《LEGALENVIRONMENTOFBUSINESS》課程教學大綱

PAGEPAGE4LEGALENVIRONMENTOFBUSINESSCOURSESYLLABUSCOURSEDESCRIPTION:Thelegalenvironmentofbusinessisdefinedas:theattitudeofthegovernmenttowardbusiness,thehistoricaldevelopmentofthisattitude;currenttrendsofpubliccontrolintaxation,regulationofcommerceandcompetition;freedomofcontract,antitrustlegislationanditsrelationshiptomarketing,mergersandacquisitions;andlabormanagementrelations.Themainpurposeofthisclassis“toremovethemystiquefromthelawandtoempoweryoutoparticipateinlegalmatters.”LegalEnvironment,4thEd.,BeattyandSamuelson(p.6).Legal,socialandgovernmentforcescontinuallyshapetoday’sglobalbusinessenvironment.Thisclasswillprepareyoutounderstandyourroleandresponsibilitywithinthisenvironment,identifyissues,recognizepotentialproblemsandknowwhentoconsultwithanexpert.Eachoftheseskillswillresultinefficiencyandcosteffectivenessforyourbusiness.Youwilldevelopimprovedreasoningandproblem-solvingskillsinanefforttobetterevaluatethelegal,regulatoryandethicalenvironmentinwhichyouworkandbeabletoincorporatethatknowledgeintoyourbusinessdecision-makingprocess.COURSEOBJECTIVES:1.Toimproveyourabilitytorecognizeandmanagelegalrisksinbusinessdecisionmaking.2.Toassistyouinmakingmoreethicaldecisions,individuallyandasanorganization.3.Tointroduceyoutolegalprocessesandsubstantivelegaltopicsaffectingbusiness,includingemploymentrelationships,businessformation,internationallaw,contracts,etc.4.Toencouragecriticalthinkinginordertoexamineallsidesofadiscussion.5.Toenhancestudentsanalyticalskillsandrefinetheirskillsincriticizingandevaluatingsecondarysources.6.Tostimulateandimprovestudent’sarticulateoralexpression.7.Toresearchprimarydocumentsandvarioussourcesofinformation.STUDENTRESPONSIBILITIES:Studentsareexpectedto:1.Arriveontime.Classbeginspromptlyat2:00p.m.Walkinginlateisdisruptivetomeandtheotherstudents.Aone-pointdeductionfromyourattendancepointswillbetakenforarrivinglatetoclass.2.Attendclassandcompleteallassignmentsinaccordancewiththeexpectationsestablishedbytheinstructorandprogramofstudy.Classattendanceandparticipationisessentialforsuccess.Itisyourresponsibilitytoverifymissedassignmentswithyourclassmatesorwithmepriortothenextclass.Asthesemesterprogresses,theremaybesmallchangesinthesyllabus.3.Conductyourselfinamannerwhichcontributestoapositivelearningenvironmentforeveryoneintheclassroom.Studentsareexpectedtowork,individuallyandtogether,tocreateanatmospherethatdemonstratescourtesy,civility,andrespectforoneanotherandtheinstructor.Commentsthatdegradeorridiculeanother,whetherbasedonindividualorculturaldifferences,areunacceptable.Disagreementisfine,butrespectingtheotherperson’sopinionisexpected.4.Familiarizeyourselfwithalluniversitypoliciesandprocedures.AllpagersandcellphonesmustbeSILENCEDduringclass.Textingisprohibitedunlessitisanyemergency.Laptopsmaybeusedonlyfortakingnotes.E-mail,Facebook,internetsearches,etc.inclassaredisruptive,disrespectfultotheinstructor,anddistractotherstudents.AdherencetotheStudentConductCodeisexpected.5.Askquestionsandseekclarification,direction,andguidancetoanyclassassignment,universitypolicyorprocedurethatisunclear.AcademicHonesty:Amajorgoalofthecourseistouncoveryourownideas,thoughts,andopinions.Inallyourwrittenworksitisimportanttouseyourownideasandconceptsandnotrecitethewordsofanother.Propercitationsarerequiredandquotesmustbeusedifyouuseanotherperson’swordsorphrases.Plagiarismistheuseofanotherperson’swordsorideaswithoutcreditingthatperson.Plagiarismwillnotbetoleratedandmayleadtoafailureonanassignment,intheclass,anddismissalfromtheUniversity.AllcasesofplagiarismwillbereportedtotheAssociateDeanoftheHonorsCollegeandtotheOfficeofAcademicAffairs.StudentswithSpecialNeeds-