has a bachelor's degree from the United States Military Academy at West Point in New York and a master's in public administration from the University of Texas at El Paso .

John Lamparski | Getty Images

Brian Moynihan, CEO of Bank of America Corporation

Law school: University of Notre Dame Law School in Indiana

U.S. News law school rank: 20 (tie)

Median LSAT score: 169

Acceptance rate: 24.4%

Moynihan joined Bank of America Corporation in 2004 after the company merged with FleetBoston Financial. He was appointed CEO in January 2010 after leading each company's operating units. Before his law degree, he earned a bachelor's from Brown.

Teresa J. Rasmussen, president and CEO of Thrivent

Law school: University of North Dakota School of Law

U.S. News law school rank: 168 (tie)

Median LSAT score: 150

Acceptance rate: 62%

Financial services company Thrivent tapped Rasmussen as its CEO in 2018. Her previous roles include serving as president of the company's core life, health and annuities business as well as senior vice president, general counsel and secretary. Rasmussen also earned a bachelor’s in accounting from Minnesota State University—Moorhead .

Rich Graessle | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Alan D. Schnitzer, chairman and CEO of Travelers

Law school: Columbia University Law School

Schnitzer was named CEO of personal, business and specialty insurance company Travelers in December 2015 after joining the company in 2007 as vice chairman and chief legal officer. He graduated with a bachelor's in finance and accounting from the Wharton School.

Justin Sullivan | Getty Images

Michael Tipsord, chairman and CEO of State Farm Insurance

Law school where he earned his degree: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign College of Law

U.S. News law school rank: 36 (tie)

Median LSAT score: 165

Acceptance rate: 43.7%

Tipsord began his career with State Farm in 1988 and was named chief financial officer in 2004. He became COO in 2011 and CEO in 2015. He earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting at Illinois Wesleyan University .

David Zaslav, president and CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery

Law school: Boston University School of Law in Massachusetts

U.S. News law school rank: 24

Acceptance rate: 17.8%

WarnerMedia and Discovery merged in 2022 to become Warner Bros. Discovery, one of the country's largest media and entertainment companies. Zaslav had served as CEO of Discovery since 2006. Previously a practicing attorney, he graduated from law school with honors.

Get guidance on choosing a law school.

Learn more about applying to law school and get our complete rankings of the Best Law Schools . For more advice and information on choosing a law school, follow U.S. News Education on X/Twitter and Facebook .

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Fortune 500 CEOs Who Earned a Law Degree

• Priscilla Almodovar, Fannie Mae
• Robert M. Blue, Dominion Energy
• Calvin Butler, Exelon Corporation
• Safra Catz, Oracle
• Robert M. Davis, Merck
• Kenneth David DeGiorgio, First American Financial
• Nicholas Fink, Fortune Brands Innovations
• Glenn D. Fogel, Booking Holdings Inc.
• Chris Leahy, CDW
• Jeffrey W. Martin, Sempra
• Brian Moynihan, Bank of America Corporation
• Teresa Rasmussen, Thrivent
• Alan D. Schnitzer, Travelers
• Michael Tipsord, State Farm Insurance
• David Zaslav, Warner Bros. Discovery

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Doctor of Law and Policy (DLP) Policy Powerhouse: Lead the Way

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Transfer in up to 50% of the degree total

Become a More Knowledgeable, Ethical Statesman or Stateswoman with Our Online Doctor of Law and Policy Degree

Do you currently work in public policy or law? Perhaps you are passionate about the work you do, and you are seeking additional training that can help make you a more knowledgeable, effective statesman or stateswoman. By pursuing a career in law and public policy, you are choosing a challenging but rewarding vocation that is critical to the defense of individual liberties. Our Doctor of Law and Policy can help equip you with the advanced training needed to confront the political challenges posed to freedom and safeguard our democracy.

If there are 2 things in the world today that affect people of every background, they are law and policy. Law is the moral and philosophical foundation upon which public policy is built, and public policy is an expression of the will of the people through the political process. When public policy is understood through the lens of the law, it is better formulated, more easily defended, and more effectively applied.

