Securities Law Program (SLP)

Catholic Law is pleased to announce recent changes to the Securities Law Program that streamline the certificate requirements, expand and modernize Securities course offerings, and maintain the program’s rigor. At its core, the Securities Law Program seeks to instill in its students familiarity with a variety of substantive topics of current and enduring impact on Securities regulation; an ability to apply regulatory, administrative, and judicial holdings to issues arising within the field; and enhanced legal writing and advocacy skills.

In the fall of 2020, Dean Stephen C. Payne formed the Securities Law Program Review Committee to evaluate the program’s certificate requirements and to propose recommendations that support the interest of the Program, the Law School, and its students. The Committee, composed of members of the Law School community, included one full-time member of the faculty, one visiting professor, three lecturers, and one administrator. The Committee offered several recommendations to modify the program's requirements, which received the full approval of the law faculty.

To earn the certificate in securities law, students will complete three required and three elective courses focusing on securities regulation, two 120-hour externships in securities, and one writing requirement in the area of securities law. Additionally, students must participate in co-curricular activities sponsored by the Securities Law Program. Students are no longer required, but rather are encouraged, to enroll in co-curricular courses, from a list of courses that are relevant to securities practice.

Jack W. Murphy serves as Director of the Securities Law Program. A former Chief Counsel of the SEC’s Division of Investment Management, Mr. Murphy practiced securities law for 33 years, retiring in 2018 from Dechert, LLP, where he was a senior partner in the firm’s Financial Services Practice Group and provided legal advice to registered mutual funds, closed-end funds and investment advisers in connection with all aspects of their operations. Since 2018, Mr. Murphy has served the Law School as an Adjunct Professor, teaching Securities Regulation: Compliance and, most recently, Introduction to Securities Law.
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