Standard

ACC 155 – Legal Environment of Business

Course Description:

 

Introduces law and its relationship to business. Topics include: legal ethics, legal processes, business contracts, business torts and crimes, real and personal property, agency and employment, risk-bearing devices, and Uniform Commercial Code.

 

Competency Areas:

Hours:

 

 

 

Legal Ethics

Class

5

Legal Processes

D. Lab

0

Business Contracts

P. Lab/O.B.I.

0

Business Torts and Crimes

Credit

5

Real and Personal Property

 

 

Agency and Employment

 

 

Risk-Bearing Devices

 

 

Uniform Commercial Code

 

 

 

 

 

Prerequisite/Corequisite:  Program admission

 

 

 

Course Guide

 

Competency

After completing this section, the student will:

Hours

Class

D. Lab

P. Lab/

O.B.I.

LEGAL ETHICS

5

0

0

 

Define ethics.

 

 

 

 

Review ethical versus legal business decision making.

 

 

 

LEGAL PROCESSES

5

0

0

Law enforcement bodies and agencies

Define various law enforcement bodies and agencies in the U.S.

 

 

 

The Judicial Process

Discuss the Federal and State Court Systems.

 

 

 

Evolutionary nature of the law

Describe the evolution of law in the U.S.

 

 

 

 

Discuss the U. S. Constitution.

 

 

 

Government regulation and business

Describe the relationship that exists between business and government regulation.

 

 

 

BUSINESS CONTRACTS

10

0

0

Elements of contracts

List elements of valid contracts.

 

 

 

Terminology

Define terms related to contracts.

 

 

 

Warranties

Differentiate between types of product and service warranties.

 

 

 

Discharge of contracts

Identify methods of discharging contracts.

 

 

 

Essentials of negotiability and commercial papers

Identify the essentials of commercial and negotiable papers.

 

 

 

Negotiable instruments

Identify the procedure for negotiating and discharging negotiable instruments.

 

 

 

BUSINESS TORTS AND CRIMES

8

0

0

Types of business torts and crimes

List and define the types of business torts and crimes.

 

 

 

 

Understand the elements of business torts and crimes..

 

 

 

REAL AND PERSONAL PROPERTY

7

0

0

Property Ownership

Identify the aspects of different types of property ownership.

 

 

 

Bailments

Understand Bailments of Personal Property.

 

 

 

Real Property Estates

Define the nature of and understand the estates in real property.

 

 

 

Landlord and Tenant

Understand landlord and tenant relationships and duties.

 

 

 

AGENCY AND EMPLOYMENT

5

0

0

Agency Creation

Understand the principal and agent relationship.

 

 

 

Agent’s Authority

Define an agent’s authority and duty to the principal.

 

 

 

Agency Termination

Understand the aspects of terminating an Agency.

 

 

 

Employment Relationship

Define employee and distinguish between employee and independent contractor.

 

 

 

Worker Benefits

Understand worker benefits such as social security, workers compensation, un-employment insurance and pensions.

 

 

 

EEO

Understand Equal Employment Opportunity Rights.

 

 

 

RISK-BEARING DEVICES

2

0

0

Terminology

Define the term risk-bearing device.

 

 

 

Comparison

Compare and contrast different kinds of insurance coverage and describe their application to the marketing field.

 

 

 

UNIFORM COMMERCIAL CODE

8

0

0

Definition

Define the Uniform Commercial Code.

 

 

 

 

Analyze areas of business with the Uniform Commercial Code.

 

 

 

Application

Give examples of the application of the Uniform Commercial Code within various areas of business operation.

 

 

 

 

Suggested Resources

 

Books:

 

American Bar Association. (2001). Model jury instructions for business tort litigation. Chicago.

Brown, G. W., (2001). Business Law with UCC Applications , Columbus: Glencoe/McGraw-Hill.

Bixby, M., et. al., (2001), The Legal Environment of Business,  New Jersey: Prentice-Hall. 

Practical Business Law-Moran, 3rd ed.

Law for Business, 14th edition, Ashcroft and Ashcroft, South-Western Publishing.

Fundamentals of Business Law; Fourth Edition, Roger Miller, Gaylord A. Jentz, West Educational Publishing, 2000.