BUSI 2301 Business Law

Professor Kristine Horn

LEGAL ISSUES ASSIGNMENT (Short Project)

Each student will be required to sign up for one class period during which he/she should be prepared to present a brief report on an article or news story (current within the last year) concerning a contemporary legal issue in the business world. You may choose any issue in which you have an interest as long as it involves both law and business. An informal oral report will be given to the class, and the student should be prepared to describe the topic/event, the significance, and the legal concepts involved.

If you are unsure of the legal concept that is being discussed, I will be very impressed (and award points accordingly) if you take the time to look up and define the concept. For example, if you are reporting on insider trading, be prepared to give a brief definition of what that means.

To receive full credit for this assignment, the student should turn in a summary of the article at the beginning of the class. The summary should be typed, double spaced, and no more than two pages. If you plan to make your oral report from your summary, you will need an extra to turn in (if you exceed one page you MUST staple the pages!) Of the topics turned in on a given day, some will be selected for class discussion (as time permits). Everyone who turns in a summary on the due date will receive credit for the project, regardless of whether the topic is selected for discussion in class.

Excellent sources include: The Wall Street Journal, Business Week, Fortune, The New York Times, and the Washington Post. You may also use a recent report from a government agency web page (DOJ, EEOC, SEC, etc), or a real court case. Internet sources are fine as long as it is an established source (no blogs). Note that Wikipedia is not a source for anything but conflict in my course.

YOU MUST INCLUDE A CITE TO THE SOURCE (URL is fine) TO RECEIVE FULL CREDIT. DO NOT ATTACH A COPY OF THE ARTICLE to the summary you turn in.

Points will be deducted for not following instructions and for papers that are not stapled.