Principles of Law

Principles of Law

Syllabus – Spring 2012

Contact Instructor

Adam Koester, Business Office, Room A119

Office Hours: 8:26am-9:20am, before or after school, or by appointment

Email:

School Phone: 656-7100 x20119 (Business Office)

Textbook

Adamson, John. Law for Business and Personal Use, 16th Edition.Mason, OH: Thomson Learning, 2004.

Course Description

Business of Law is offered to familiarize students with basic rules of law and the legal vocabulary for court systems, crimes and torts, law and society, rights and duties of a citizen, contracts, and employment rights.

Topics to Be Covered

(Subject to change as opportunities warrant)

Unit 1 Fundamentals of Law

Chapter 1Our Laws

Chapter 2Ethics and Our Law

Unit 2 History of Law

Chapter 3Constitutional Rights

Chapter 4the Court System

Unit 3Criminal and Personal Injury Law

Chapter 5Our Criminal Laws

Chapter 6Personal Injury Laws

Unit 4Elements of Contract Law

Chapter 7Offer and Acceptance

Chapter 8Genuine Agreement

Unit 5Additional Elements of Contracts

Chapter 9Mutual Consideration

Chapter 10Law of Capacity

Unit 6Contract Legality

Chapter 11Legality of Contracts

Chapter 12Written Contracts

Unit 7Employment Law

Chapter 29Employment Discrimination

Chapter 30Employee Injuries

Unit 8Agency

Chapter 25Creation of Agency

Chapter 26Operation of Agency

Unit 9Agency, Employment, and You

Chapter 27Employment Contracts

Chapter 28Unions

Unit 10Property Laws

Chapter 19Property

Chapter 20Bailments

Unit 11Property Occupation

Chapter 21Real Property

Chapter 22Renting Realty

Unit 12Risk and Tax Mitigation

Chapter 23Insuring Your Future

Chapter 24Wills, Estates, and Trusts

Unit 13Business Organization Law

Chapter 31 Forms of Business Organization

Chapter 32 Creating, Running, and Terminating a

Corporation

Chapter 33Forms of Organization for Small Business

Chapter 34Government Regulation of Business

Unit 14Contracts of Sales

Chapter 15Sales Contracts

Chapter 16Ownership and Risk of Loss in Sales
Contracts

Chapter 17Consumer Protection

Chapter 18Legal Consideration in Marriage
and Divorce

Unit 15Contract Enforcement

Chapter 13Contractual Duties

Chapter 14How Courts Enforce Contracts

Unit 16Commercial Paper

Chapter 35Commercial Paper

Chapter 36Negotiability and Negotiation of Paper

Chapter 37Rights of Holders of Commercial Paper

Unit 17Debt

Chapter 38Secured and Unsecured Credit Obligations

Chapter 39Debtors, Creditors, and Bankruptcy

Grades

Class attendance and participation are a factor in every aspect of your grade.

The comprehensive semester final will be 20% of your overall semester grade.

Class Supplies

Students must have a two-pocket folder for handouts, a notebook for assignments and notes, and a pen or pencil in class each day. Textbooks will be needed every day; therefore students should have them with them when they come to class. Students are responsible for lost or damaged books. The replacement cost for lost or damaged books is $50.00. Treat your text with care!

Student Handbook Clarification

Grades for unexcused absences, truancy, and suspension will be adjusted according to the Student Handbook. Where deference is given to the teacher 50% credit will be given. There will be no student notification of the grade adjustment once I have been notified of your indiscretion.

There will be in-class assignments in this course. If you are present and do not have your book that day you may turn in your assignment late the next day for 50% credit. You will not be permitted to use someone else’s book while they are using it.

As with any absence, it is YOUR responsibility to find out what you missed and what you need to do to make up any missed material. Not being magically told when you walk into class is no excuse. If you are absent on a day we review you will not be given an additional day to study. You will take the test on the test date.

Other rules from the student handbook

Not all people are in agreement as to what words are considered profanity. The classroom teacher shall determine what is and is not acceptable in the classroom. If you are in doubt about the use of a word or phrase, chances are it is inappropriate (Student Handbook 6.01).

Classroom expectations

We are here to learn, from the beginning of class until the end of class.Tardiness will be recorded and disciplinary action will be applied according to the Student Handbook. Written passes will be required for late admission into class. Therefore, you are expected to be in your seat and ready to learn when class is scheduled to begin, and you are expected to continue learning until the teacher dismisses you. Do NOT leave your seat until dismissed.

In Principals of Law, some of our learning activities involve moving around the room, talking with classmates, and using varied materials for exploring topics of study. For this type of learning to be successful, your cooperation and participation are required. I guarantee that if you work respectfully with your classmates and me you will be satisfied with the outcome of your experience in this class.

Due dates

Due dates are not flexible whatsoever. If you are going to be absent, turn in work on or before that date.In the unlikely event that a due date is flexible, I will let you know when the assignment is made. Please do not ask for exceptions unless you have encountered a real, unavoidable, and verifiable emergency situation. (You will learn a lot about deadlines, due dates, and the real world in this class.) Additionally, no additional time will be given for your printer’s sudden inability to function at home.

Computer use

Students MAY NOT use the computers in this classroom for anything other than work for this course. Under normal conditions, computer use is prohibited and may not be turned on without expressed permission of the instructor.

When the computers are allowed on for instructional purposes, there are some additional guidelines that must be followed. Use of personal email at school is prohibited per school rules. Along similar lines, neithersocial networking sites (i.e. Facebook, Myspace, xanga, etc) nor Instant Messagingare permitted under any circumstances at any time. Failure to comply will result in a non-negotiable zero on the assignment and potential disciplinary action.

Food/drink in the computer lab is prohibited at all times. If any is found, it will be thrown away. No exceptions (including water) will be made.

EHS has the ability to open the following file extensions for word processing: doc, docx, txt. If you do homework that you need to refer to in class please make sure you save it as one of these formats or you will be unable to open it. No additional time will be given because you failed to comply with this restriction.

Guest speakers

Respectful behavior is expected when anyone speaks to the class. This includes classmates, the instructor or substitute teacher, and guest speakers. Do not lay your head down. Do not converse with other students while someone is addressing the class. Give your attention to the speaker. Raise your hand to ask questions or to make observations.

Academic dishonesty

While it can be tempting to take someone else’s work and call it your own, this practice should be avoided at all costs.The first occurrence of academic dishonesty in my class results in a non-negotiable zero on the assignment, and in the case of any assignment worth 20 points or more, involves a discipline referral and a call to parents. Any subsequent instances of academic dishonesty, regardless of point value of the assignment, will result in a non-negotiable zero, discipline referral, and call to parents.

Giving answers to another student is treated in the same manner as taking answers from another student.

Need for Assistance

If you have any condition, such as a physical or learning disability, for which you need extra assistance, please see me immediately. If you have already met with Special Services, please provide me with information regarding your special needs as soon as possible so that appropriate accommodations can be made.