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LS311 Business Law Sundays 9:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. EST March 21, 2012 – May 29, 2012 Melissa Borrelli, Esq. Agenda • Syllabus and Course Housekeeping • The Legal and Ethical Environment Syllabus Instructor Information Office Hours and Seminars • • • • • • • Office Hours: Tuesdays 9:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. EST; Sundays 8:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. EST; or by appointment • Seminars: Sundays 9:00 – 10:00 p.m. EST Melissa Borrelli, Esq. [email protected] 916-322-1955 (office) AIM: maborrelli Chat Room I am in PST Syllabus Late Policy Incompletes • All assignments due the last day of the week at 11:59 p.m. EST • A maximum penalty of 5% per week will be assessed on all late work. • No late work will be accepted more than 3 weeks after the original due date or after the conclusion of Unit 7 without an extenuating circumstance AND prior instructor approval. • Last day to request incomplete from instructor: May 21, 2012 • Last day to turn in work with approved incomplete: June 8, 2012 Term Calendar Syllabus Seminar • Make-up policy • Plan B policy Syllabus Discussion Boards (DBs) Expectations • Original response to DB—in before the weekend (on or before Friday), in the 200 – 300 word count range • Minimum of two substantive posts to EACH DB each week, not including your original response to the DB question, in the 100 – 200 word count range • The more substantive, the more points • Cite and share resources • See netiquette discussion in syllabus Discussion Board Rubric Discussion Board Rubric Syllabus Plagiarism Resources • What is the plagiarism policy? • What do you do if you are not sure whether you are plagiarizing or not? • Writing Center • Student Support Services • Student Success Coaching • Tutoring • Others? Syllabus Writing Assignments Resources • Writing tips • Review • Writing Center • Student Support Services • Student Success Coaching • Tutoring • Westlaw • Others Writing Tips 1) You MUST proofread. I have a zero tolerance policy for typos, misspellings, and grammar errors. My suggestions for this include: a) Use the spell check feature on your word processing software. Change the properties so that it checks for passive writing and grammar errors. b) Finish your paper early enough that you can submit it to the Writing Center for their assistance in proofreading. Participate in as many Writing Center programs and webinars as you can--this is an amazing and wonderful resource to you as students that you will not have access to after you graduate--take advantage of it while you can. c) Put your paper away for ten minutes, an hour, a day--whatever you need to have a fresh perspective on the paper to be able to spot errors. It is hard for a writer to see errors because they are too close to the paper so put some distance between yourself and the paper. d) Ask a friend or a classmate to proofread your paper--often their fresh set of eyes will help you find mistakes, errors in thinking, and logic. 2) There should be two spaces between sentences. 3) Check your formatting. Microsoft Word has prepopulated templates you can use for writing papers, memos, presentations, and the like--if you don't know how to use bullets, headings, and other formatting features use the templates so that you do not lose points. This is especially important if you are copying and pasting quotes from another document. Writing Tips 4) DO NOT use contractions in academic and legal writing, i.e., do not use "don't" use "do not". 5) You MUST use APA format for title pages, headings, and citations. See the APA sample guide attached and the Center for Writing Excellence for help on this formatting. Remember, I have this sample guide in front of me when I am grading--you should do the same when you are writing. 6) Pay attention the minimum word count, if applicable. I do not mark down if you go over the word count, I DO mark down if you do not meet the minimum number. 7) Do NOT assume your reader knows what an acronym stands for. You must define an acronym the first time you use it to inform your reader. For instance: "The Environmental Protection Act (EPA) ..." After you have defined it the first time you have used it you can then use the acronym. 8) Try not to end sentences with prepositions. If you are unsure about this do a Google search on prepositions and/or see the Writing Center for tutorials. 9) A conclusion should NOT contain new information or ideas. The purpose of the conclusion is to briefly reiterate the bones of your paper, it is not the time to include new facts or recommendations--those should be within the paper. Writing Tips 10) Avoid run-on sentences, run-on paragraphs, and fragment sentences. 