Business Law and Practices

About This Course

This course examines the law and practice of business organizations and the paralegal’s potential functions in this area of law. It begins with an examination of basic agency law, followed by a study of the fundamental structure and most important legal doctrines relating to general partnerships, limited partnerships, limited liability companies, small closely-held corporations, and large publicly-traded corporations.

Business law is not, in itself, a field of law. Rather, it is the study of how civil (and sometimes criminal) law affects the operation of businesses. Any study of business is increasingly concerned with the legal environment. This course is designed to provide paralegals with the information they need to work under the supervision of counsel in the legal department of a corporation or to assist attorneys that specialize in providing counsel to businesses. It also provides the general public with knowledge of the legal environment in which businesses operate.

Course Objectives:

Discuss how state & federal constitutions, legislations, state and federal court’s decisions affect business law.
Examine the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) is and its function.
Explain how businesses deal with globalization of the economy, treaties and conventions.
Differentiate Trademarks, Service Marks, Copyrights and Patents.
Explain the enforcement and remedies in business contracts, including breached contracts.
Discuss the basic contracts within the entertainment industry.
Examine and evaluate certain government regulations, such as the FCC/Broadcasting and the local regulation of entertainment.
Discuss First Amendment rights through freedom of expression, assembly and religion.
Define bailment, bailors and bailees.
Explain legal issues surrounding the sale of goods.
Discuss secure transactions and the requirements placed by the UCC.
Explain bankruptcy and the regulations and provisions of Chapters 7 & 11.
Explain the concept of agency and an agency agreement.
Examine the functions and duties of a Corporate Paralegal.
Differentiate business organizations including the sole proprietorship, partnership, corporation and the limited liability corporation.
Examine the ethical considerations of the corporate paralegal.

Expectations

This is an accelerated course. You will be expected to spend an average of at least 8 hours per week reading and completing assignments. Please note that extensions will not be granted for this online course. This course is the equivalent of at least 45 clock hours of study. 70% is the minimum passing score on all tests and assignments for this course.

Prerequisites

Successful completion of Paralegal I and II, or equivalent experience.

Course Books

There are no required texts for this topic.

Highly Recommended Legal Resources:

Oran’s Dictionary of the Law, 4th Edition, by Daniel Oran. Clifton Park: Delmar Cengage Learning

Paralegal Career for Dummies, 2nd Edition, by Scott A. Hatch, J.D. and Lisa Zimmer Hatch, M.A.

For more information, call CLS by BARBRI at 800-522-7737, or visit our Online Store to order.

Lesson Topics:

Lesson One: Sources Of Law and Business Torts

Lesson Two: Intellectual Property and Contracts

Lesson Three: Bailments and The Sale Of Goods

Lesson Four: Negotiable Instruments, Secured Transactions, and Bankruptcy

Lesson Five: Agency, Partnerships, and Employment

Lesson Six: Corporations and Other Business Organizations

Writing Assignments:

For each lesson you will submit a 50-point short answer/essay assignment covering the topics in that lesson’s reading.

Exams:

You will complete two exams. Each is worth 100 points. The Midterm exam is to be submitted with your Lesson Three Assignments; the Final exam is to be submitted with your Lesson Six Assignments.

Bulletin Board Assignments:

You will also post your responses to six class participation assignments. These assignments are referred to as Bulletin Board Submissions and will be submitted by either selecting Bulletin Board Submission from within the lesson material, or by selecting ‘Forums’ under Activities on the Right Side Bar in the course.

All lesson objectives, assignments, and tests can be found in the Lesson Materials.

Grading

Your grade will be based on your completion of six writing assignment assignments, two exams, and class participation/Bulletin Board Submissions. Every assignment must be completed with a 70% or better to pass the course. The exams and writing assignments can be accessed from within the lesson material, or by selecting ‘Assignments’ under Activities on the Right Side Bar. You will have the opportunity to engage in “class participation” by using the Bulletin Board to respond to the bulletin board assignments throughout the course. Also, participating in the bulletin board assignments will enhance your understanding of the reading material.

Your final grade will be figured as follows:

The six assignments are worth 50 points each and comprise 40% of your grade.
The two exams are worth 100 points and comprise 40% of your grade.
Your participation in class participation assignments comprises 20% of your grade.

Withdrawal Policy

Students may drop the course with a full tuition refund less a non-refundable $50 administrative fee if written notice is sent to CLS by BARBRI by email at [email protected] by the Wednesday before class begins. Students may drop the course with a 50% tuition refund if written notice is sent to CLS by BARBRI by email at [email protected] anytime from the Thursday before the course begins until the first Thursday of class. After the first Thursday of class, no refunds will be issued.

Please NOTE: If you registered for a CLS course directly with the college or university, you are subject to the school’s refund/drop policies.