Our doctor of policy and law degree online is designed to equip you with an in-depth knowledge of the law and its connection to public policy. This degree program can help you develop skills in public policy analysis, policy formulation, law implementation, and enforcement methods. At Liberty, we don’t just seek to train law and policy students – we seek to develop policy experts and legal scholars who can critically analyze complex issues and provide meaningful, impactful solutions that improve the lives of others.

Ranked in the Top 10% of Niche.com’s Best Online Schools in America

• What Sets Us Apart?
• Private Nonprofit University
• 600+ Online Degrees
• No Standardized Testing for Admission
• Transfer in up to 75% of an Undergrad Degree
• Transfer in up to 50% of a Grad/Doctoral Degree

Why Choose Liberty’s Doctor of Law and Policy Degree?

At Liberty, we believe that God is the creator of all things, including law and public policy. We also believe that we have a responsibility to train ethical, principled leaders whose commitment to country and family is preceded only by their devotion to God. By choosing Liberty, you are choosing a respected, accredited institution of higher education that is devoted to academic excellence and moral virtue.

As the scope and influence of government grow, so does the demand for policy experts. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the job outlook for political scientists is projected to grow 6% by 2029 — a growth rate higher than the national average.* If you’re interested in running for elected office, this degree can help equip you with the skills and knowledge needed to navigate complex political issues, interpret current laws, and write legislation for new laws. Our professors are esteemed scholars with years of experience in their fields who will draw on their expertise to help you succeed academically, professionally, and spiritually.

Liberty University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges ( SACSCOC ), so you can rest assured that this degree program has met rigorous accreditation standards. As a pioneer in distance education since 1985, we know what it takes to construct insightful, challenging degree programs that offer tremendous benefits to you.

*Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, at Occupational Outlook Handbook: Political Scientists (viewed online April 27, 2021). Cited projections may not reflect local and/or short-term economic or job conditions and do not guarantee actual job growth.

What Will You Study in Our Doctor of Law and Policy Degree?

Our Doctor of Law and Policy features in-depth courses that are designed to help you become a service-oriented statesman or stateswoman.

This degree program is divided into 4 sections: policy, law, research methods and tools, and a 5-step capstone sequence. In the policy section of this degree, you will study the foundational aspects of statesmanship and public policy. You will also study the founding era, the Constitution, contemporary challenges, the role of the state, foundations of federalism, and policy analysis methodology.

The core law courses will cover the foundations of the American legal process, constitutional law, and public policy. You will also study economics, administrative law, and human rights law. The law courses are taught by our law school faculty – all of whom hold Juris Doctor degrees and are licensed to practice law.

The research methods and tools section of our Doctor of Law and Policy degree features courses in research, writing, and analysis for law and policy as well as public policy lawyering skills. In addition, this section of our DLP degree can teach you quantitative and qualitative methods that are useful in conducting public policy research. Our Doctor of Law and Policy also includes a capstone sequence. Throughout the capstone, you will be able to hone your research skills and study a research concept that you’re passionate about.

Potential Career Opportunities

• Elected official
• Journalist/reporter
• Legislative aide
• Policy analyst
• Research fellow

Featured Courses

• LPCY 702 – Constitutional Law and Public Policy
• LPCY 704 – Law, Economics, and Public Policy
• PLCY 700 – Foundations of Public Policy
• PLCY 703 – Contemporary Challenges to Constitutional Order and the Role of the State

Degree Information

• This program falls under the Helms School of Government .
• View the Graduate Government Course Guides (login required) .

Degree Completion Plan (PDF)

Not sure what to choose?

Speak to one of our admissions specialists to help you choose the program that best fits your needs.

• Tuition & Aid

Your success is our success, which is why we are committed to providing quality academics at an affordable tuition rate. While other colleges are increasing their tuition, we have frozen tuition rates for the majority of our undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs for the past 9 years – and counting.

Eligible current and former military service members and their spouses may qualify for a special rate of $300/credit hour ( learn more ) .

