Business Law

BSL 102. Contracts in Everyday Business and Life. 3 Credit Hours.

Contracts are the building blocks of business. Designed for Summer Scholars, this course explores both the legal and practical elements of contracting. Topics will include the basics of contract law, the ethical implications of certain contracts, and novel forms of contracting, such as clickwraps and smart contracts. Through the lens of familiar transactions, the class will explore the process of entering a contract, from negotiation to execution and beyond. The course methodology offers a problem-solving experience and provides high school students with an opportunity to develop their analytical and decision-making abilities in a university environment.
Requisite: Summer Scholars Program.
Components: LEC.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Summer.

BSL 104. The Judicial: Understanding Cutting-Edge Legal Cases Impacting Business. 3 Credit Hours.

Case law has shaped the development of our law in the U.S. common law system. It has also shaped business and the way it is transacted. Designed for Summer Scholars, this interactive course explores key court cases in their legal and historical context, along with their role in business today. Topics include the fundamentals of the common law system, the judiciary, and the mechanics of a legal case as it makes its way through the judicial process. The course methodology offers a problem-solving experience and provides high school students with an opportunity to develop their analytical and decision-making abilities in a university environment.
Requisite: Summer Scholars Program.
Components: LEC.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Summer.

BSL 105. The Legislative: Exploring the Impact of Law on Business. 3 Credit Hours.

Designed for Summer Scholars, this course offers an exploration of the legislative process in the United States, particularly with respect to business and industries. Summer Scholars will analyze key statutes in different areas of law, with an aim to understand their history, enactment, and impact on business. Statutes studied may include those in areas such as employment, intellectual property, corruption, antitrust, workplace safety, marketing, environmental law, and privacy, among others. The course methodology offers a problem-solving experience and provides high school students with an opportunity to develop their analytical and decision-making abilities in a university environment.
Requisite: Summer Scholars Program.
Components: LEC.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Summer.

BSL 212. Introduction to Business Law and Ethics. 3 Credit Hours.

Introduction to business law and ethics for the undergraduate student. Topics include business ethics and contracts (their nature and requisites, formation, interpretation, performance and breach, and remedies) under the common law and the Uniform Commercial Code. This course has a significant critical thinking and writing component, with active problem solving as its focus.
Requisite: Miami Herbert Business School.
Components: LEC.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Fall, Spring, & Summer.

BSL 304. Corporate Law. 3 Credit Hours.

Introduction to the law and regulation of corporations and other business entities. Topics include: tort and other business liabilities, agency and fiduciary duty, partnerships, limited liability companies, corporations (including the legal relationships underpinning their financial structure, director and officer liability, and laws relative to change of control), securities regulation, and antitrust law.
Prerequisite: BSL 212 or equivalent or BUS 202.
Components: LEC.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Fall & Spring.

BSL 305. Business Ethics and Stakeholder Capitalism. 3 Credit Hours.

This course explores the ethical issues arising out of business and its legal and regulatory environment, including in the broader context of business ethics and stakeholder capitalism. The course pedagogy enhances students’ ability to identify ethical issues, apply models of ethical decision-making, and adopt behaviors consistent with ethical conduct and legal/regulatory compliance. Through an examination primarily of case studies, students practice and hone their capacity to recognize and address the ethical dimensions of business decisions, with a focus on problem solving and development of analytic abilities.
Requisite: Sophomore Standing or higher.
Components: LEC.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Fall.

BSL 306. Introduction to Corporate Sustainability. 3 Credit Hours.

This course explores the evolving role of businesses in addressing environmental, social, and governance challenges. Through readings, lectures, case studies, interactive discussions, and hands-on projects, students will examine corporate sustainability frameworks, stakeholder expectations, corporate governance and strategic decision-making approaches that balance profit with purpose. Topics include the challenges and opportunities associated with climate risk, sustainable supply chains, and human capital in a global economy. Students will engage with real-world examples and apply alternative decision-making models to assess how businesses can drive innovation, resilience, and long-term value creation. BSL 304 recommended as a prerequisite, but not required.
Prerequisite: BSL 212 or equivalent or BUS 202.
Components: LEC.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Offered by Announcement Only.

