Business Law is a dynamic course designed to provide students with an overview of our legal system and the legal framework in which business organizations operate. Topics covered include an in-depth study of the origin of law, rights and responsibilities of citizens, courts and court procedures, crimes and torts, contracts, intellectual property, and negotiable instruments. This course engages students using ​Wharton Business School case studies, ​group collaboration, guest speakers, and the application of legal principles to current events. Students explore law from different perspectives and the effect it has on the different stakeholders in society. College credit for qualifying performance on College Level Examination Program (CLEP) exam is currently available for four-year universities accepting the credit.

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS

• How have we as a society become more sophisticated in our legal system from primitive times to modern day?
• Where can and how does the process work in regards to developing and modifying laws?
• How can our legal system protect our citizens legal rights and responsibilities?
• To what extent does ethical reasoning, integrity and resistance come into play in regards to law?
• Why has society placed an emphasis on constitutional law and the amendments that make up the constitution?
• When deciding a legal outcome, where can individuals turn to for overarching, guiding principles?

CONTENT OBJECTIVES

Students will be able to . . .

• compare and contrast laws from primitive to modern day and predict to the extent on how laws will be modified in the future.
• evaluate the process for creating and modifying laws and justify either changing or upholding that process.
• assess and defend whether or not our society's laws protecting an individual's rights and responsibilities.
• predict what their actions would be and justify their rationale of thinking based on ethical decision making and the consequences which stem from them.
• summarize society’s feelings towards constitutional law and asses and debate changing amendments in the constitution.

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS

• How can disputes be resolved without going to court?
• How do courts settle disputes?
• Why are both court systems tiered?
• Is it more advantageous to have a case heard in the federal or the state court system?
• Why does the judicial system view juveniles different than adults and provide them with different consequences for their actions.
• How can a juvenile be charged as an adult?

CONTENT OBJECTIVES

Students will be able to . . .

• create a scenario and video that evolves from a situation concerning a resolution with the least amount of time and effort to the most amount of time and effort to solve a dispute.
• debate and justify their position on how consequences contrast from adults.
• predict whether a specific case being tried in a trial court will be ultimately reach the USSC.
• defend an individual filing their case in small claims court.
• assess, reorganize and design our court system to make it more effective.

Vocabulary - appellate brief, Appellate Court, arbitrator, County Court, court, court of record, general jurisdiction, juvenile court, litigate, mediator, original Jurisdiction, Probate Court, Small Claims Court, special jurisdiction, Superior Court, transcript, Trial Court, United States Supreme Court, verdict, Writ of Certiorari

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS

• How can one be charged with a crime?
• Why can a court bring multiple counts to an individual for the same crime?
• How does white collar crime influence society?
• Why does a jury have to prove someone guilty beyond a reasonable doubt?
• How can a defense attorney use a citizen's constitutional rights and responsibilities to defend criminal charges?
• Why do attorneys use plea bargaining in the judicial process?
• How and why are parents liable for their children's actions?

CONTENT OBJECTIVES

Students will be able to . . .

• create a scenario where a specific crime could be categorized as a felony or a misdemeanor.
• predict the outcome of a case that has not had an initial resolution.
• recommend adequate jail time for an individual based on a given scenario.
• explain how and why someone can get charged with multiple counts of a crime.
• choose the most important piece of evidence to defend their client.
• rate the severity levels of each white collar crime and describe the process of coming up with the list.
• defend their client based on the scenario they are in.

Vocabulary - contempt of court, crime, defense, felony, immunity, misdemeanor, plea bargaining, probable cause, procedural defense, punishment, self defense, substantive defense, vicarious criminal liability, white collar crime

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS

• To what extent can you demonstrate the differences between crimes and torts?
• How and why can a person or company be held responsible for others?
• How difficult is it to prove a tort in a court of law?
• What are the most common intentional torts and how are they defended?
• How can an attorney defend their client when they are charged with negligence or strict liability?
• How does a judge rule for compensatory and punitive damages?
• What are remedies available in a civil suit?
• How are civil damages collected?

CONTENT OBJECTIVES

Students will be able to . . .

• based on a given scenario, predict if a court of law will rule and prove by a preponderance of evidence the elements of a tort can be proven.
• evaluate, Interpret Predict USSC holdings and provide a rationale for their opinion.
• create a video and role play based on an intentional tort of their choice.
• defend/argue for their client in a negligence and/or strict liability scenario.
• assess relevant research and laws pertaining to intentional torts, negligence and strict liability in order to formulate the most important strategy to defend clients in need of representation.
• create a fair and equitable verdict that provides compensatory and punitive damages for the plaintiff.

Vocabulary - assault, battery, conversion, damages, defamation, evidence, false imprisonment, fraud, intentional tort, invasion of privacy, judgement, negligence, strict liability, subpoena, testimony, tort, trespass to land, verdict, witness

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS

• What needs to be present to create a valid contract?
• How can one invalidate a contract?
• Why does the statute of frauds exist?
• How can the essentials of contracts be used to remedy disputes between parties?
• How can duress and undue influence play a role in contracts being voidable.

CONTENT OBJECTIVES

Students will be able to . . .

• create a valid contract with the appropriate elements and terms and conditions addressed.
• predict the outcome of a contract dispute.
• compare and contrast various contract dispute scenarios and justify their rationale on the outcome.
• predict what the most important piece of information a judge provided in the reasons section of a base brief.
• contact a business and create and design a contract for their favorite car with permission of the dealership.

Vocabulary - acceptance, contract, counteroffer, firm offer, offer, offeree, offeror, option, revocation, duress, fraud, fraudulent misrepresentation, genuine assent, innocent misrepresentation, mutual mistake, ratification, rescission, void, voidable, accord and satisfaction, consideration, forbearance, liquidated debt, promissory estoppel, statute of limitation, age of majority, capacity, disaffirmance, emancipation, intoxication, mental incapacity, minor, minority, necessaries, competency license, price fixing, statute of frauds, wager, annulment, prenuptial agreement