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Admission Information for the Doctor of Law and Policy

Admission requirements.

• A non-refundable, non-transferable $50 application fee will be posted on the current application upon enrollment (waived for qualifying service members, veterans, and military spouses – documentation verifying military status is required) .
• Send official college transcripts (mailed as sealed, unopened copies or sent via a direct electronic transcript system). A regionally or nationally accredited master’s degree with at least a 3.0 GPA is required for admission in good standing.
• Applicants whose native language is other than English must submit official scores for the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or an approved alternative assessment. For information on alternative assessments or TOEFL waivers, please call Admissions or view the official International Admissions policy .

Preliminary Acceptance

If you are sending in a preliminary transcript for acceptance, you must:

• Be in your final term and planning to start your doctoral degree after the last day of class for your master’s degree.
• Complete a Master’s Self-Certification Form confirming your completion date. You may download the form from the Forms and Downloads page or contact an admissions counselor to submit the form on your behalf.
• Submit an official transcript to confirm that you are in your final term. The preliminary transcript must show that you are within 6 credit hours of completion for a 30-48 credit hour master’s degree or within 9 credit hours of completion for a 49+ credit hour master’s degree.
• Send in an additional, final official transcript with a conferral date on it by the end of your first semester of enrollment in the new doctoral degree.

Transcript Policies

Official college transcript policy.

An acceptable official college transcript is one that has been issued directly from the institution and is in a sealed envelope. If you have one in your possession, it must meet the same requirements. If your previous institution offers electronic official transcript processing, they can send the document directly to [email protected] .

Admissions Office Contact Information

(800) 424-9596

(888) 301-3577

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Email for Documents

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Liberty University is dedicated to providing world-class educational experiences to military students across the globe.

Who May Qualify?

• Active Duty
• Reserve/National Guard
• Veterans/Retirees
• Spouses of Service Members and Veterans/Retirees

Military Tuition Discount

We want to help you find the doctoral degree you want – at a price you’ve earned. As a thank-you for your military service, Liberty University offers eligible current and former service members like you or your spouse multiple pathways to earn a doctoral degree for only $300/credit hour . Find out how you can take advantage of this unique opportunity as you work toward your goal of reaching the pinnacle of your profession – for less.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is liberty university accredited.

Liberty University holds institutional accreditation through the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges ( SACSCOC ).

What resources will be available to me in this program?

You will have access to vast online resources through Liberty University’s library portal while pursuing your online Doctor of Law and Policy degree.

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What is a Master of Studies in Law? Explore the George Washington University Law School MSL

You don’t have to be a lawyer to earn a living understanding and applying the law. Many professions require — or benefit significantly from — a thorough understanding of how the law impacts an industry or institution. The Master of Studies in Law (MSL), a graduate-level law degree designed for non-lawyers, can prepare you for a career interpreting and navigating legal situations.

You can earn an MSL 100% online from the George Washington University Law School (GW Law); you also have the option to take courses on-campus. The program offers specializations online in three areas: government procurement law, national security and cybersecurity law, and government procurement and cybersecurity law. The university’s location in the heart of Washington, D.C. enables students to benefit from access to the center of national legal and political activity — without ever having to leave their hometowns.

Gain Legal Expertise to Propel Your Career

Choose from three msl concentrations at gw law.

If you aspire to a career engaging with the law, you may be wondering whether a Master of Studies in Law is the right degree for you. How does the MSL differ from the Juris Doctor (JD), the law degree pursued by aspiring attorneys? What careers does each degree facilitate? This article explores those questions to help you decide which option better suits your career goals.

Master of Studies in Law vs. Juris Doctor: Decoding the Differences

A Master of Studies in Law is a master’s-level graduate degree in law and legal systems. A Juris Doctor is a terminal degree at the doctoral level that qualifies recipients to work in the courts as lawyers and judges. Admissions requirements, coursework, and career opportunities for the degrees differ substantially.

