Course Syllabus

BLAW 371 The Legal Environment of Business

Fall 2023

Course Description & Prerequisites

This course examines the business organization in relationship to government, employee groups and the community. A major theme in the course is the social responsibility of business. Topics of study include ethics, environmental issues, employee rights, government regulation, commercial relationships and the U.S. political system as it affects business decision making.

Prerequisites

This course is part of the Business Core Intermediate group and the prerequisites, completed before the beginning of the term, for all BCI courses include the following: Sophomore standing, 2.5 Cum GPA, MATH 104 or higher, ACCT 201 & 202, ECON 211 & 212, ECON 215 or equivalent. Specific variations are made for Actuarial Science, Raikes and Agribusiness majors. BLAW 372 and MNGT 360 have additional requirements. Refer to the Undergraduate Bulletin for specific prerequisites. If you have not completed the prerequisites you should drop the class. Appeals can be submitted through the Undergraduate Programs Office in 114 CBA.

Course Objectives

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

Increase your awareness and understanding of the relationships between business and the political and community sectors of society.
To provide a basic understanding of the legal and ethical concepts, within which a business enterprise operates.
To consider and discuss political, ethical and social pressures which lead to changes in legal and business concepts.
To encourage you to think critically about issues from multiple stakeholder perspectives.
To help you improve your communication skills, both verbal and written, so that you can be effective in expressing your views on issues.

Contact Information

Instructor

Steven Russell

Teacher

srussell4@unl.edu

(402) 499-8013

Office Hours

I recently retired from the U.S. Attorney’s Office and will not have regular office hours. Please make appointments with me directly (rather than though the Department of Accounting secretary) because I keep my own calendar. I can meet with you at a mutually convenient time and place or schedule a time for a Zoom conference for discussion. I do welcome conversations with students so don’t hesitate to contact me.

If in-person classes are canceled, you will be notified of the instructional continuity plan for this class by email through Canvas.

Hypothetical Questions

I shall not offer any legal advice to any student. All questions shall be treated as hypothetical questions and no lawyer-client relationship shall be established in the discussion of those questions. Nothing I say represents the views of the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Nebraska or the United States Department of Justice.

Canvas Information

Canvas is the where course content, grades, and communication will reside for this course.

The URL to access Canvas is: http://canvas.unl.edu
For Canvas, passwords, or any other computer-related technical support contact the IT Help Center.

Phone: 402-472-3970
Website: http://mysupport.unl.edu/
Submit a support ticket: mysupport@unl.edu

Textbook & Reading Materials

The Legal Environment of Business, 14^th edition, Meiners, Ringleb and Edwards, Copyright 2023, Library of Congress Number 2021913573, ISBN: 978-0-3574-5172-4
Cengage Infuse is also available for this course for the e-book and other resources for the course.
The required Cengage material for this course is being fulfilled to you in Canvas as discounted courseware via the Follett Inclusive ACCESS program. Beginning Sunday 8/13 each student enrolled in the course will receive an email from "noreply@follett.com" to their @huskers.unl.edu email address, explaining Inclusive Access and referencing the opt out process. For Fall 2023 students have through August 30th to opt out (or to opt back in after initially opting out) if they choose to obtain the required material through another means; if a student elects to opt out of the courseware access, UNL will remove the fee for the material from the student's account after the 8/30/23 deadline passes.
Student Facing for First Day Access Links to an external site.- this is a video to walk you through first day access and how to set up their account and access their materials.
(Links to an external site.)Also check the Announcements Module for more information.

Grading Policies

Class Assignments

Readings - The course will cover different Units relevant to the class. The chapters in the text will be assigned based on the Unit being covered. The assigned chapter will not be in numerical order. The class will also be assigned readings that you as a student will have to obtain, either from another book, through the Internet, etc. I will tell you when additional reading is assigned. Therefore, it is important that you maintain this syllabus and if you are unable to attend a class session, it is your responsibility to obtain any announced changes in class assignments and homework.

Case Briefs – In addition to the main textbook, you will be asked to submit a written assignment for a case brief on an assigned case for each Unit of the course. You will be responsible for four (4) case briefs during the semester. Each assignment will be graded on a 25-point scale for a total of 100 points.

