USC Gould School of Law BUSINESS FOR LAWYERS

LAW-632

FALL 2012 SYLLABUS

  1. BASIC INFORMATION
  1. Course Description

This course is designed to introduce law students who lack business backgrounds to fundamental business concepts so that they can be more effective lawyers and be better able to understand and advise their clients and to reflect the client's business activities, concerns and objectives accurately when doing legal work on their behalf. Students will be exposed to relevant topics/concepts within the following business categories: business terminology, strategy, sales and marketing, corporate finance, operations, entertainment, mergers and acquisitions, international business, accounting and regulations. The class sessions will include lectures, a few select guest speakers, and analysis and discussion of case studies. The class will promote group work as well as individual study, including every other week writing assignments on relevant course material. Every student will be expected to read the Wall Street Journal daily.

B. Instructor

Professor: Steven Hartman

Phone: 310-869-2204

Email:

Office Hours: TBA

C. Textbook

Ebert and Griffin. Business Essentials 9thed, Prentice Hall, 2013

  1. Time and Place

Fall 2012 (14 Weeks: August 29 to December 5)

Wednesdays, 5:40 pm to 8:20 pm

Room 103, Musick Law Building, USC

  1. Creditand Grading

3 Units; numerical grading only.

  1. Prerequisites

None

II.COURSE REQUIREMENTS & GUIDELINES

  1. Class Preparation and Participation

Class discussion will commence with the assumption that everyone is thoroughly familiar with the assigned materials and is prepared to participate in discussions in a professional manner.

  1. Attendance and Classroom Behavior

Regular and punctual attendance is required. Please note that all communication and entertainment devices such as cell phones, iPods, and iPads are to be turned off and kept off throughout the class session. Laptops may be used only for note-taking purposes. Receiving or sending communication or entertainment during class disrupts the learning environment.

  1. Grading Criteria

Students will complete a group “business plan” writing project(a series of six assignments across the semester), in-class group/team exercises and discussion questionsand one term paper (in lieu of a final examination). 30 percent of your grade in this course will be based on your performance on the “business plan” writing project, 20 percent of your grade in this course will be based on the quality of your participation in the class discussions and 50 percent of your grade in this course will be based on the termpaper.

  1. Statement on Academic Integrity

USC seeks to maintain an optimal learning environment. General principles of academic honesty include the concept of respect for the intellectual property of others, the expectation that the work submitted represents solely the effort of the person(s) submitting the work (unless otherwise allowed by an instructor), and the obligations both to protect one’s own academic work from misuse by others as well as to avoid using another’s work as one’s own. All students are required to understand and abide by the policies and expectation of the Law School, and the University, regarding academic integrity.

  1. Accommodation of Disabilities

USC is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for members of the student body who have permanent or temporary physical, learning or other disabilities, to ensure that all students are given an equal opportunity for learning and for pursuing their academic interests. Students wishing to seek accommodation should consult the policies and procedures in the Student Handbook,

  1. ASSIGNMENTS

Week / Date / Lecture Topic and Selected In-Class Exercises / Book
Chapter
1 / 8/29 / Course introduction and Overview
The U.S. Business Environment
Case Study (Class Handout): Flying into Trouble–the OneWorld Alliance and Antitrust Laws / 1
2 / 9/5 / Business Terminology and Practical Use
Online Resources:



“Painless Financial Literacy for Your Team (and You)”
[Harvard Business Reviewarticle]
Jones Electrical Distribution [Harvard Business School (HBS) Case Study]
Business Plan: Part 1 Writing Assignment Distributed
3 / 9/12 / Entrepreneurship, New Ventures, and Business Ownership
Case Study (Class Handout): Business Accountability— Getting on Boards
Business Plan: Part 1 Assignment Due / 3
4 / 9/19 / The Global Context of Business
Case Study (Class Handout): Business Accountability— How to wake up a Zombie / 4
9/26 / Law School Holiday
5 / 10/3 / Business Management
eHarmony [HBS Case Study]
Business Plan: Part 2 Assignment Due / 5
6 / 10/10 / Organizing the Business
Case Study (Class Handout): Intrepreneurs Spread Their Wings at Elite Information Systems / 6
7 / 10/17 / Operations Management and Quality
Guest Speaker: Andrew Thau,Chief Operating Officer of United Talent Agency
Business Plan: Part 3Assignment Due / 7
8 / 10/24 / Mergers & Acquisitions
Company Sale Process [HBS Case Study]
Business Plan: Part 4 Assignment Due
9 / 10/31 / Pricing, Distributing, and Promoting Products
Case Study (Class Handout): Talking ‘bout My Generation (Distribution Channels in the Music Industry) / 12
10 / 11/7 / Marketing Processes and Consumer Behavior
Case Study (Class Handout): Putting your Soul into Shoe Design / 11
11 / 11/14 / InformationTechnology for Business
“What Every CEO Needs to Know About the Cloud”
[Harvard Business Review article]
Guest Speaker Adam Miller – President and CEO Cornerstone OnDemand (Ticker: CSOD)
Business Plan: Part 5Assignment Due / 13
12 / (Wed. Classes Meet on Tuesday)11/20 / The Role of Accountants and Accounting Information
“The Magic of Managing the Balance Sheet: How to Manage Working Capital” [Harvard Business Review article]
Business Plan: Part 6 Assignment Due / 14
13 / 11/28 / Money and Banking
Case Study (Class Handout): Fixing the System on a National Scale / 15
14 / 12/5 / Managing Finances
Case Study (Class Handout): Accountability Goes Professional / 16
TERM PAPER Due Monday December 10, 2012 by 5:00PM

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