ChabotCollegeFall, 2007

Course Outline for Business 27

LAW FOR SMALL BUSINESSES

Catalog Description:

27 - Law for Small Businesses3 units

Legal issues for the small business, with emphasis on credit and collections, consumer rights, taxes, e-commerce, property, and administrative law, and business liability insurance.

3 hours.
[Typical contact hours: 52.5]

Prerequisite Skills:

None

Expected Outcomes for Students:

Upon completion of this course, the student should be able to:

  1. utilize basic business law terminology;
  2. identify key legal risk and legal opportunity areas in a small business;
  3. analyze business situations to identify critical insurable risks, such as negligence, product liability, and business interruption;
  4. structure a business to maximize debt collection, and to take appropriate steps when debts are not paid;
  5. develop legal advertising and sales practices;
  6. comply with consumer safety laws;
  7. manage a small business to minimize taxes;
  8. identify “cyberlaw” issues, the issues associated with conducting business on the internet;
  9. structure appropriate property purchase or lease agreements;
  10. identify administrative laws that impact his or her particular business;
  11. explore ways to resolve issues without going to court;
  12. find the right lawyer or accountant to help prevent or resolve legal issues.

Course Content:

  1. Basic legal terminology
  2. Alternative dispute resolution techniques
  3. Overview of legal issues for the small business, including business organizations, contract law, agency and employment law
  4. Interviewing and selection of legal and accounting support services
  5. Business insurance
  6. Credit and collection law
  7. Fair advertising laws
  8. Consumer safety laws
  9. Business tax law basics
  10. Cyberlaw: consumer privacy, domain names, copyrights, internet advertising, internet sales
  11. Property contracts
  12. Administrative laws

Methods of Presentation:

1.Lectures

2.Discussion

3.Analysis of cases

4. Guest speakers

5. Mock trials/debates

6. Video

ChabotCollege

Course Outline for Business 27, Page 2

Fall 2007

Assignments and Methods of Evaluating Student Progress:

1.Typical Assignments

a.In a 2-3 page paper, describe your dream business, and the 5-7 key legal issues you anticipate will arise in that business. For each issue, identify three ways to minimize the risk.

b.Interview a local lawyer, following the interview guidelines on the allbusiness.com website. Explain that you’re a business law student, and present a hypothetical business law issue for your dream business. Post the answers, and your evaluation of this attorney as a choice to handle this business law issue on the course discussion board.

c.Develop a small advertisement for your dream business. Attach a 1-page analysis of the advertising laws you considered when developing the ad, and how your ad meets those legal requirements.

2.Methods of Evaluating Student Progress

a.Midterm examination

b.Final examination

c. Case studies and legal analysis assignments

d.Presentations

e.Group projects

Textbook(s) Typical:

THE LAW (IN PLAIN ENGLISH) FOR SMALL BUSINESS, Leonard DuBoff, 3rd edition, Sourcebooks, Inc., 2004.

LAW FOR SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS, 1st edition, Stephen M. Maple, Alpha Books, 2000.

Special Student Materials:

None

jn 09.06

Bus 27 course outline.doc