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Posted March 29, 2020

What is Securities Law & why should you study it?

LLM in Securities LawMany students who decide to study an LLM in Securities Law will have a strong interest in business financing and may already have a career in this sector.

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Careers in Securities Law are based all over the world but are concentrated in cities with large financing industries such as New York, London and Frankfurt.

So let’s have a look at what is involved in an LLM in Securities Law.

What is Securities Law?

The first question is what is a Security? A Security is an investment of money in a business that can be traded by third parties, such as shares and bonds. Securities Law are the laws, rules, regulations and regularity bodies that govern these investments and transactions. This means that Securities Law is transnational in basis and courses in them will have an international emphasis, however, the law differs around the world, so if you want to work in the EU, for example, it's a good idea to study in the geographical area you want to live in.

What modules are covered?

LLM programs in Securities Law will have a strong element of Business Law and Corporate Law, so it is advisable to have studied these topics during your first law degree. For example, the modules available at the London School of Economics include topics such as Legal Aspects of Private Equity and Venture Capital and Law of Corporate Finance: Securities Regulation.

What careers can it lead to?

Mostly, an LLM in Securities Law will lead to a career working in the financial industries. However, there are different aspects to this. Some will work advising clients or as in-house lawyers advising on the legal aspects of investments and most large law firms will have a specialist in Securities Law. Others will work for regulatory bodies such as the Financial Conduct Authority in the UK, the European Securities and Markets Authority in the EU and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or Federal Reserve in the US.

Where can you study it?

The best places to study Securities Law are those law schools that are close to the centres of the financing industries. Studying near to those organisations, companies and individuals who are involved with Securities Law already will make it much easier to meet contacts and get valuable experience. Georgetown University and the London School of Economics both have well-respected programs as does the Corporate Law program at New York University.

What subject areas are related to Securities Law?

If you want a taste of Securities Law rather than a full course, then there are a few different LLM programs you do instead. Most Business Law or Corporate Law programs will have modules on Securities Law. In the US programs in Health Law and Law for Foreign-Trained Lawyers, will have an element of investment or Securities Law, as will programs in Tax Law and Intellectual Property Law.

Top 5 LLMs in Securities Law

These are the top law schools in the world that offer Securities Law study options.

1 Harvard Law School
2 Yale Law School
3 Stanford Law School
4 London School of Economics
5 New York Univeristy

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