Brennan School of Business

Dominican University

BAD 240 Business Law

Fall 2007

Tuesday/Thursday 8:30 a.m. – 9:45 a.m.

 

 

Instructor: Linda Puvogel, JD

Phone: (708) 524-6507

FAX: (708) 524-6939

Email: lpuvogel@dom.edu

Office: Lewis 203

Office hours: By appointment

 

 

TEXTBOOK

 

Miller & Jentz, Business Law Today, 8th Ed., Thompson Publishing, 2007.

 

COURSE DESCRIPTION

 

            The purpose of the course is to acquaint students with the laws, regulations and court decisions that govern the business environment today.  Together these laws, regulations and cases provide the legal framework in which the modern business manager is expected to operate.  The course will also highlight ethical and corporate governance issues faced by corporate managers.  The course is intended to provide students with a basic understanding of the terminology, fundamental principles and concepts of current business law.

 

COURSE OBJECTIVES

 

At the conclusion of this course, students should

-         be able to recognize business law issues

-         be familiar with various laws and regulations facing managers today

-         understand how laws affect the business environment

-         identify and appreciate the current ethical and corporate governance issues facing the contemporary business person

 

COURSE METHODOLOGY

 

Classes will consist of lectures, review of cases and class discussions.  Students are expected to read the chapters assigned for class, be prepared to discuss the topics covered and submit all assignments when due. 

 

 

 

 

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

 

Quizzes, Tests and Assignments

Ten short quizzes will be given throughout the semester on the days noted on the course calendar.  There will be three tests. All quizzes and tests will be closed-book. The second and third tests will be non-cumulative and will include a combination of true/false, multiple choice and essay questions.  Quizzes may not be rescheduled.  Tests may be rescheduled only in extraordinary cases and only if the rescheduling is approved in advance of the regularly scheduled date.

 

There will be four writing assignments, due on the dates specified on the course calendar. Failure to turn in an assignment when due will result in a ten-point reduction for each day it is late.  Each assignment will require the preparation of a brief paper, 2-4 pages in length, space and a half.  All writing assignments will be evaluated based on content and writing quality.

 

Class Participation

Each student is expected to be an active participant in daily class discussions. Your class participation grade will reflect the quality and consistency of your contributions.  Mere attendance does not represent participation; frequent absences will severely impact your participation.  Each student is also expected to be on time for class.  Arriving late or leaving early is disruptive and disrespectful to others. 

 

Academic Integrity

As set forth in the Brennan School of Business Bulletin as well as in the Dominican University Student Handbook:

 

Students … must conduct themselves in accordance with the highest standards of academic honesty and integrity. Failure to maintain academic integrity will not be tolerated. The following definitions are provided for understanding and clarity.

Definitions of Plagiarism, Cheating and Academic Dishonesty

Student plagiarism is the deliberate presentation of the writing or thinking of another as the student's own. In written or oral work a student may make fair use of quotations, ideas, images, etc., that appear in others' work only if the student gives appropriate credit to the original authors, thinkers, owners or creators of that work. This includes material found on the Internet and in electronic databases.

Cheating entails the use of unauthorized or prohibited aids in accomplishing assigned academic tasks. Obtaining unauthorized help on examinations, using prohibited notes on closed-note examinations, and depending on others for the writing of essays or the creation of other assigned work are all forms of cheating.

Academic dishonesty may also include other acts intended to misrepresent the authorship of academic work or to undermine the integrity of the classroom or of grades assigned for academic work. Deliberate acts threatening the integrity of library materials or the smooth operation of laboratories are among possible acts of academic dishonesty.

 

 

GRADING

Activity                         Points

 

Quizzes                          50 (5 points each) 

Tests                            450 (150 points each)

Assignments               400 (100 points each)

Class participation      100

Total Points               1000

 

Grading Scale (% of 1000 points)

 

A                     94-100

A-                    90-93

B+                   87-89

B                      83-86

B-                    80-82

C+                   77-79

C                     73-76

C-                    70-72

D                     60-69

F                      Below 60

 

Please note that the course calendar set forth below may change at the discretion of the instructor. Students should attend class regularly to be updated on the status of lecture material and assignments.

 

COURSE CALENDAR

 

Date                 Topic/Assignments

 

9/6/2007          Introduction and Syllabus Review

9/11/2007        Ch. 1    The Legal Environment

9/13/2007        Ch. 2    Constitutional Law; Quiz, chapters 1 and 2.

9/18/2007        Ch. 3    Courts and Alternative Dispute Resolution

9/20/2007        Ch. 4    Torts and Cyber Torts; Quiz, chapters 3 and 4.

9/25/2007        Ch. 7    Ethics and Business Decision Making; Assignment #1 due.

9/27/2007        Ch. 5    Intellectual Property and Internet Law; Quiz, chapters 7 and 5.

10/2/2007        Ch. 6    Criminal Law and Cyber Crimes

10/4/2007        Test #1

10/9/2007        Ch. 8    Nature and Classification

10/11/2007      Ch. 9    Agreement and Consideration; Quiz, chapters 8 and 9.

10/16/2007      Ch. 10  Capacity and Legality; Assignment #2 due.

10/18/2007      Ch. 11  Defenses to Contract Enforceability; Quiz, chapters 10 and 11.

10/23/2007      Ch. 31  Promoting Competition in a Global Context

10/25/2007      Ch. 32  Consumer and Environmental Law; Quiz, chapters 31 and 32.

10/30/2007      Ch. 33  Labor and Employment Law

11/1/2007        Ch. 34  Employment Discrimination; Quiz, chapters 33 and 34.

11/6/2007        Ch. 35  Liability of Accountants and other Professionals; Assignment #3 due.

11/8/2007        Test #2

11/13/2007      Ch. 24  Agency Relationships in Business

11/15/2007      Ch. 25  Sole Proprietorships; Quiz, chapters 24 and 25

11/20/2007`     Ch. 26  Partnerships

11/27/2007      Ch. 27  Limited Liability Companies and Special Business Forms; Quiz, chapters 26 and 27.

11/29/2007      Ch. 28  Corporate Formation, Merger, and Termination

12/4/2007        Ch. 29  Corporate Directors, Officers, and Shareholders; Quiz, chapters 28 and 29.

12/6/2007        Ch. 30  Investor Protection, Insider Trading, and Corporate Governance

12/11/2007      Ch. 22  Security Interests in Personal Property; Assignment #4 due.

12/13/2007      Ch. 23  Creditors' Rights and Bankruptcy

12/18/2007      Test #3