BUSI 3650 – WEC – SPRING 2011
Title:
Business Law
Instructor: Lori Brown
Academic Program: Business Administration
Location:
Mendel Hall
Time:
Saturday, 8:30 am - noon
Instructor Information:
Phone:
651.338.7411
Email:
lbbrown@stkate.edu
Office Hours: By appointment: before/after class or as scheduled
Course Description: The objective of this course is to familiarize you with some of the
legal issues commonly encountered in business activities. Some of the topics we will
cover are the legal process, contracts, corporate governance, ethics and hot topics facing
the business community. You will learn the basic principles of legal reasoning and how
to analyze and apply legal concepts to practical business problems, which will further
your ability to lead and influence.
Class Format: Successful completion of this class will require careful review of the
assigned readings prior to class, active participation in class discussions, completion of
assignments and strong results on the exams. Specific course requirements are listed
below.
Participation and Attendance: When you are part of the business world, resultsoriented participation and attendance is expected. Participation and attendance are
mandatory for this class. Thorough preparation prior to class is critical. Law is a
difficult study and you may find it necessary to read the assignments more than once.
You are encouraged to study with your classmates. You should expect to participate in
class discussions.
You should attend every class session. If you are ill or other exceptional circumstances
require you miss a class, you should review any materials presented in the class and raise
issues with the instructor via e-mail or by appointment. There are no make-up classes.
Although absenteeism is discouraged, you should not attend class if you have flu
symptoms until you seek medical attention and your physician releases you. Please
contact me if you become ill with flu symptoms. Accommodations will be made for
attendance, participation, and timeliness of assignments if you provide medical
documentation of illness with flu symptoms. If class meetings are suspended or the
campus is closed for a period of time, but classes are allowed to remain in session, we
may adapt the class to an on-line environment.
Grading: Grades will be based on a 350 point scale.
First Exam
Second Exam
Final Exam
Assignments
Attendance/Participation
Supreme Court Summary
and Presentation
50
50
100
50
50
50
points
points
points
points
points
points
All exams are a combination of objective and essay questions. All exams are open book,
open notes. You must complete the exams, in-class assignments and participate in class
to receive a passing grade. Consistent with St. Catherine policy, all work must be your
own work, not that of any other person. Grading will be based on completion of the
assignments, quality of understanding and analysis, and quality of writing. You should
retain all returned exams and papers. You may be late on an exam, presentation or paper
only with prior approval, which will only be granted in exceptional circumstances at the
discretion of the instructor. Grades are as follows:
A
AB+
B
BC+
C
CD+
D
DF
326 + points
315 - 325
304 - 314
290 - 303
280 - 289
269 - 279
255- 268
245 - 254
234 - 244
220 - 233
210 - 219
209 and less
93%
90%
87%
83%
80%
77%
73%
70%
67%
63%
60%
Special Needs:
If you have special needs that you think may interfere with your
ability to do well in this class, please let me know as soon as possible. I will try to make
whatever accommodations are available.
Text: Clarkson, West’s Business Law (11th ed. 2009)
Course Schedule: The instructor may make minor adjustments to the schedule.
April 9th
Introduction to Law and Legal Reasoning, Chapter 1
Courts, Chapter 2
Court Procedures, Chapter 3
Constitutional Authority to Regulate Business, Chapter 4
Ethics and Business Decision Making, Chapter 5
2
Assignment, Due April 16th, 8 points: Prepare a written summary from a current
newspaper article on a business law topic. Please turn in the newspaper article and the
paper. Come to class prepared to summarize the article for the class.
April 16th
Intentional Torts, Chapter 6
Negligence and Strict Liability, Chapter 7
Intellectual Property and Internet Law, Chapter 8
Criminal Law and Cyber Crime, Chapter 9
*** First Exam-Take Home – Due April 30th ***
Assignment, Due April 30th: Research/Identify Supreme Court Case
April 30th
Contracts: Nature and Terminology, Chapter 10
E-Contracts and E-Signatures, Chapter 19
Focus on Ethics: Contract Law and the Application of Ethics, page 387
Creditors’ Rights and Remedies, Chapter 28
Secured Transactions, Chapter 29
Bankruptcy Law, Chapter 30
Assignment, Due May 14th, 8 points: Read Case 13.2, Stultz v. Safety and Compliance
Management Inc., beginning on page 274. Provide a written response that identifies the
problematic element of the agreement and describe how the agreement could be rewritten
to be reasonable.
Online Class – May 6th – 8th
The Formation and Sales of Lease Contracts, Chapter 20
Performance and Breach of Sales and Lease Contracts, Chapter 22
Warranties and Product Liability, Chapter 23
Assignment- Due May 14th, 16 points: Read “Focus on Ethics: Domestic and
International Sales and Lease Contracts” (pages 481 – 484). Prepare a written response
to questions 1, 2, 3 and 4.
May 14th
Employment and Labor Law, Chapter 33
Employment Discrimination, Chapter 34
Corporations – Directors, Officers and Shareholders, Chapter 39
The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, Appendix H (page A-219)
Corporations – Securities Law and Corporate Governance, Chapter 41
Assignment – Due May 14th, 4 points: Following in-class review of “Bigger than
Enron” provide a written response to the following:
With respect to former SEC Chairman, Arthur Levitt (1) What does he identify as
his single biggest mistake? (2) What issue did he back down from after he received
threats from Congress to cut SEC funding?
3
*** Second Exam-Take Home – Due June 4th ***
June 4th
Administrative Law, Chapter 43
Consumer Law, Chapter 44
Environmental Law, Chapter 45
Antitrust Law, Chapter 46
Focus on Ethics: Government Regulation, page 957
Assignment – Due June 18th, 14 points: Read handout published by IKEA (to be
handed out during class) and provide a written response to the following:
1. How does IKEA comply with Child Labor Laws?
2. How is it meeting its ethical obligation?
Online Class – June 10th – 12th
Insurance, Chapter 49\
Wills and Trusts, Chapter 50
International Law in a Global Economy, Chapter 52
Focus on Ethics: Special Topics, pages 1083
June 18th
Supreme Court Oral Presentation
Supreme Court Written Summary due following presentation
June 26th
Final Exam – In Class
4