Applicants to GW’s MSL program must hold a bachelor’s degree and three to five years of professional experience relevant to the specialization they choose to pursue. Acceptance into a JD program requires a bachelor’s degree and an acceptable score on the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) . 

Coursework in the degree programs overlaps somewhat, but the JD is undoubtedly the more comprehensive and detailed of the two. GW’s MSL program requires 24 credit hours of coursework, which can be completed in as few as 12 months (for full-time students). A JD requires 80 credit hours and includes a rigorous first-year law student curriculum, with courses such as Torts, Property, and Contracts. Full-time JD students typically take three years to complete their degrees, after which they must pass their state’s bar exam.

Your professional goals will dictate which degree you choose. JD graduates are trained to practice law (after successfully passing a state or DC bar examination); they typically pursue careers as lawyers, judges and legal scholars. An MSL can be helpful in professions in such varied fields as government, business, finance, real estate, court administration, mediation, insurance, policy, and nongovernmental organizations. Practically every field intersects with the law, creating career opportunities for MSL degree holders.

What Will You Learn in MSL Programs?

Graduates of George Washington University’s Master of Studies in Law are prepared to communicate with lawyers and competently address industry compliance and regulatory issues. Students pursue the specialization most compatible with their current professional experience:

• Government Procurement Law examines how procurement systems operate and the laws and regulations that govern them in the U.S. and abroad. Classwork includes anti-corruption, intellectual property and procurement reform.
• National Security & Cybersecurity Law thoroughly examines legal and policy issues surrounding national security, cybersecurity, AI, big data and new technologies. Classes cover internet law, foreign access to U.S. technology, and artificial intelligence law.
• Government Procurement & Cybersecurity Law prepares professionals to address the rising demand for cybersecurity legal expertise in government procurement law. Topics include cybersecurity law and technology, consumer privacy and data protection, and government procurement of intellectual property.

In all fields, the MSL degree prepares graduates to address challenges from a legal perspective, communicate with lawyers and non-lawyers alike, and assess the legal ramifications of corporate and institutional issues.

Career Pathways with a Master of Studies in Law  

An MSL can be especially beneficial for people who work in highly regulated fields, such as government, healthcare, education, nonprofits, manufacturing and finance. Anyone who communicates frequently with lawyers can also benefit from an MSL. Graduates of GW’s MSL program have gone on to work for various employers, including:

• Department of Defense
• Department of Homeland Security
• General Dynamics
• General Services Administration (GSA)
• Lockheed Martin
• Northrop Grumman

Is an MSL the Right Fit for Your Professional Goals?

The GW Law online MSL serves non-lawyer professionals whose work requires a detailed knowledge of the law. An MSL can benefit compliance officers, consultants, government managers, intelligence community analysts, journalists, policy analysts, and procurement specialists, to name just a few.

George Washington University Law School’sMSL program provides the theoretical and practical knowledge necessary to apply the law to today’s organizational legal challenges. Located in our nation’s capital with flexible options to attend from any location, GW Law’s MSL degree delivers a strong law curriculum, respected faculty experts, academic peers from across the globe and over 33,000 living alumni for networking, advice and career development. 

If you are ready to explore the law and find your place within it, contact an admissions adviser to learn more about the MSL program or start your application .

Become a Source of Valued Legal Insight in Your Workplace

Learn to identify and address legal risks.

Tell us about yourself.

Sharing some details will help us customize your experience. A bachelor’s degree is required to attend.

Father-Son Classmates Graduate From Texas A&M School of Law

David Lawson and his son Shannon naturally share many of the same qualities, like a witty sense of humor, natural curiosity and an ability to not take themselves too seriously. They recently added to the list of things they share in common – graduates of Texas A&M University’s School of Law.

The Lawsons, who earned their degrees this May, say it all began with a text message.

Shannon, 49,  was scrolling on his phone while waiting for a flight one day in 2022 when he came across an ad for the law school’s Master of Legal Studies (MLS) program with an emphasis in Cybersecurity Law and Policy . Shannon, who serves as chief information security officer for the City of Phoenix, was intrigued by the idea. Designed for non-lawyer professionals who don’t intend to practice law, the degree would give him legal expertise that would build on his background in cybersecurity.

