SMNR: Unorthodox Business Associations
- Semester: Fall 2026
- Course ID: 397S
- Credit Hours: 3
-
Unique: 32014
Registration Status: Waitlisted
Course Information
- Course Type: Seminar
- Grading Method: Pass/Fail Not Allowed
Registration Information
- Upperclass-only elective
Meeting Times
| Day | Time |
|---|---|
| WED | 3:55 - 5:45 pm |
Evaluation Method
| Type | Date | Time | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper |
Description
Taught by Andrew Granato.
This writing seminar will build on Business Associations by discussing the orthodox corporate form and then going on a tour through the organizational law of business entities whose governance structures do not neatly map on to it. We will cover, depending on student interest, a selection of the following businesses: law firms (and worker-owned firms generally), investment funds, banks, insurers, consumer-owned co-ops, rate-regulated public utilities, real estate investment trusts (REITs), Master Limited Partnerships (MLPs), hybrid for-profit/social good organizations (public benefit “B” corporations, nonprofit-controlled for-profits), state-owned and state-sponsored enterprises, sovereign wealth funds, tribal corporations, special-purpose governments, merchant ships under maritime law, and entities lacking organizational form at all.
This course aims to be helpful in a variety of transactional legal settings, especially for students considering practice areas like Investment Funds, Energy Regulatory, Real Estate, Insurance, Financial Institutions, etc., as well as all students interested in the governance of law firms. Business Associations is not a prerequisite, though past/concurrent enrollment in the course will help students grasp the material. Students will produce an original research paper.