The requirements for each case assignment will be provided during the semester. The assignment will be graded on answering the questions submitted.

CHAT GPT - This tool should not be used in the class. Using this will result in the assignment being rejected as if it was not submitted, which will also result in the loss of extra credit opportunities.

Ethics Module - During this course we will be also be using ethics modules in addition to the Chapter instruction. As part of the ethics module, there will be additional assignments that we will discuss during the semester. In total, there will be 90 possible points related to this section of the class. This includes video presentations which will start in the second unit, three quizzes, one memo and two Three page papers in addition to the case briefs. We will discuss this in more detail during the semester.

Extra Credit Points

There will be extra credit opportunities during the semester. I am still determining what kind of extra credit can be provided this semester due to possible public health restrictions. I will be taking attendance this semester for points to be earned as extra credit. I will also give you the opportunity for a mid-year evaluation of the course for my review. I will award 5 extra credit points for the completed evaluation. Stay tuned.

Please be aware that if you do not fully complete all of the assignments in the class (case briefs, tests, and ethics requirements), you will not be eligible for any extra credit, including points for the mid-year evaluation discussed previously.

Exams

There will be four mid-semester exams, worth 75 points each, and the final exam, also worth 75 points. Exam dates will be announced in class as well as the chapters the exam will cover. The final exam will not be comprehensive. The tests will be taken through Canvas. The tests will be at the Digital Learning Center at the Library Commons. The dates for each test will be in this syllabus. If you are found cheating on an exam, you will receive a zero for the exam. The class will use Respondus Lockdown as part of the DLC testing.

Grades and Attendance

You grade will be based on a 515-point scale. Please keep this in mind throughout the year.

Grades will be based on a total of 375 points from the five examinations, 100 points from the case brief assignments and 40 points for the ethics module. Any extra credit will be added to determine your final total score. Canvas will reflect the total number of points that were available throughout the class, including extra credit, so don’t rely on any percentage score on Canvas. Use the grade chart below to determine your final grade.

The grade scale, including the plus and minus policy, is set out below:

TOTAL POINTS: 515

Class Grading Scale
Grade	Percentage	Numeric Score
A+	100-97%	515 - 498
A	96-93%	497 - 475
A-	92-90%	474 - 458
B+	89-87%	457 - 441
B	86-83%	440 - 418
B-	82-80%	417 - 402
C+	79-77%	401 - 385
C	76-73%	384 - 362
C-	72-70%	361 - 345
D+	69-67%	344 - 328
D	66-63%	327 - 305
D-	62-60%	304 - 289
F	<59%	288 or less

Expectations for Student Preparation

For class, you need to read the text, as assigned. Be prepared to discuss the reading in class. In addition, I will provide class outlines of PowerPoint slides for chapter lectures through Canvas. I will put these on the Canvas system as soon as possible before the lecture. We will discuss topics not in the assigned reading or on the PowerPoint slides so attendance is encouraged.

