• Owners, managers, and anyone who requires a fundamental understanding of U.S. business law
• Executives looking for beneficial insight into the laws that will impact their business
• Professionals looking to grow in your current role, take on more responsibility, or improve your legal literacy

Understand Business Law
Gain essential legal knowledge to guide your business’s strategic direction, mitigate risk and make better-informed leadership decisions.

Enhance Your Skill Set
Learn how to interpret the many laws and regulations that make up the complex U.S. legal landscape.

Develop a Strategic Approach
Create a personalized legal strategy playbook to identify how the law might be used as a powerful business tool for developing offensive and defensive business strategies.

Module 1: Legal Systems and the Role of Regulation

• Explore the application of U.S. laws both locally and globally, the role of the various courts and an overview of dispute resolution.

Module 2: Agency and Employment Law

• Discover the circumstances under which a business is legally liable for the wrongful acts of its employees.

Module 3: Tort Law: Establishing Liability for Civil Wrongs

• Examine the basic requirements for a claim under tort law and the potential defenses to it.

Module 4: Leveraging Contract Law for Commercial Success

• Investigate the fundamentals of commercial contracts and key business considerations.

Module 5: Antitrust and Competition Law

• Examine the nuances of antitrust law and global competition law.

Module 6: Developing an Intellectual Property Strategy

• Discover the business value of patents, trademarks and copyrights.

Module 7: Corporations, LLCs, Partnerships and Other Business Entities

• Review various business structures and the circumstances in which the protection they offer might be lost.

Module 8: Corporate Governance and the Duties of Officers and Directors

• Explore the fundamentals of good corporate governance and the fiduciary duties of directors and officers.

Mark McCareins - Academic Director; Clinical Professor of Business Law, Strategy Department

Michael Trucco - Executive Editor, Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology

What is the learning experience?

Legal Strategy for Business integrates rich, interactive media – such as videos, infographics, and e-learning activities – along with traditional didactic components such as study guides (program notes). There will also be opportunities for collaborative learning through discussion forums.

The introductory orientation module is designed to introduce participants to the online teaching and technical support network and help connect participants to each other.

What is the program format?

The program consists of 8 modules delivered over 2 months online. Learners can expect to dedicate 5-7 hours per week to watch videos, complete assignments and participate in discussions. Each module is opened weekly, allowing a flexible but structured approach to learning, with quizzes throughout to assess your learning process. Learners may choose to engage with the program module all in one sitting or in smaller segments of time throughout the week. While the modules do not close, access to assignments is closed each week.

Could a learner choose to opt out of some topics?

No. This is an online program in which a topic module is introduced each week and the learner is expected to watch the video lectures, participate in the live webinars, complete the exercises/activities and take the mastery quiz at the end of each week to progress to the subsequent week’s topic.

What methods will be used for grading and evaluations?

Program tutors and success managers will review assignments, discussions and exercises to determine participants’ understanding of the material, as well as ensure a positive learning experience in the online learning platform.

How much time is allocated to complete assignments?

The due date for submitting assignments is typically within 7 days of the module opening, but can be as long as 14 days, depending on the scope of the assignment. However, learners may request deadline extensions to accommodate for business and personal conflicts that may arise during the program timeframe. Reach out to the program tutor or success manager to discuss any challenges you may have in completing assignments.

Can participation in this program be counted as credit toward a degree, either at Kellogg, Northwestern University or another academic institution?

No. Executive Education offers only non-degree programs and each participant receives a certificate of completion at the end of the program. This certificate does not count as credit toward a degree. In addition, at this time, our online programs do not count as credit toward a Kellogg Executive Scholar Certificate.

Does the program offer community engagement for learners?

Yes, participants can create a profile, connect and collaborate with peers. In addition, in the live webinars, participants can interact with the head tutor and other content experts.

What are the requirements for accessing the program?

Participants will need the following to access the Legal Strategy for Business program:

• Valid email address
• Computing device connected to the internet (Mac/PC/laptop, tablet or smartphone)
• The latest version of your preferred browser to access our learning platform (though not required, we recommend using Google Chrome when accessing the Online Campus for optimal experience)
• Microsoft Office Suite (PowerPoint, Word, Excel) and PDF viewer to access content such as documents, spreadsheets, presentations, PDF files, and transcripts
• Additional software and resources may be required for certain programs – this will be communicated upon registration and/or at the beginning of the program
• PLEASE NOTE: Google, Vimeo and YouTube may be utilized in the program delivery.

Do the programs offer a certificate?

Yes. Participants will receive a digital certificate of completion from Kellogg following a successful conclusion to the program. Since this program is graded as a pass or fail, participants must receive 70% satisfactory feedback on submitted assignments and assessments in order to obtain the certificate. This digital certificate can be shared with colleagues and posted on LinkedIn. (PLEASE NOTE: We do not provide reports of assessments, or “transcripts,” since this is a non-degree program.)

Who is 2U, Inc./GetSmarter and what is their relationship with Kellogg Executive Education?

Kellogg Executive Education is partnering with GetSmarter, a brand of 2U, Inc., an online education provider, to develop and deliver this program. By working with 2U, Inc./GetSmarter, we are able to provide broader access to Executive Education, beyond our on-campus offerings, in a collaborative and engaging format that is consistent with Kellogg’s standard of quality.

Additional questions?

Please contact us by calling 847-467-6018 or email us at execedonline@kellogg.northwestern.edu.