Offered beginning in academic year 2013-14

With active scholarly workshops, a rich curriculum, and a very strong Faculty complement in the area, the University of Toronto Faculty of Law is the premier Canadian centre for learning about how law and regulation impact business here in Canada and internationally.  Graduate students pursuing the concentration in the LLM program will obtain a nuanced understanding of key debates in Canadian and international business law and will have the opportunity to pursue in-depth research in the field from a wide range of topical, theoretical, and methodological vantage points.

What are the elements of the concentration in Business Law?

Students in the Business Law concentration within the Master of Laws (LLM) program can pursue coursework only, or a combination of both coursework and a thesis related to Business Law.  Entry into the concentration is on a competitive basis; participation will be limited to a relatively small group of students in the LLM program.

Click below for a list of our Faculty’s courses in the Business Law area during the 2023-2024 academic year.

Courses in Business Law (2023-2024)

  • Advanced Secured Transaction Seminar
  • Arbitration and Alternative Dispute Resolution
  • Bankruptcy and Insolvency Law
  • Beyond the Standard Labour Law Model - Construction, Film, the Gig Economy, and Beyond
  • Business Organizations
  • Canadian Income Tax Law
  • Commercial Litigation: Process & Strategy
  • Corporate Income Tax
  • Corporations, Individuals, and the State
  • Entertainment Law
  • Finance, Business and the Accounting in the Law
  • Financial Crimes and Corporate Compliance
  • From Blueprints to Buildings: Legal Issues in the Construction Industry
  • International Trade Regulation
  • Law of International Business & Finance Transactions
  • The Law of Work
  • Patent and Trade Secrets Law
  • Real Estate Law
  • Securities Litigation: The Public and Private Enforcement of Securities Law
  • Secured Transactions
  • Securities Regulation
  • Transnational Business and Human Rights

Upon acceptance into the concentration, each student’s course selection will be reviewed in order to ensure that an appropriate number of credits are devoted to Business Law.

Why should I pursue Business Law at the University of Toronto?

The University of Toronto Faculty of Law is home to internationally-renowned Business Law scholars, and is a core contributor to UofT’s Capital Markets Institute.  Given the number of faculty specializing in Business Law subjects, students have access to a large selection of courses and benefit from small class sizes and frequent interaction with course instructors. The Faculty’s proximity to Canada’s financial core in downtown Toronto also enables leading Canadian business law practitioners and business people to make significant contributions to the teaching program.  These talented individuals bring their tremendous business expertise, as well as their experience as advocates, negotiators, drafters, and policy-makers, to the courses they teach. They offer our students valuable insights from the world of business and legal practice, and an introduction to the rigours and opportunities of various types of legal and business careers.

A further strength of the Faculty’s Business Law program is its flexibility.  Students may tailor their studies to emphasize practical skills, such as drafting, deal structuring, negotiation, and problem solving.  They may also take advantage of the Faculty’s renowned strength in corporate law or law and economics to refine critical thinking skills. 

Who should pursue the Business Law concentration?

Canadian and international students and lawyers wishing to deepen their knowledge and experience of Canadian and international Business Law issues, will find the concentration particularly beneficial.  Those seeking to serve in future on corporate boards or in corporate management roles will also find great benefit in the concentration. Students wishing to pursue doctoral-level studies in Business Law will find that the program provides them with a rigorous background to prepare them for further studies in the area.

Application Process

Admission requirements for students in the Business Law concentration are the same as for students in the general LLM program, with the exception that a specific interest in the concentration area must be addressed in the Personal Statement. Applicants should substantiate their interest in and suitability for the Business Law concentration through this statement.  Admission to the program is on a competitive basis, and spots in the concentration will be limited.

Students wishing to pursue coursework and a thesis in the area of Business Law, but who are not accepted into the Business Law concentration, may nevertheless be accepted into the LL.M. program.

All applicants are required to review in detail all of the information and various links within our Admissions webpages.  Answers to frequently asked questions can be found on our Graduate Program FAQ webpage.

Credit Requirements

All students in the LL.M. Concentration in Business Law may pursue either the LL.M. program course-work only option, or a longer or shorter thesis option.

Coursework-only Option with a Concentration in Business Law  (28 course credits):

Students in the concentration who pursue the coursework-only option would complete 28 course credits in the LL.M. program.  Students pursuing this option would complete:

  • LLM Seminar (1 credit).
  • At least 12 credits of courses from an approved list of Business Law courses.
  • Additional courses, either within or outside of the list of Business Law courses above, to bring them to 28 total credits.
  • A writing requirement, by either:
    • Designating a three (3) or four (4) credit course, related to the area of concentration, as a writing requirement course and producing one piece of writing that is at least 5,000 words (or approximately 20 pages)
      • Only courses requiring a written assignment of at least 5,000 words will qualify as a designated writing requirement course.
    • Completing a two (2) or three (3) credit directed research project on a topic related to Business Law, requiring a written assignment of 7,000 and 10,500 words, respectively. 

Short Thesis Option with a Concentration in Business Law (24 course credits):

If students in the concentration opt to prepare a short thesis of 50-60 pages (15,000 words), they would complete 24 credits in the program.  Students pursuing this option would complete:

  • Alternative Approaches to Legal Scholarship (3 credits) and LLM Seminar (1 credit).
  • A short, 4-credit thesis in a subject related to Business Law. 
  • At least 8 credits of Business Law coursework from an approved list of Business Law courses.
  • Students would take 8 additional credits of coursework, either from the list of Business Law courses, or from outside of that list.

Longer Thesis Option with a Concentration in Business Law (24 course credits):

If students in the concentration opt to prepare a longer thesis of 150 pages (45,000 words), they would also complete 24 credits.  Students pursuing this option would complete:

  • Alternative Approaches to Legal Scholarship (3 credits) and LLM Seminar (1 credit).
  • A longer, 16-credit thesis in a subject related to Business Law.
  • Up to 4 additional credits of coursework, either from the approved list of Business Law courses, or from outside of that list.