11) Ensure your topic is relevant to the assignment and that you answer all assignment prompts. If you are not sure whether you have chosen a relevant topic get in touch with me regarding your idea immediately. Start your paper with an outline with a heading for each assignment prompt you must answer and then fill in your paper--this ensures you do not forget to answer a question or leave out a section. 12) Use capitalizations appropriately. If you are not sure whether a word should be capitalized look it up in the Center for Writing Excellence, in the APA guides, and/or on online grammar webpages. 13) Watch your tense--if something happened in the past, use the past tense, for instance. 14) Do NOT use lists and bullet points in place of narrative and full sentences and paragraphs. You are expected to write academic papers and lists and bullet points in the place of narrative is inappropriate. 15) Avoid using gender-specific language so that you do not inadvertently offend your reader. Textbook Course Description Course Outcomes Course Calendar Writing Assignment Rubrics Unit One To Do’s • Complete the assigned textbook reading • Participate in the Unit Discussions • Complete the Assignment • Participate in the Seminar • Complete the Ethics Literacy Pre-Test (why is this important?) • Take the Self-Check Quiz (why is this important?) The Classroom • Webliography • Doc Sharing • Live/Chat Room Questions • Any questions about any aspect of the course? • Anything specific you want to learn about? • What are your goals in this class? Law v. Ethics • Jaws scenario – http://wdvl.westbuslaw.com/now_videos/lfx/lfx _01.html • Questions to consider • Economic pressures v. ethics Law v. Ethics • Ethics – The branch of philosophy related to morals, moral principles, and moral judgments. – Ethics, as part of philosophy, uses reason and logic to analyze problems and find solutions. – Ethics, in general, is concerned with the actions and practices that are directed at improving the welfare of people in a moral way. – The study of ethics forces us to use reason and logic to answer difficult questions concerning life, death, and everything in between. – In modern terms, we use words such as right, wrong, good, and bad when making ethical judgments. In other cases, people refer to issues or actions that are just and unjust or fair and unfair. • Law Ethical Decision-Making Models • Kenneth Blanchard and Norman Vincent Peale advise the use of a three-step model when evaluating an ethical dilemma. The three steps are to ask yourself the following questions: – Is it legal? – Is it balanced? – How does it make me feel? Ethical Decision-Making Models • The Seven-Step Decision Model I. Determine the facts by asking the following questions: What do we need to know? Who is involved in the situation? Where does the ethical situation take place? When does it occur? II. Define the precise ethical issue. III. Identify the major principles, rules, and values. For example, is this a matter of integrity, quality, respect for others, or profit? IV. Specify the alternatives. List the major alternative courses of action, including those that represent some form of compromise. This may be a choice between simply doing or not doing something. V. Compare values and alternatives. Determine if there is one principle or value, or a combination of principles and values, that is so compelling that the proper alternative is clear. VI. Assess the consequences. Identify short-term, long-term, positive, and negative consequences for the major alternatives. The short-term gain or loss is often overridden when long-term consequences are considered. This step often reveals an unanticipated result of major importance. VII. Make a decision. The consequences are balanced against one’s primary principles or values. What Ethics is Not • Ethics is not just about how you feel, the sincerity of your beliefs, or your emotions; nor is it only about religious viewpoints. Law v. Ethics • Ethics – The branch of philosophy related to morals, moral principles, and moral judgments. – Ethics, as part of philosophy, uses reason and logic to analyze problems and find solutions. – Ethics, in general, is concerned with the actions and practices that are directed at improving the welfare of people in a moral way. – The study of ethics forces us to use reason and logic to answer difficult questions concerning life, death, and everything in between. – In modern terms, we use words such as right, wrong, good, and bad when making ethical judgments. In other cases, people refer to issues or actions that are just and unjust or fair and unfair. • Law – – – – – Constitutions Statutes Case law Regulations Rules What are Functions of the Law? • • • • • Keeping the peace Shaping moral standards Promoting social justice Maintaining the status quo Others? NEXT WEEK’S SEMINAR During next week's Seminar, we will discuss alternative dispute resolution—come prepared to answer the questions listed in the classroom.