Online Legal Environment of Business
Spring 2016
Law 4
Section number: 4374
Four (4) Units
Start date: Saturday, January 16, 2016
End date: May 12, 2016
Instructor: Michael Botello
Office: MBA 453
College: (310) 660-3593 ext. 3778
Law Office: (310) 316-6244
Email: mbotello@elcamino.edu
Office Hours: http://www.elcamino.edu/faculty/mbotello/
First Class Meeting: Thursday, January 21, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., in MBA 108,
please bring student ID and driver license.
Mr. Botello is a member of the State Bar of California and a practicing attorney. He holds
degrees from U.C.L.A. and the University of California, Hastings College of the Law. He is a
professor in the Department of Law and the Department of Real Estate.
Grading
Midterm, March 10, 2016, Thursday evening 6 pm to 8 pm on campus
30%
Weekly Discussion Participation via ETUDES.......................................
20%
Homework, Written Assignments.........................................................
20%
Final, May 12, 2016, Thursday evening 6 pm to 8pm on campus...............
30%
There are no make-up examinations. The failure to take an examination will result in a
grade of zero.
Students are expected to attend class via ETUDES Discussions and will be graded on their
discussion participation.
Mindtap Assignments need to be completed before the due date to obtain full
credit. Assignments completed after the due date will suffer a 30% reduction. ETUDES
Discussions must be posted to Etudes discussion board before the discussion due date.
Etudes discussions posted after the due date will suffer a 30% reduction. No late assignments or
discussions will be accepted after the Midterm test date for the Midterm assigned chapters, any
such missed assignment receive a grade of zero. Please recall that 12 a.m. is the first moment of
the new day, not the last moment of the day.
Students are responsible for knowing the due dates and keeping aware of the due dates
for Mindtap assignments and Etudes Discussions and the Midterm and Final.
Participation and Discussion
Participation in an online environment is essential for the success of the experience. I will post
discussion questions or themes for each week. Twenty (20%) percent of your grade will be given
for material participation in the treaded discussions in the Discussion area of ETUDES. You
are required to read and post substantial discussion notes/comments to the threaded discussion
question and comment on other students discussions every week. Relevant discussion notes add
to the class discussions via questions, real world examples, alternative ideas and concepts and
responses to other students. Students are expected to attend class via the discussions and will be
graded on the quality and conciseness of their discussion participation and their interaction with
other students and their responses.
Handbook for online students:
http://www.elcamino.edu/library/distance-ed/STHBSP2016.pdf
Mindtap required Textbook
Mindtap/Textbook: Jeffrey F. Beatty and Susan S. Samuelson: Legal Environment of
Business, Sixth Edition
If you purchase the hardback textbook, be sure to purchase the software access code to Mindtap.
How to access your MindTap course
What is MindTap?
MindTap empowers you to produce your best work – consistently.
MindTap is designed to help you master the material. Interactive videos, animations, and
activities create a learning path designed by your instructor to guide you through the course and
focus on what's important. Get started today!
Registration
1. Connect to https://login.cengagebrain.com/course/MTPPVRRPGZ9G
2. Follow the prompts to register your MindTap course.
Payment
After registering for your course, you will need to pay for access using one of the options below:
Online: You can pay online using a credit or debit card, or PayPal.
Bookstore: You may be able to purchase access to MindTap at your bookstore. Check with the
bookstore to find out what they offer for your course.
Free Trial: If you are unable to pay at the start of the semester you may choose to access
MindTap until 11:59 PM on 02/05/2016 during your free trial. After the free trial ends you will
be required to pay for access.
Please note: At the end of the free trial period, your course access will be suspended until your
payment has been made. All your scores and course activity will be saved and will be available
to you after you pay for access.
If you already registered an access code or bought MindTap online, the course key to register for
this course is: MTPP-VRRP-GZ9G
System Check
To check whether your computer meets the requirements for using MindTap, go to
http://ng.cengage.com/static/browsercheck/index.html
Please Note: the System Check is also accessible in the drop down box next to your name
located in the upper right corner of your MindTap page.A student who fails to register at
Mindtap by Saturday January 23, 2016, will be dropped from the class as a "no show
student", and will not be allowed to reinstate the class.
This is a very difficult rule. However, there are a number of students, who do wish to be added
to this class and they need to be enrolled as soon as possible.