Shannon had done cybersecurity work for the U.S. Navy, the state of Alaska and regional areas in Southern California. He and David had a combined 70 years of experience in the cybersecurity and information technology fields, and both father and son shared dreams of one day attending law school. So, Shannon texted his father.

“I always wanted to go to law school, but nothing ever aligned for me to do it,” Shannon said. “This program allowed me to tie (my degree) to cyber in a field that is high demand, low density.”

David, 75, was also attracted to the idea. He had been retired for nine years after a 45-year career in information technology. As chief information officer for West Jersey Health System and vice president of professional service at AllScript, he oversaw some of the nation’s most cutting-edge information and security systems. In retirement, David found himself dissatisfied with the slow pace of living, and still had an interest in expanding his skillset.

The father-son pair both decided to enroll in the MLS program, becoming online classmates in January 2023. Shannon did his studies from his home in Phoenix, and David from the Sarasota, Florida area.

Despite the distance, the Lawsons often shared notes and compared grades. And in the spirit of friendly competition, they pushed each other to see who could complete assignments first.

“We thought we had a clear idea of what would happen while going through this program. What ended up happening was that my dad would always be ahead of me in every class, which was understandable,” Shannon said. “I was working full-time, and I have a 10-year-old. So, my plate was full.”

For his part, David appreciated the accountability he received from Shannon. It also helped him adjust to the demands of going back to school.

“This program helped open a side of me that I always knew was there,” David said. “You’ve got to think and write, think some more, and then write some more. When you get older, people talk about the importance of exercising your mind. If you want to activate your brain, try going to law school.”

Throughout the program, the Lawsons learned new, innovative approaches to their craft. They also developed a fondness for their legal courses, particularly contract law, legal writing and alternative dispute resolution.

“The law classes were my favorite,” David said. “In my 40-plus years in the IT area, I was familiar with contracts, arbitration, negotiations and things like that. However, having taken these law classes, I am now able to better communicate with others in the room. When the attorneys talk, I now know how to talk and use the language that they understand. Just being able to speak their language is incredibly important.”

Shannon said he was also able to directly apply his new skills to his career.

“The law classes really made me more curious,” he said. “There was immediate applicability to the job that I’m in now because I work with procurement, the legal team and human resources for personnel investigations. It gave me the ability to use specific legal language to better participate in those conversations at work — which was awesome.”

For Shannon, this is his third master’s degree.

“I think it’s extra special that my dad and I were able to do it together,” he said. “I think it’s great because this opportunity doesn’t really present itself very often, and everything lined up perfectly at the right time.”

As the Lawson reflect up on their accomplishment and plan their next joint adventure, Shannon said their next venture will likely be “much tamer,” per his mother’s request.

“My mom told me to stop giving my dad ideas,” he joked.

This article by Justin Ikpo originally appeared on the School of Law website .

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Brandeis graduate takes unusual path to earning law degree

LOUISVILLE — The path to becoming a lawyer isn’t always direct from high school diploma to J.D. degree, but Kenny Schwalbert’s route leaves even him scratching his head and laughing. He will graduate from Brandeis School of Law on Sunday, May 12, joining approximately 125 candidates in the Class of 2024. The ceremony starts at 10 a.m. at the Louisville Palace Theatre, 625 S. Fourth St.

Upon graduating from Seckman High School in his hometown of Imperial, Missouri, Schwalbert started his undergraduate education as a petroleum engineering student at Missouri University of Science & Technology. After a year, however, he came to the conclusion that he disliked the major.

From there, he went on to earn associate and bachelor’s degrees in mortuary science in Indiana, eventually becoming a Certified Funeral Service Practitioner, licensed funeral director and embalmer with Pearson’s Funeral Home in Louisville.

But then he discovered Brandeis Law School and a love for the law.

“I haven’t taken the usual track,” Schwalbert said.

