LFB: Review This First 324

Stillman’s Mission

… is to cultivate principled leaders through an educational experience that transforms concepts into business practice.

Welcome To The Course

Welcome to the Legal Environment of Business. This page is the first section of your course syllabus. We will meet face-to-face (F2F) weekly, both in class and, when necessary, remotely via Teams. I will update this syllabus if I add something to the course or if something unexpected intervenes, such as a hurricane, blizzard, or a return to fully remote class meetings. You’ll need to keep current on course assignments and materials by reviewing this syllabus regularly for updates.

You should review the course syllabus, starting with ‘Review This First,’ and then the calendar, Deliverables, Schedule, and other materials on this course site. After reviewing the rest of the information, you will find answers to any questions you may have. If you have any questions after reviewing this syllabus and the rest of the course site, you can DM me in Teams to reach me.

Before We Meet

We will meet for the first time on Monday, August 25th, at 2:00 p.m. in JH ???. We will meet F2F unless notified otherwise. Before we meet, please click Before We Begin to complete some housekeeping items, including introducing yourself, agreeing to the learning contract, and finishing your O365 profile by adding a headshot as your profile picture.

Our communications will be centered in the course Teams workspace. Please visit the Teams workspace as soon as possible, as all course communication will be conducted via Teams, and I won’t use email for our course communication in the future.

Introduction

This course’s subject will include an introduction to the American legal system, encompassing a survey of US court systems and types of jurisprudence, as well as an introduction to the US Constitution with an analysis of fundamental constitutional concepts, constitutional amendments, and illustrative cases. We will examine ethical and international legal perspectives related to contemporary business. Areas of study will also include contract law, the law of business organizations, and the regulatory environment. Students will examine the ethical challenges that arise from the intersection of law and business.

What Should You Expect?

The course’s subject matter is interesting, challenging, and always timely. While we examine the basis and evolution of our legal system, we will continually monitor how that system affects the business environment in real-time. We will utilize various digital platforms to interact with one another and access the course materials. You will actively engage in the course, using the Socratic Method in class and during our digital discussions outside of class. You will gain a better understanding of what to expect during a class session after reviewing my perspective on Teaching and Learning.

I will actively engage you using the Socratic Method in class and during our discussions outside class. You will gain a better understanding of my class sessions after reading my perspective on Teaching and Learning.

Learning Objectives

This introductory class in the legal foundations of business is designed to help students develop critical thinking, communication, oral presentation, technology, and ethical skills. This course will help prepare students to meet the legal and regulatory challenges and opportunities they can expect to encounter as managers of private and public businesses. The course provides a conceptual framework for understanding the various legal tools available to managers who evaluate and pursue opportunities. The objective is not to teach business students how to think like lawyers but to teach them how to become more legally astute so they can confidently handle the legal aspects of management.

Required Course Text

Additional Materials

I may assign additional materials for use in our course. I will post links to those materials in advance in the Schedule. Please check the syllabus regularly for updates.

Technology

Since you have reviewed my Course Policies, you are already familiar with my expectations regarding the use of technology in my courses. Participating in this course will require you to engage with several digital platforms. Our communication and collaboration platform will be Teams. If you need to reach me or have questions, please DM me on Teams. We use Teams video for our virtual office hours on Tuesday mornings. You will prepare your writing assignments using digital platforms that will allow you to incorporate multimedia to enhance your text-based content. You will utilize resources as varied as search engines (Google, DuckDuckGo, or Bing), resources available from our Walsh Library, and various GenAI platforms.

You are responsible for “figuring it out” regarding a project’s “how-to” aspects. If you don’t know how to do something … Google it!

Many students have told me that “figuring it out” was an unexpected, beneficial, and critical learning experience.

Remote Learning

If circumstances (such as a hurricane or a COVID-19 spike) demand it, we will be prepared to adapt and transition to a remote, synchronous learning environment.

The COVID-19 pandemic forced us to adopt a fundamentally different set of delivery modalities, such as HyFlex, hybrid, remote, synchronous, or a combination of approaches to teaching and learning. We are increasingly working remotely to accomplish our work. That remote modality requires us to adjust our understanding of acceptable protocols for attendance and participation, whether in meetings or courses, including engagement and involvement.

When working together using a digital platform, such as Teams or Canvas, it is essential to join the session with a live camera and a muted microphone. A live camera helps create a sense of community and enables all of us to engage effectively during our discussions. If you only unmute your mic when speaking, we can avoid feedback, unsolicited input from family, pets, and others, as well as random noise. If your classmates can see or hear you, it will be easier to engage actively in course meetings. That will have negative implications for your grade results. Please review the Protocols for Online Meetings and Classes for more information.

Course Policies

Please remember that you are responsible for familiarizing yourself with my Course Policies, including those regarding in-class performance, attendance, preparation and participation, assignments, course communication, assessment, and plagiarism. Please review them carefully.

As in the law … ignorance (of the Course Policies) is not an excuse.

Contact Me

Professor John H. Shannon

• Office: 651 Jubilee Hall or Teams
• Communications: Teams DM (preferred)
• Office Hours: Mon & Wed, 10 a.m. – 1130 a.m. and also by appt (you will find the link to join Office Hours is available in your Teams or Outlook calendar); all office hours and other meetings will be held via Teams

We can schedule an alternative meeting time if you are unavailable during my office hours. As you are aware, our course communications platform is Microsoft Teams. Please DM me in Teams with some days/times when you are available, and we can schedule a video conference in Teams.

I can be reached via multiple platforms, including Teams (preferred), email, voice, and video. As a general rule, I am available if I am online. You can DM me in Teams or, if you are already enrolled in one of my courses, post a question to the #Course Questions channel in our course’s Teams workspace. I will try to reply to any communications as soon as possible, but certainly within 24 hours after receipt. If you prefer a video conference (and who doesn’t?), please DM me with some convenient days/times, and we’ll set it up.

My office hours are subject to change each semester, so please refer to your course syllabus for my current office hours (see above). In the past, I have generally scheduled at least one hour a week using Teams video to accommodate those conflicting with my scheduled office hours. Since we are conducting all office hours and other meetings via Teams, if you are unavailable to meet during my office hours, you can schedule a video conference appointment via Teams. I prefer video conferences because they give me more options when answering your questions.

That said, I make room for thoughtful consideration of life. The practical impact of that desire is to keep evenings and weekends clear for family, friends, and other forms of social interaction. If you plan to ping me late on a Friday, I will respond on Monday, unless it is an actual emergency.

When communicating with me, please include the following information: your name, the question or issue to be resolved, your course/section, and any other necessary information.