Master of Laws in Law and Entrepreneurship
Program Code: LAW-LLM-LE
Degree Designation: Master of Laws
Department: School of Law
Website: law.duke.edu/study/jdllmlerequirements
Program Summary
LLM in Law and Entrepreneurship
The Law and Entrepreneurship LLM Program is a one-year advanced legal studies program designed for students who have already earned their JD degree and want to be entrepreneurial lawyers. This program is currently on hiatus and is not accepting applications.
JD/LLM in Law and Entrepreneurship
The JD/LLM in law and entrepreneurship allows students to earn both the JD and LLM degrees in three years, with a summer of additional coursework. More information is available on the Juris Doctor program page.
Academic Requirements
The Law and Entrepreneurship LLM Program is a two-semester, 24-credit program that builds on Duke Law's existing strengths in the fields of business law, intellectual property law, and innovation policy. The program includes five required courses for a total of 16 credits; eight remaining credits must be taken as electives, and other electives may be taken if core course requirements have been met during the JD program.
Required Courses (complete all)
LAW 203 Business Strategy for Lawyers
LAW 210 Business Associations
LAW 319 Analytical Methods
LAW 384 Securities Regulation
LAW 409 Entrepreneurship Immersion
LAW 534 Advising the Entrepreneurial Client
LAW 778 Law and Entrepreneurship
Finance and Private Equity (complete 2)
LAW 261 Financial Valuation
LAW 325 Corporate Finance
LAW 335 Private Equity & Hedge Funds
LAW 358 Structuring Venture Capital and Private Equity Transactions
LAW 532 Venture Capital Financing
Intellectual Property (complete any, 4 credits)
LAW 202 Art Law
LAW 270 Intellectual Property
LAW 321 The Law and Policy of Innovation: The Life Sciences
LAW 322 Copyright Law
LAW 333 Science Law and Policy
LAW 369 Patent Law and Policy
LAW 393 Trademark Law and Unfair Competition
LAW 465 Patent Claim Drafting and Foundations of Patent Strategy
LAW 530 Entertainment Law
LAW 745 Trade Secrecy: Doctrine, Policy, Frontier Issues
LAW 754 Intellectual Property Transactions
LAW 781 Music Copyright: A Historical, Incentives-Based, and Aesthetic Analysis of the Law of Music
LAW 769 Design Law
Winter Session (complete 3 credits): LAW 800 to LAW 900
Summer Program (complete all)
LAW 409 Entrepreneurship Immersion
LAW 534 Advising the Entrepreneurial Client
Skills, Practicum, Clinic and Experiential Courses
Skills-based (complete any)
LAW 460 Negotiation for Lawyers
LAW 465 Patent Claim Drafting and Foundations of Patent Strategy
LAW 515 Contract Drafting for the Finance Lawyer
LAW 519 Contract Drafting
LAW 549 Corporate Counseling and Communication
LAW 754 Intellectual Property Transactions
Practicum and Clinic (complete any)
LAW 441 Start-Up Ventures Clinic
LAW 632 LLMLE Practicum
LAW 634 LLMLE Practicum for 3L JD-LLMLEs
LAW 427 Community Enterprise Clinic
Electives (complete 13 credits)
LAW 202 Art Law
LAW 205 Antitrust
LAW 231 Ethics in Action: Large Law Firm Practice
LAW 260 Financial Accounting
LAW 287 Principles of Commercial and Bankruptcy Law
LAW 307 Internet and Telecommunications Regulation
LAW 316 Intro to Cyber Law and Policy
LAW 321 The Law and Policy of Innovation: The Life Sciences
LAW 322 Copyright Law
LAW 325 Corporate Finance
LAW 326 Corporate Taxation
LAW 331 Introduction to Privacy Law and Policy
LAW 335 Private Equity & Hedge Funds
LAW 336 Mergers and Acquisitions
LAW 369 Patent Law and Policy
LAW 379 Partnership Taxation
LAW 393 Trademark Law and Unfair Competition
LAW 427 Community Enterprise Clinic
LAW 428 Advanced Community Enterprise Clinic
LAW 441 Start-Up Ventures Clinic
LAW 441A Advanced Start Up Ventures Clinic
LAW 460 Negotiation for Lawyers
LAW 465 Patent Claim Drafting and Foundations of Patent Strategy
LAW 475A Law and Policy Lab: Data Governance
LAW 478 Commercial Real Estate Transactions and Litigation
LAW 525 Artificial Intelligence Law and Policy
LAW 529 Corporate Governance
LAW 534 Advising the Entrepreneurial Client
LAW 541 Non-Profit Organizations
LAW 549 Corporate Counseling and Communication
LAW 550 Legal Issues of Cybersecurity and Data Breach Response
LAW 563 Corporate Restructuring and Chapter 11 Bankruptcy - In Practice
LAW 571 Future of Contracts
LAW 581 FinTech Law and Policy
LAW 586 Current Debates in Bankruptcy Law
LAW 632 LLMLE Practicum
LAW 634 LLMLE Practicum for 3L JD-LLMLEs
LAW 745 Trade Secrecy: Doctrine, Policy, Frontier Issues
LAW 754 Intellectual Property Transactions
LAW 755 Data Governance and Data Sharing
LAW 760E Practitioner's Guide to Employment Law
LAW 769 Design Law
LAW 773 Research Methods in Business Law
First Semester
During the first semester, all students will be required to complete a rigorous three-course core curriculum. This core includes the following: Law and Entrepreneurship (2 credits); Advising the Entrepreneurial Client (3 credits); and Business Strategy for Lawyers (3 credits). Students must also take at least one elective from a menu of courses available through the program (see below). If students have already taken Business Strategy for Lawyers, or if they have an MBA, they can select additional electives from the courses available through the program.
Second Semester
During the second semester, all students will be required to take the following: Venture Capital Financing (3 credits) and the Entrepreneurship and the Law Practicum (5 credits). Students may then fulfill their remaining credit requirements via electives.
Detailed requirements are available at law.duke.edu/study/jdllmlerequirements.