It could be said he was waylaid off that “usual track” early on. Two years after he was born, his younger sister Brooke, who is disabled, was born. Their parents later developed opioid addictions, and his dad died when Schwalbert was a teen. After his death, Schwalbert’s mom “just took off and left,” he said.

Luckily, his grandparents lived next door, and they stepped in where his parents were unable to. “It was my grandparents who really raised me,” Schwalbert said. “Brooke and I are so lucky we had them.”

It was his grandfather who indirectly led him to working in the funeral service profession. “He had me take on most of the planning of my father’s funeral, and I found it was so much of a one-on-one interaction with people. It’s that chance you have to celebrate a life, to lift that person up for that moment.”

So when he realized that petroleum engineering wasn’t right for him, Schwalbert remembered the experience. It’s what brought him to Kentuckiana’s Mid-America College of Funeral Service in Jeffersonville, Ind., where he earned an associate’s degree in 2016, and then on to Southern Illinois University where he earned a bachelor’s degree in mortuary science in 2021.

While in school at Mid-America, he and a friend studied together, and that friend’s girlfriend was a Brandeis Law School student. They sometimes all studied in the Brandeis Law School Library together.

“That’s when I started seeing the law school, the Oval, learned the history of (Justice Louis D.) Brandeis, and I just fell in love with the place,” Schwalbert said. “I was accepted into other law schools, but it was UofL for me.”

He recently started working part-time again at Pearson’s during his last semester of law school. “I’m a jack-of-all-trades undertaker,” he said. “I both work with families to help them plan the funeral of a loved one, and I work as an embalmer, too. And both sides are so different but both are so important.”

He still made time for achieving one of the top accolades a law student can attain: editor-in-chief of the law review.

“Never in my life did I think law school would be what it has turned out to be,” he said. “Even now, every time I think about being editor-in-chief of the University of Louisville Law Review , I’m like, ‘wow!’ The opportunities I’ve had have just been unbelievable. The faculty is super approachable, and arguably the biggest mentor in my life other than my grandparents was Professor Les Abramson” (now retired).

Schwalbert also found time to teach in the Marshall Brennan Constitutional Law Program with the law school’s Signature Partnership Program at Central High School. The program provides high school junior and seniors exposure to careers in law with law school faculty and students as teachers.

With his background as a funeral service planner, estate law might be the logical choice for his career, but Schwalbert has other plans.

“I’m going into tax law. Believe it or not, I love federal income tax (law), so of course I loved all of Professor (Tom) Blackburn’s classes. Grace Giesel, John Cross, Cassie Chambers Armstrong, Luke Milligan and Jamie Abrams (now with another university) were some of my other favorites, too.”

He’s secured a position with one of the nation’s “Big Law” firms — Frost Brown Todd — but his education isn’t quite over. He will pursue a masters of law (LL.M.) degree focusing on taxation law beginning in August at the University of Florida Levin College of Law where he received a full-ride scholarship and will be an editor on the Florida Tax Review . He will join Frost Brown Todd in June 2025.

For now, Schwalbert’s only regret is that his grandfather couldn’t live to see him graduate. And his grandmother has health issues and is in a care facility in St. Louis. His aunt and sister will be coming to Louisville for Commencement, however, and they hope to bring his grandmother if she is able to make the trip.

But if she can’t? “Professor Abramson is so kind. He said, ‘Kenny, if your Nana can’t make it to graduation, we’ll set a time and I’ll come to St. Louis and I’ll hood you for her.’ Isn’t that great?

“I do appreciate this law school. Everything I have experienced here is just nothing short of wonderful.”

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Latham Litigation Head Sees AI Effects as a Leader and a Lawyer

By David Lat

In late 2019, I wrote a detailed profile of the litigation practice of Latham & Watkins, using it as a window into the evolution of both litigation and large law firms over the decades. One of the lawyers I spoke to was Michele Johnson , then in her first year as Global Chair of Latham’s litigation and trial department.

Almost five years later, I checked in with Johnson to get an update on litigation at Latham—and to see what trends it might reveal about the world of litigation more generally. We discussed the overall state of the litigation market, the ...

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