Legal Environment of Business

CATALOG DESCRIPTION:

This course provides a sound legal foundation that students can use to understand the laws and regulations affecting today’s businesses. The legal system impacts upon every aspect of American business. The Legal Environment of Business explores such current critical legal topics as government regulation, employment practices, and consumer and environmental protection. This course emphasizes contracts and the American legal system, including the areas of the law of sales, commercial paper, agency and property. By taking this course, the student will gain a comprehensive overview of law and the world of business.

REQUIRED TEXTS:

Mallor, Barnes, Bowers, Phillips, and Langvardt. Business Law: The Ethical, Global, and E-Commerce Enviornment. 13th Edition. Irwin/McGraw-Hill. 2007. ISBN-13: 978-0-07-293394

PREREQUISITES:

Graduate Business Administration Student

COURSE OBJECTIVES:

In order to expose business students to the critical relationship between business and law, this course acquaints students with fundamental concepts and principles of law that may concern them in their day-to-day business activities. Specifically, the objectives are:

(1) To familiarize the student with legal language and concepts.

(2) To increase the student’s understanding of the legal system and how it functions.

(3) To develop the student’s appreciation of the legal environment in which business must operate.

(4) To expose the student to legal reasoning and develop his/her ability to apply legal concepts to various factual situations.

(5) To encourage the student to do critical thinking of the legal implications present in business activities.

(6) To further develop the students research techniques, writing ability, and presentation skills.

GRADING SYSTEM:

Class Participation 5%

Legal Research Paper Topic 5%

Legal Research Oral Presentation 10%

Legal Research Written Paper 20%

Classroom Test (6) 60%

STUDENT COMPETENCIES

At the end of this course, students should be able to:

(1) Demonstrate a basic knowledge of the legal system and the legal environment of business.

(2) Produce a research paper using legal resources, citations, and methodology.

(3) Engage in basic legal analysis, reasoning, argument and critical thinking.

(4) Demonstrate effective oral and written communication skills.