Legal and Ethical Environment of BusinessPerry Binder, J.D.II. THE COMMERCIAL ENVIRONMENT: Business Organizations, Contracts and Intellectual Property. The second part of the course develops an understanding of how businesses operate -- their formation and organization and how they conduct business in the commercial environment. Contract formation and performance form the backbone of business operations.III. THE REGULATORY ENVIRONMENT: Private and Public RegulationBUSA 2106, Fall 2010 Legal and Ethical Environment of BusinessDepartment of Risk Management and InsuranceJ. Mack Robinson College of BusinessINSTRUCTOR: Perry Binder, J.D.Assistant Professor of Legal Studies, RMI DepartmentRobinson College of Business, 11th floorWeb Site: http://www.gsu.edu/~rmipzb CONTACT: E-mail: [email protected] -- the quickest way to reach me. It would be helpful for me if you put "BUSA 2106" as part or all of your e-mail "Subject." Make sure to include your full name in the e-mail.Office Hours: By AppointmentCATALOG DESCRIPTION: This course provides the business student with a study of the interrelationship of law, ethics and business. The course covers government regulation of business activities and thelegal environment within which business must operate. The course also provides an introduction toethical theory and decision-making models.COURSE OVERVIEW : The legal environment plays a significant role in facilitating and constraining business activity. To be competitive, American business must understand and strategically use the legal environment to minimize risk and enhance productivity. This course provides you with an overview of U.S. statutory, administrative, and judicial efforts to regulate business activity in several areas: business entities, corporations, agency and employment law, tort law, products liability, and the protection of intellectual property. Strategic responses to competitive pressures may also require managers to make difficult ethical decisions. After an introduction to ethical theory and decision-making models, we will focus on the application of ethics to business decision-making. REQUIRED TEXT: Miller/Cross, Legal Environment of Business Today, Cengage (6th ed. 2010) is available in both print and electronic versions.YOU DO NOT NEED TO PURCHASE: Legal Environment of Business Today, CNOW PAC access card or Miller/CrossCengageNow On-line purchase direct from the publisher (free UPS ground shipping): http://gsublaw.thomsonsites.comCOURSE OBJECTIVES AND POLICIES LEARNING OBJECTIVES : By the end of the course, the student will have the ability to:- communicate effectively about legal and ethical issues using oral and written conventions.- evaluate legal arguments and evidence to apply legal doctrine to solve business problems.- explain how law can be used strategically as a tool to reduce or manage business risk.- identify and analyze contemporary legal issues to promote an interest in the legal environment.- use technology effectively to research law-related issues. In addition, after completing BUSA 2106, the student will:- be more aware of the complexity and unpredictability of the law;- be more sensitive to ethical issues confronting business; and- have a greater appreciation of the role of law and the courts in balancing legitimate, competing interests of the parties.COURSE OUTCOMES : Upon successful completion of BUSA 2106, a student should be able to:- understand the structure and jurisdiction of the state and federal court systems, the key Constitutional provisions that affect business, the concepts of federalism and separation of powers,and the role and functions of administrative agencies.- explain ethical theories and be able to apply them to business situations, and explain the relationship between the law and ethics.- describe and apply legal principles concerning corporations and other business entities, intellectual property, torts, product liability, agency, employment law and employment discrimination.In addition, the course is intended to make you more aware of the impact of law on business operations.As a result of the knowledge and critical thinking undertaken in the course you should be better able to:- recognize, assess, and analyze case problems and other legal issues affecting business.- apply legal analysis principles to resolve business problems.- avoid legal problems before they occur and participate more effectively in resolving disputes that do arise. METHOD OF INSTRUCTION: Class time will devoted to lecture, discussion and in-class activities including: -Case analysis and problem solving-Law-related research on current issuesEach class section will have one or more of the following projects assigned at the option of theinstructor:-Court Visit/Case File Reports -Current Issue Report applying law/ethics-Research Memo writing assignmentATTENDANCE AND PREPARATION: Because there is considerable material to be covered, we will move at a rapid pace. Thus, attendance is very important -- you are expected to attend and be thoroughly prepared for each class. Absenteeism or lack of preparation may adversely affect your grade. A special word to VA students: Due to required University oversight of students receiving VA benefits, you have a special burden of faithful class attendance. Under present guidelines, absence for a ten-consecutive calendar day period necessitates a report to that effect to the VA Office at GSU, with (presumably) a consequent adverse effect on your status vis-a-vis the U.S. Government. Please keep this in mind. 2MAKE-UP EXAMINATIONS: Generally, make-up exams are not allowed except in extreme cases. A student who is ill or otherwise knows that he or she will not be able to attend a scheduled examination must immediately notify the professor by e-mail prior to the examination with the reason for the expected absence.CLASSROOM POLICIES: - Ten (10) points will be deducted for every unexcused business day that an assignment is late.- Any and all legal opinions or statements as to legal matters made by the Instructor are for class discussion purposes only, and are never to be taken as dispensing legal advice. This includes any conversations with students, whether during or outside class time.- Please keep in mind that e-mail is an insecure environment -- thus, please do not ask me to e-mail you sensitive information,