Welcome to….
OBE-118
Legal Environment of
Business!!!
Fall 2004
Professor John A. McKinsey
Finding Your Professor
• Office Hours (TAHOE-2054)
– Tuesday 5:00 to 5:45 PM
– Thursday 9:00 to 9:45 AM
– or by appointment
• E-Mail
– mckinsey@csus.edu
– Put “OBE118” in the subject header for faster response
• Telephone
– CSUS Office (916) 278-7030
2
Text and Resources
– Legal Environment Beatty, Samuelson, 2nd
Edition
– Some handouts
– Class Website
www.csus.edu/indiv/m/mckinsey
– At the website you will find edited versions of
the lectures for you to download/
review/print/etc.
3
John McKinsey
- Full-time lawyer in Sacramento law firm. I
specialize in the regulation of business.
- CSUS graduate
- Former nuclear power plant operator
- Why do I teach?
4
Course SummaryLearning Goals
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
Substantive law
Legal Reasoning
Relationship of law to business
Process of law
Critical thinking
Writing
Speaking
5
Course SummaryAssessment
(See page 4 of syllabus)
Exams
Quizz-es
75%
25%
Participation ??? (up to a full letter grade)
6
Exams
• Multiple choice questions
• Sometimes short analysis questions
• Exams increase in weight as semester goes on
(90, 100, 110 points)
• You will need a Scantron form 882 for exams
• Tests can include anything assigned for reading or
discussed in class
7
Quizzes
•
•
•
•
All quizzes are short and worth 10 points
Six scheduled quizzes
At least four surprise quizzes
You must bring Scantron quizstrip to every
class
• Best ten quiz scores count for total possible
100 points
8
Homework
• Three homework assignments
• Homework handout next week with a
sample graded assignment.
• Each assignment worth 20 points
• Homework is not accepted late nor is there a
way to make up homework assignments
9
Reading Assignments
- See syllabus for course coverage
- I do not tend to fall behind
-This Week:
-Chap 1: 3, 5-17 (17-20 might be useful)
-Chap 2: 27-30
10
Succeeding in this Class
• Read and attempt to understand concepts before
each class (Before class)
• Use slides to make note taking in class more
effective (During class)
• After class (within 48 hours) review reading and
lecture notes and make outline, etc that puts it all
together (After class)
• Test yourself via groups or on your own and use
results to conduct further studying (Between
lecture and exam)
• Review before exam (Before exam)
11
What is “The Law”
- Rules of permissible conduct, limits on allowable
conduct
- Not the same as a moral limit or rule, but is
supposed to be reflective of morals and
ethics
- But we all know there are many things that
you can do, but should not do.
12
Role of Law in Business
The ways in which the law affects business are as
numerous as the number of laws themselves
Enron, Worldcom, Tyco (Business structure)
Employees not paid overtime (Employment law)
McDonald’s coffee Spill (Torts)
Grace Inc. and “A Civil Action” (Environmental)
Limit of VOC content in underarm deodorant
(Product regulation)
Customer refuses to pay (Contracts)
13
Types of Legal Situations
Transactional
Negotiation of contracts, purchases etc.
(these tend to occur in more informal settings)
Situational
Reactionary events such as claims made by someone else
against you or you against them.
(these tend to occur in more formal settings such as law suits,
criminal accusations, etc.)
14
Types of Law- Nature
Substantive Law
Defines rights and
duties
vs
Procedural Law
Explains how to
make the law work
15
Parting Questions
What right does the federal government,
a state government or the local city or
county have to tell you or your business
what you can or cannot do?
What are the limits on this authority?
16
Parting Questions
What right does the federal government,
a state government or the local city or
county have to tell you or your business
what you can or cannot do?
What are the limits on this authority?
17