BSL 324. Negotiation. 3 Credit Hours.

This experiential course is designed to introduce undergraduate business students to the theory and practice of negotiation. The lectures and readings will discuss negotiation theory, equipping students with the concepts and terminology to prepare and execute value-creating, interest-based negotiations. Negotiation exercises will provide the student with an opportunity to apply the theoretical elements of the course in live, simulated negotiations. Extensive review of these simulated negotiations through classroom discussion and film analysis will assist students in cementing their understanding of the use of negotiation theory in practice. Although negotiation theory is applicable to a wide variety of academic contexts, this course focuses on negotiations in the practice of law and business.
Requisite: Miami Herbert Business School or Business Law minor AND Prerequisite: BSL 212 or equivalent or BUS 202 AND Sophomore Standing or higher.
Components: LEC.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Fall & Spring.

BSL 333. Legal Aspects of Real Estate Transactions. 3 Credit Hours.

Legal principles controlling the acquisition, ownership, financing, and development of real property. Topics include nature and acquisition of rights in real property, theory of estates, co-ownership, fixtures, easements, legal descriptions, evidence of title, title insurance, deeds, mortgages, closing the sales and mortgage transactions, condominiums and cooperatives, brokers, and land use.
Prerequisite: BSL 212 or equivalent or BUS 202.
Components: LEC.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Fall & Spring.

BSL 355. Business and Consumer Law. 3 Credit Hours.

This course exposes students to the myriad federal and state regulations, statutes, and case law that govern consumers’ commercial rights, examining specific rights and remedies afforded to consumers by the law. Topics include but are not limited to consumer credit, consumer sales transactions, residential realty-related rights and obligations, and creditor/debtor law geared toward consumers. Students will ultimately gain an in-depth understanding of how the law seeks to create an equitable balance between business and consumers in the marketplace.
Prerequisite: BSL 212 or equivalent or BUS 202.
Components: LEC.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Offered by Announcement Only.

BSL 401. The Law of Financial Transactions. 3 Credit Hours.

Overview of the law of commercial finance as it relates to existing and emergent payment systems, secured credit, and bankruptcy. Topics include: negotiable instruments, bank deposits and collections, secured transactions, personal and commercial bankruptcies, and accountant liability.
Prerequisite: BSL 212 or equivalent or BUS 202.
Components: LEC.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Fall & Spring.

BSL 405. White Collar Crime. 3 Credit Hours.

This course explores crime that is non-violent and financially motivated, committed by individuals and organizations in a professional or business setting, with an emphasis on federal offenses such as bribery, money laundering, RICO, different types of fraud, and obstruction of justice. Students will also gain a practical understanding of legal procedures involved in the investigation, prosecution, and defense of white-collar crimes, including the roles of federal agencies and other legal entities. Through a mix of lectures, discussions, simulations, and case analysis, students will develop critical skills in legal reasoning, ethical decision-making, and business-focused problem-solving.
Prerequisite: BSL 212 or equivalent or BUS 202.
Components: LEC.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Spring.

BSL 412. International Business Law. 3 Credit Hours.

This course provides a framework for understanding both international business and the legal and ethical environment in which it operates, exploring international sales law under the Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods, the documentary sale and terms of trade, risk associated with the international carriage of goods, as well as international financing mechanisms such as bank collections, trade finance, and letters of credit. Other topics may include foreign direct investment, international trade laws, protection of intellectual property, and marketing, agency and labor laws, taxation, and other regulations associated with a firm’s presence abroad.
Prerequisite: BSL 212 or equivalent or BUS 202.
Components: LEC.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Fall & Spring.

BSL 420. Employment and Labor Law. 3 Credit Hours.

