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Business Law

We are committed to helping students become business-minded lawyers by providing them with a strong academic and practical foundation for success.

stack of law books on a table

Applied Learning Opportunities

Business Lawyering Institute

Prepare for leadership in the business world.

JD/MBA

Receive a JD from the College of Law and an MBA from Willamette's Atkinson Graduate School of Management.

Business Law Certificate

Learn about the relationship between the law and the objectives of business clients.

Featured

Externship Placements

View a list of current and past business law externships Willamette Law students have participated in as part of their applied learning.

The College of Law’s deep partnerships with leading members of the business community and business lawyers will help you learn to navigate the ever-changing legal landscape and make a real difference in people’s lives before you graduate. You will learn how to advise business clients with a hands-on curriculum--including simulation courses, clinics, externships and internships--that prepares you to enter your practice with real experience.

With our Business Lawyering Institute, you can gain a working knowledge of the legal issues that emerge from management, governance, marketing, technology, and human resources. Through our joint degree program, further strengthen your knowledge and experience base by adding an MBA in business and management, but finish it in only four years instead of five—saving you tuition and putting you into the workforce a year sooner, while adding a competitive edge.

Business Law Focus areas:

  • Business Transactions
  • Estate Planning & Elder Law
  • Intellectual Property
  • Labor & Employment Law
  • Land Use Law

Featured Alumni

Law – JD/MBA

Lynn Ristig JD/MBA ’85

  • Once chief counsel for the Boeing group
  • Responsible for providing support to the Shared Services Group leadership team within Boeing and its 8,000 employees
  • Joint degree and clerkship at Salem law firm gave her more of a competitive edge
Law – JD

Jonathan Mayes JD’87

  • Senior vice president of government relations, sustainability and philanthropy at Albertsons Companies, one of America’s largest grocery and pharmacy chains
  • Became chief diversity officer in addition to vice president in 2017
  • Spearheaded company-wide training program across the country, reaching 270,000 employees
Law – JD

Lindsay Stewart JD’73

  • Joined Nike in 1981 as assistant corporate counsel
  • Became vice president and chief of staff from 2001-2007
  • Helped orchestrate Nike’s strategy of incorporating fair labor practices into all of its decisions