DisabilityServices:Torequestacademicaccommodations(forexample,anotetakeroraccommodationsforaccesstolibrarymaterialsonreserve),studentsmustregisterwithDisabilityAccessServices,144MillenniumStudentCenter,516-6554.Thisofficeisresponsibleforreviewingdocumentationprovidedbystudentsrequestingacademicaccommodations,andforaccommodationsplanningincooperationwithstudentsandinstructors,asneededandconsistentwithcourserequirements.OnceyouhaveregisteredwithDisabilityAccessServices,youmayscheduleanindividualappointmentwithmetodiscussanyaccommodationsandtopresenttheletteryouhavebeengivenbythatoffice.REQUIREDREADINGS:1.E-book:TheLegalEnvironmentofBusiness,2ndedition,byMelvinandKatz(McGraw-Hill)2.SupplementalmaterialonMyGatewayCOURSEREQUIREMENTS:15%AttendanceandReadingQuestions:Regularattendanceandcompletionofreadingquestions(6pointsperclass)iscrucial.Yourattendancewillbevitaltoyoursuccess.Contributiontoclassdiscussionwillmakethecoursemoreinterestingandenjoyableforeveryone.Activeparticipationwithreferencesfromthereadingswillbethedecidingfactoronborderlinegrades.Morethanthreeunexcusedabsencesmayresultinafailinggradeinthiscategory.15%ContractNegotiationExerciseandWrittenContract:Writtencontractfromnegotiationexercise–Teamsofstudentswillnegotiatethetermsofacontract(thecompetingissueswillbeprovidedbytheinstructorinclass).Eachteamwilldraftthefinalcontractpursuanttotheoutcomeofthenegotiation.Thefinalcontractmustincludeallelementsnecessarytobindthepartiestothetermsofthecontractinacourtoflaw.Thecontractwillbegradedonwhetherallrequiredelementsarepresentmoresothantheoutcomeofthenegotiation.ItmustbesubmittedviaMyGatewaynolaterthan2:00p.m.onThursday,March5.

10%CourtroomVisitEachstudentisrequiredtoattendacourtproceedingatacounty,state,orfederalcourthouse(notamunicipalcourtortrafficcourt)andprepareaone,typed,double-spacedsummaryregardingonethingthatyoulearnedfromyourvisit.Aclassform(availableonMyGateway)mustbecompletedevidencingyourvisit.ThesummaryandclassformmustbesubmittedviaMyGatewaynolaterthan2:00p.m.onThursday,April2.20%MediationStatementandExercise:Eachstudentisexpectedtowriteamediationstatement(thecompetingissueswillbeprovidedbytheinstructorinclass).Eachstudentwillbeassignedanissue,halfofthestudentswillserveasastudentmediatorandhalfofthestudentswillserveasanobserver.Studentswillprovidetheirwrittenstatementstoastudentmediatoroneclassperiodpriortotheirmediation.Studentswillthenspendnomorethan30minutesmediatingtheirdispute.Themediationstatementmustbenolongerthanthreepages,type-written,double-spacedandsubmittedviaMyGatewaynolaterthan2:00p.m.onThursday,April23.Themediationstatementwillbegradedonpersuasivenessusingappropriatesupportforyourposition,professionalism,composition,andgrammar.20%FinalPaperUsetheinternettoresearcharecentbusinesscasedecidedwithinthelasttenyears(excludingthosealreadysummarizedinyourtextbook)thatalsoinvolvesanethicalissue.LocatethefulltextofthecourtdecisiononGoogleScholarorLexisNexis(seeUMSLHomepage,Libraries,Databases,DatabasesSortedAlphabetically,L–LexisNexisAcademic,Search,LookUpaLegalCase–lawsection).? Briefthelegalissue:nameofthecase,essentialfacts,issue,relevantlaw,analysisbythecourt,conclusion(orholding)ofthecourt.?Identifytheethicalissuesinthecase.?Dothelegalandethicalissuesconflict??Doyouagreewiththecourt’sdecision?Whyorwhynot?? Howshouldtheaffectedbusinessethicallyrespondandfulfilltheircorporateresponsibility?Thepapermustbenolongerthanthreepages,type-written,double-spaced,andsubmittedviaMyGatewaynolaterthan5:00p.m.onWednesday,May7.Youmustsupportthepositiontakeninyourpaper.Youmustappropriatelycitethecasediscussedinyourpaper(examplesarefootnotesinthetextbook).Writtenworkwillalsobeevaluat