This course explores the legal, public policy, and ethical issues associated with the hiring, management and termination of employees, independent contractors, and other business representatives. The course will explore contractual, tort, statutory, and regulatory concepts and structures which govern the relationship between employers and employees. The course also touches on issues associated with organized labor and collective bargaining. Students will be introduced to the framework and vocabulary of employment and labor law, as well as a systematic method of legal analysis and practice in resolving employment-related dilemmas that have legal, ethical, and practical business dimensions. Specific factual employment law issues and cases, as well as hypothetical employment case scenarios are used to present the relevant substantive rules and concepts, and to sharpen the students’ problem solving and critical thinking skills.
Prerequisite: BSL 212 Or BUS 202 And Requisite: Sophomore Standing or higher.
Components: LEC.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Fall & Spring.

BSL 424. Intellectual Property Law. 3 Credit Hours.

This course is designed to acquaint the business student with the general framework of laws that regulate innovation, marketing, competition, and business development in the U.S. Special emphasis will be placed on discussion of ethical issues in information property, unfair competition, and management of intellectual property across various industries.
Prerequisite: BSL 212 or equivalent or BUS 202.
Components: LEC.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Offered by Announcement Only.

BSL 425. Law and Technology. 3 Credit Hours.

This course covers the legal and ethical aspects of the regulation, use, and deployment of technology in the modern political economy, with an emphasis on practical applications in business. This class combines lecturing with integrative class discussions, including hands-on exercises with the use of case studies. The students will be exposed to the basic national and international legal and regulatory regimes that govern the use of technology in business. Topics include: (i) foundational principles such as the identification of relevant sources of law that both apply to, and inform, technology-related issues; (ii) an introduction to the application of criminal law to violations relating to the use of technology; (iii) the relevance of tort law to technology (including common law claims of public disclosure of private facts or defamation); (iv) a survey of the panoply of the domestic and international privacy laws and regulations, ranging from GDPR in Europe, to HIPAA at the federal level in United States, to the CCPA at the state level (California); (v) the relationship between the ubiquity of technology and the development of intellectual property laws, including patents, copyrights and trade secrets; and (vi) the role of contracts, particularly online terms of use (e.g., click-to-accept terms) and its relationship to the use and development of technology.
Prerequisite: BSL 212 or BUS 202 AND Requisite: Sophomore status or higher.
Components: LEC.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Offered by Announcement Only.

BSL 435. Law for Entrepreneurs. 3 Credit Hours.

Overview of the legal aspects of the entrepreneurial venture, focused on practical issues faced by startups and scaling ventures. Topics ordinarily include entity choice and tax planning, intellectual property protection, capital structuring, securities law concerns, employment law, antitrust, and identification of and compliance with relevant regulations.
Prerequisite: BSL 212 or equivalent or BUS 202 or Entrepreneurship Minor for Non-Business Students AND Sophomore Standing or higher.
Components: LEC.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Fall & Spring.

BSL 444. Legal & Ethical Implications of AI. 3 Credit Hours.

This course examines the legal and ethical challenges AI poses in a business context. It begins with two foundational explorations: first, of law—its creation, enforcement, ethical underpinnings, and the key legal frameworks needed to analyze AI-related cases. Second, of AI—its definition, historical development, and how it differs from non-AI technologies and human intelligence. With this foundation, the course turns to current topics, which may include AI inventions (e.g., legal personhood), deep fakes and digital art, regulatory compliance (with a focus on emerging rules), Section 230, and industry-specific applications (e.g., AI judges, autonomous vehicles).
Prerequisite: BSL 212 or BUS 202 AND Requisite: Sophomore status or higher.
Components: LEC.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Offered by Announcement Only.

BSL 455. Business and Society. 3 Credit Hours.

Business and society are highly interdependent. Business activities impact not only the firm’s stakeholders but also other institutions, the environment, and society at large. At the same time, a variety of societal actors affect business and its choices both directly and indirectly. This course prepares the future business manager to navigate evolving regulation, public policy, and social and ethical concerns, equipping them to identify and address the challenges and opportunities posed by the complex relationship between business and society.
Prerequisite: BSL 212 or BUS 202 AND Requisite: Sophomore status or higher.
Components: LEC.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Offered by Announcement Only.

