Brandeis University
Heller School for Social Policy and Management
HS 270F-1 Business Law
Fall 2014
Instructor:Jeffrey Rudin
Office:
Phone:
Email:
Time:Friday 9:00-11:50 am
PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVES:
The purpose of this course is to provide a general introduction to USlegal concepts and issues with which contemporary managers should be acquainted. Managers must not only be aware of the legal requirements related to their particular function, but must also be cognizant of the broader ramifications of legal matters on the enterprise as a whole. This course will provide students with an understanding of legal issues from both of these perspectives guiding them with regard to appropriate legal treatment in a variety of settings. Further, discussions of ethical dilemmas that potentially present challenges to managers dealing with business and legal issues within organizations will be explored and discussed.
LEARNING GOALS:
Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- identify common legal issues that may arise in day to day business operations such as those relating to contracts, employment law, tortious behavior, product liability, and criminal actions.
- appreciate the significance of a broad range of legal issues related to the organization as a whole and identify appropriate alternatives available to the manager.
- enhance their understanding of ethical issues while exploring and reflecting upon potential courses of action within such dilemmas.
- understand the range of legal structures available to set up businesses as well as their respective advantages and disadvantages.
- improve the ability to critically analyze issues, including articulation and defense of one’s position.
TEXTBOOK: The Legal Environment of Business,Cross-Miller, Ninth Edition (Cengage Learning)
Additional readings will be made available on latte, as necessary.
GRADING:
Mid-Term Exam 40%
Final Exam40%
Class Participation 20%
GENERAL POLICIES:
ATTENDANCE: Attendance is REQUIRED. Please notify me in advance when you are unable to make it to class.
CLASS PARTICIPATION: Students are expected to attend all class sessions and to actively participate in class discussions. Class participation involves being regularly engaged in the discussion/lecture and making a positive contribution by asking thoughtful questions, sharing relevant experiences, requesting clarification and making comments. All forms of participation should be conducted in a manner that is respectful of fellow students and the professor.
EXAMS:Please make every effort in advance to ensure that you will be in attendance on the exam dates shown on the syllabus. Make up exams will only be given with a valid excuse related to illness or a personal/family crisis.Further, there will be absolutely no opportunity to assign the weight of a missed exam to another exam.
Academic Integrity: Academic integrity is central to the mission of educational excellence at Brandeis University. Each student is expected to turn in work completed independently, except when assignments specifically authorize collaborative effort. It is not acceptable to use the words or ideas of another person- be it a world-class philosopher or your lab partner - without proper acknowledgement of that source. This means that you must use footnotes and quotation marks to indicate the sources of any phrases, sentences, paragraphs or ideas found in published volumes, on the internet, or created by another student. Violations of university policies on academic integrity, described in Section 3 of Rights and Responsibilities, may result in failure in the course or on the assignment, and could end in suspension from the University. If you are in doubt about the instructions for any assignment in this course, you must ask for clarification.
Notice: If you have a documented disability on record at Brandeis University and require accommodations, please bring it to the instructor’s attention prior to the second meeting of the class. If you have any questions about this process, contact Mary Brooks, disabilities coordinator for The Heller School at .
The reading and assignment schedule presented in this syllabus is a tentative schedule and is subject to change.
Class Schedule
(Readings and assignments are to be completed before each week’s class)
Week 1Meta LawChapter 1, Sections 2, 3, 4, 5
(Complete Business Scenarios 1-1 through 1-4)
Court SystemChapter 2, Section 1, 2, 3
(Complete Business Scenarios 2-1 and 2-2)
ADRChapter 3, Sections 1, 2 (pages 62-63)
(Complete Business Scenarios 3-1 through 3-3)
Business EthicsChapter 4, Sections 1, 3,4
(Complete Business Scenarios 4-1 and 4-2)
FederalismChapter 5, Sections 1, 2 (pages 109-110)
(Complete Business Scenario 5-1)
Admin. AgenciesChapter 6, Sections 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
(Complete Business Scenarios 6-1 and 6-2)
Week 2Criminal LawChapter 7, Sections 1, 2, 3 (pages 144-149), 4
TortsChapter 12, Sections 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
(Complete Business Scenarios 12-1 and 12-2)
Product LiabilityChapter 13, Sections 1, 2, 3, 4
(Complete Business Scenario 13-1 through 13-3)
Week 3ContractsChapter 9, Sections 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
ContractsChapter 10, Sections 1, 2, 3, 4
(Complete Business Scenarios 10-1 through 10-3)
UCC WarrantiesChapter 11, Section 6
Week 4Midterm
Business Orgs.Chapter 17, Sections 1, 2, 3 (pages 406-407)
(Complete Business Scenario 17-1)
Business Orgs.Chapter 18, Sections, 1, 4, 5
Week 5CorporationsChapter 19, Sections 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 7
(Complete Business Scenario 19-2 and 19-3)
ImmigrationChapter 23, Section 1
Week 6Intellectual PropertyA Classroom Introduction
EmploymentChapter 21, Sections 1, 6
(Complete Business Case Problem 21-6)
EmploymentChapter 22, Sections 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
(Complete Business Scenarios 22-1 and 22-2)
Week 7 Final Exam