MEDGAR EVERS COLLEGE
The City University of New York
School of Business
Department of Business Administration
Business Law 211-060
Saturday, 3:00 – 5:40 PM
Course Syllabus Fall 2011
Course Website: www.groundworkatmedgar.pbworks.com
PROF. Tobias Pinckney, ESQ.
Cell 908-251-4922
OBJECTIVES:
- Cover additional business law topics.
- Connect recent business and political trends with Business Law development.
- Engage Business Law at the level of debate, discussion, and problem-solving.
- Introduce students to legal argument and legal writing.
- Prepare students for the CPA Exam, law school admission, and business school admission.
COURSE DESCRIPTION: This syllabus informs students of the topics we will cover during the semester. Reading assignments will be given that pertain to each topic. Unless otherwise stated all reading assignments must be read prior to class. Class will consist of lectures by the professor, class participation, class group exercises, mock trials, video presentations and guest speakers that are players in the business world.
Each student will be required to analyze legal cases and other works and present their findings in writing.
Homework will be in the form of writing assignments which will be based upon the course materials, topics discussed in class, and relevant business law current events.
METHODOLOGY
The modified Socratic Method of questioning students, common in the majority of law schools, will be used in addition to lectures to train students in how to think analytically and critically (“how to think like a lawyer”). Guest speakers will bring real life experiences to the classroom, and each student will participate in role playing classroom exercises such as moot courts where they have the opportunity to learn by placing themselves in the shoes of any number of participants in business litigation and negotiation.
REQUIRED TEXTBOOK: Business Law: Text and Cases, 12th Edition (Clarkson, Miller, Jentz, Cross)
COURSE REQUIREMENTS AND GRADING: To ensure that students attend classes regularly and on time, attendance will be taken at every class meeting.
Each class begins promptly. Grades will be roughly proportioned equally between classroom participation, homework, and exam performance. For classes that demonstrate advanced preparation -- moot court oral arguments, and written assignments may be acceptable substitutes for mid-terms and/or finals.
READING ASSIGNMENTS: Students are responsible for completing the reading assignments on time and being prepared to engage in classroom discussions and debates.
COMMUNICATION WITH FELLOW STUDENTS: All students are responsible for obtaining the contact information for numerous classmates. The purpose of this is to assure that if you are absent you have several options of students that can update you on the notes or assignment regarding a class that you missed. Such teamwork is good career preparation.
Policy on Academic Integrity
Academic dishonesty of any type, including cheating and plagiarism, is unacceptable at Medgar Evers College. Cheating is any misrepresentation in academic work. Plagiarism is the representation of another person’s work, words, or ideas as your own. Students should consult the Medgar Evers College Academic Dishonesty Policy and Procedure Handbook for specific regulations and procedures related to academic integrity.
College Rules and Expectations
It is each student’s responsibility to fully understand academic policies of the College and its rules and regulations on grades, dropping courses, cheating and plagiarism, deadlines, etc. Knowing them well will allow you to proceed to graduation efficiently and with a strong transcript. Study carefully everything in the Medgar Evers College Catalogue on Student Rights and Responsibilities. If you do not have a copy, you can view it on the web. You may also ask any of your professors for clarification on the policy of academic integrity. In addition, students who display writing deficiencies will be referred to the Writing Center.
TENTATIVE SCHEDULE (subject to modification)
Business Organizations and Corporations, Chapters 36-41
Corporate Duties and Governance and Professional Liability and Accountability,
Chapters 42 and 48
Antitrust Law, Chapter 47
Employment and Labor Law/Employment Discrimination, Chapters 34-35
Product Liability and Consumer Law, Chapters 22, 45
Intellectual Property, Chapter 8
Negotiable Instruments and the Banking System, Chapters 24-27
Plus discussion of the Mortgage Crisis and Bankruptcy Law, Chapters 30-31
Additional and recommended readings:
Judicial Process in America, 8th Edition, by Robert Carp, Ronald Stidham, and Kenneth L. Manning, ISBN # 978-1-60426-608-5; CQ Press, 2011. ($56.37)
A History of American Law: Third Edition; by Lawrence M. Friedman, ISBN # 978-0684869889; Touchstone, 2005. ($16.17)
Making Your Case: The Art of Persuading Judges, by Antonin Scalia and Bryan A. Garner, ISBN# 978-0314184719, Thomson/West, 2008. ($25.45)
The Nine: Inside the Secret World of the Supreme Court, by Jeffrey Toobin, ISBN # 978-1400096794, Anchor, 2008. ($8.88)
Root and Branch: Charles Hamilton Houston, Thurgood Marshall, and the Struggle to End Segregation, by Rawn James, Jr., ISBN # 1596916060; Bloomsbury Press, 2010. ($11.20)
I will also distribute a list of helpful business law and economics texts.
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