BSL 460. Health Care Law and Ethics. 3 Credit Hours.

This course is designed to offer students an appreciation of the legal foundations and ethical considerations in healthcare administration in the U.S. The readings and classroom discussion assist the student in (1) understanding the legal framework of relationships and institutions in healthcare, and (2) appreciating some of the particularly delicate ethical implications of decision-making in this field. Case study will promote the ability to analyze both. Special emphasis is placed on discussion of ethical issues in healthcare administration, including access to care, allocation of scarce resources and privacy.
Prerequisite: BSL 212 or equivalent or BUS 202 AND Miami Herbert Business School or Business Law minor AND Sophomore Standing or higher.
Components: LEC.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Spring.

BSL 476. The Law of Risk. 3 Credit Hours.

This course offering analyzes risk in business and examines the tools the law offers to identify danger and risk to third parties that business generates. Course content addresses risk minimization and transfer, with a focus on tort and insurance law. Taught through a litigation lens, this seminar-style course includes a significant experiential, hands-on component wherein students evaluate potential tort exposures, trial risks, and settlement valuation.
Prerequisite: BSL 212 or equivalent or BUS 202.
Components: LEC.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Offered by Announcement Only.

BSL 478. The Art and Science of Corporate Compliance. 3 Credit Hours.

This course aims to integrate the legal requirements related to business regulation, the legal constraints on the conduct of domestic and international business, and the creation, implementation, monitoring and enforcement of internal business compliance with these legal regulations and constraints. This will be accomplished through a detailed study of a sample of regulations commonly impacting decision-making and operations in business and a careful analysis and deep understanding of best practices for implementation, monitoring and enforcement of these regulations. The course is workshop style, with substantial student/faculty interaction and a significant group project integrating all components of the course. This course is less structured than the typical business law class, requiring an appreciation for ambiguity, uncertainty, imperfect solutions and finesse communication.
Prerequisite: BSL 212 or BUS 202 AND Requisite: Sophomore status or higher.
Components: LEC.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Offered by Announcement Only.

BSL 485. Managing the Legal Factor. 3 Credit Hours.

This capstone course offers students a practical application of law to business. Students will explore laws that directly impact routine business operations including the FCPA, Bank Secrecy, False Claims Act, the ADA, tort law, and other rules and regulations. Students then learn strategies to integrate applicable legal obligations into day-to-day business operations, utilizing lawyers and other professionals to minimize liability exposure, and understanding the unique relationship between lawyer and client.
Prerequisite: BSL 212 or equivalent AND Requisite: Senior Status and Legal Studies major or Business Law minor. For Business Students only.
Components: LEC.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Fall & Spring.

BSL 496. Directed Studies in Business Law. 1-3 Credit Hours.

Supervised readings, individual research project, or independent investigation of selected non-STEM related problems in the discipline. Offered only by special arrangement with supervising faculty member, who approves topic and evaluation process at time of registration.
Components: THI.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Offered by Announcement Only.

BSL 497. Directed Studies in Business Law. 1-3 Credit Hours.

Supervised readings, individual research project or independent investigation of selected STEM-related problems in the discipline. Offered only by special arrangement with supervising faculty member, who approves topic and evaluation process at time of registration.
Components: THI.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Offered by Announcement Only.

BSL 498. Special Topics in Business Law. 3 Credit Hours.

Special topics in selected non-STEM areas of Business Law.
Prerequisite: BSL 212 or equivalent or BUS 202.
Components: LEC.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Offered by Announcement Only.

BSL 499. Special Topics in Business Law. 3 Credit Hours.

Special topics in selected STEM areas of Business Law.
Prerequisite: BSL 212 or equivalent or BUS 202.
Components: LEC.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Offered by Announcement Only.

BSL 555. Business Law Departmental Honors Research Project. 3 Credit Hours.

Research project to fulfill requirements for Departmental Honors in Business Law.
Components: THI.
Grading: SUS.
Typically Offered: Offered by Announcement Only.