Course Outline Details

Course Schedule Details
Date	Chapter	Assignments and Test
Unit 1 Week of 8/21/23	Class Orientation - Discuss Syllabus and Course Schedule Chapter 1- Today’s Business Environment: Law and Ethics	Case Brief #1 due 9/22/23
Week of 8/28/23	Chapter 2 – The Court System
Week of 9/4/23	Chapter 3- Trials and Alternative Dispute Resolution	Case Brief #1 due 9/22/23
Week of 9/11/23	Finish Chapter 3 Chapter 5 – Criminal Law and Business	Test #1 open from 9/15/23 to 9/19/23 (6:00 pm)
Unit 2 Week of 9/18/23	Chapter 4 -The Constitution: Focus on the Application to Business Ethics Unit 1	Case Brief #1 due 9/22/23 Mid- Semester extra credit due from 9/18/23 to 9/26/23 Case Brief #2 due 10/20/23
Week of 9/25/23	Chapter 17 – The Regulatory Process Ethics Unit 2	Quiz Ethics #2 open from 9/27/23 to 10/1/23
Week of 10/2/23	Chapter 19 – Consumer Protection	Test #2 open from 10/6/2023 through 10/10/23 (6:00 pm)
Unit 3 Part 1 Week of 10/9/23	Chapter 6 - Elements of Torts Ethics Unit 3	Quiz Ethics #3 open from 10/11/23 to 10/15/23
Week of 10/16/23	FALL BREAK - NO CLASS THIS WEEK
Week of 10/23/23	Chapter 7 – Business Torts and Product Liability Ethics Unit 4	Case Brief #2 due 10/20/23 Case Brief #3 due 11/10/23
Week of 10/30/23	Chapter 8 – Real and Personal Property	Test #3 open from 11/3/23 to 11/7/23 (6:00 pm)
Unit 3 Part 2 Week of 11/6/23	Chapter 10 – Contracts Ethics Unit 5	Case Brief #3 due 11/10/23
Week of 11/13/23	Chapter 12 – Business Organizations	Test #4 open from 11/17/23 to 11/21/23 (6:00 pm)
Week of 11/20/23	THANKSGIVING BREAK - NO CLASS THIS WEEK
Unit 4 Week of 11/27/23	Chapter 14 - Agency Relationships Ethics Unit 6 (Fast Fashion Memo)	Case Brief #4 due 12/1/23 Quiz open from 11/29/23 to 12/3/23
Week of 12/4/23	Chapter 16 – Employment Discrimination	Case Brief #4 due 12/1/23 Fast Fashion memo due on 12/8/23 Extra Credit due 12/8/23
Week of 12/11/23		Final Exam open from 12/8/23 to 12/13/23

Course and University Policies

Accessibility Support

The University strives to make all learning experiences as accessible as possible. If you anticipate or experience barriers based on your disability (e.g. physical disability, learning disability, ADHD, chronic health issue, mental health condition, complications with a pregnancy, long Covid, temporary injury, or other condition), please let me know immediately so that we can discuss options privately. To establish reasonable accommodations, I may request that you register with Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD). If you are eligible for services and register with their office, make arrangements with me as soon as possible to discuss your accommodations so they can be implemented in a timely manner. SSD contact information: 117 Louise Pound Hall.; 402-472-3787

Academic Honesty

Academic honesty is essential to the existence and integrity of an academic institution. The responsibility for maintaining that integrity is shared by all members of the academic community. The University's Student Code of Conduct addresses academic dishonesty. Students who commit acts of academic dishonesty are subject to disciplinary action and are granted due process and the right to appeal any decision.

College of Business students are held to the standards set by the UNL Student Code of Conduct. In the Student Code of Conduct, acts of dishonesty are specified as, but not limited to: cheating, fabrication or falsification, plagiarism, abuse of academic materials, complicity in academic dishonesty, falsifying grade reports, impermissible collaboration, or misrepresentation to avoid academic work. The penalties for academic dishonesty will be severe and may range from receiving a failing grade on the test or assignment, failing the course in which academic dishonesty took place, or the possibility of expulsion from the university.

Writing Support

The Writing Center can provide you with meaningful support as you write for this class as well as every course in which you enroll. Trained undergraduate and graduate peer consultants are available to talk with you about all forms of communication. You are welcome to bring in everything from lab reports, presentations, and research papers to cover letters, application essays, and graduate theses and dissertations. Writing Center Consultants can work with you at any stage of the writing process, from brainstorming and organizing your ideas through polishing a final draft.

There are two ways you can connect with a Consultant: Online (a real-time, video conversation) and eTutoring (email feedback). To learn more about these options and view video tutorials, please visit https://www.unl.edu/writing/online-writing-center-services. Sign up any time by visiting unl.mywconline.com. For more information about the Writing Center, please visit unl.edu/writing.

Counseling and Psychological Services

UNL offers a variety of options for students to aid them in dealing with stress and adversity. Counseling and Psychological & Services (CAPS) is a multidisciplinary team of psychologists and counselors that works collaboratively with Nebraska students to help them explore their feelings and thoughts and learn helpful ways to improve their mental, psychological and emotional well-being when issues arise. CAPS can be reached by calling 402-472-7450 (even after hours).