WSJ:
Wall Street Journal, WSJ, print and electronic editions (student subscription rate), is available at
a reduced price for students. The WSJ provides students with current information regarding law
and business. For those with smart phones there is a smart phone application. Reading the WSJ
will assist students in their discussions at ETUDES class site and with practical application of the
law. Students will be billed $1.00 per week.
The cost for 15 weeks of the WSJ is $15.00 and you will be billed. A sign-up sheet will be
available at the first class meeting.
Course Overview:
To be in business is to be in constant interaction with the law. The premise of this course is that a
working knowledge of the framework of the legal system will guide business people to make
informed decisions and to manage the risks of legal liability more efficiently.
The goals of the course are to enable the students:
1. To recognize legal issues with which they may be confronted in business operations;
2. To apply a basic legal analysis in the study of these issues, and
3. To communicate successfully with attorneys and business management concerning business
law issues. This approach stimulates a respect for and appreciation of the American legal system.
The textbook’s readings and lectures lead the student through the laws, regulations and landmark
cases affecting business.
Course Description: This course is an introduction to the legal environment in which a business
firm operates. Topics include an introduction to the American legal systems, contracts, torts,
product liability, forms of business organization, trade regulation, labor law, environmental law,
and international business law.
Student Learning Outcomes
Law 4 Environment of Business Student Learning Outcomes:
SLO #1 Common Law and Uniform Commercial Code Distinguish between when to apply
the common law of contracts and where to apply the Uniform Commercial Code.
SLO #2 Legal Comprehension Compare and contrast the theories of jurisprudence and the
classifications of law.
SLO #3 Legal Comprehension Describe the constitutional basis for federal government
regulation of business, including limits of government power.
Readings will follow the class outline, but are subject to change. The online classroom will
focus on material covered in the textbook, along with discussion of current legal developments
relating to how the law affects the operation of business. Students are expected to read each
assignment in the beginning of the week and be able to identify and discuss the facts, legal issues
and the law found in each of the chapters.
Week of:
1/17/16
1/24/16
1/31/16
2/07/16
2/14/16
2/21/16
2/28/16
Unit I. The Legal Environment.
6. Torts and Product Liability.
5. Constitutional Law.
5. Constitutional Law.
7. Crime .
1. Introduction to Law
3. Dispute Resolution
4. Common Law, Statutory Law, and Administrative Law.
Unit II. Contracts & the UCC.
9. Introduction to Contracts.
10. Legality, Consent, and Writing.
11. Performance, Discharge, and Remedies.
3/06/16
Test - Midterm Examination
13. Secured Transactions and Sales
3/13/16
Spring Break
3/20/16
14. Negotiable Instruments
15. Bankruptcy.
3/27/16
Unit IV. Business Organizations and Unit V. Property.
19. Starting a Business: LLCs and Other Options.
20. Corporations
4/03/16
21. Securities Regulation.
25. Property.
4/10/16
23. Cyberlaw.
24. Intellectual Property
4/17/16
Unit V. Government Regulation and Property, continued.
22. Antitrust.
26. Consumer Law.
4/24/16
Unit III. Agency & Employment.
16. Agency
5/01/16
17. Employment and Labor Law.
18. Discrimination in the Workplace
5/08/16
Final Examination
Cheating or Plagiarism
Cheating violates Section I.B.1 of El Camino College’s Board Policy 5138, Standards of Student
Conduct. The full policy may be found on page 27 of the 2009-2010 College Catalog.
Students are reminded that attendance is required! Students are responsible for their college
enrollment. A student who does not officially withdraw from the class will be assigned a grade
of "F" by the registrar. The responsibility to withdraw from the course is that of the student.
Computer and Internet Access
This course is available as a distance education course via the internet. It is the student’s
responsibility to assure that the computer has accessibility and compatibility to etudes and
Mindtap.
Special Resource Center
The mission of the El Camino College Special Resource Center (SRC) is to facilitate academic
success for students with disabilities by providing equal access to educational opportunities in an
integrated campus setting. Students with disabilities are an integral and vital part of the El
Camino College community. The SRC provides support services, adaptive equipment, computer
technology, and specialized instruction to serve students with verified disabilities.
http://www.elcamino.edu/academics/src/