Class 1 - Overview

Instructor:
Michael Gerber
"Permanent part-time"
Day job: Assistant State’s Attorney
Schooling: Rogers – Mather – Roosevelt – De Paul Law
Uses the email address at state’s attorney’s office.
Office is in the “A” wing - the new business and management building.

Textbook:
The Legal Environment of Business by Meiners, Ringleb and Edwards
Must have 10th edition of the textbook.
Additional cases from outside the textbook will be distributed (about 12).

Grading:
Midterm and final (not 3 exams as in the syllabus) which makes up most of the grade. Essay exams. You will be given hypothetical cases. You need to be able to discuss a case on paper. Given broad general fact situations, you must identify the issues and apply the law.
Exams count for 85% of grade. Rest of grade is attendance, discussion, participation. Exams are based exclusive on what’s discussed in class, not the entire book. Approximately 7 questions. Not tricky. Proper English is not as important as your analysis.
There will be a complete review in class before the exam.

Key topics:
Understand certain areas that you will need to know. Certain chapters are key – torts, contracts, product liability, constitutional law, interstate commerce, discrimination.
He will review the cases and issues in an historical context.
1st amendment – political and commercial speech
Court system, jurisdiction

Homework:
We will have to prepare briefs of certain cases, as assigned. Can be handwritten. No briefs until chapter 4. They’re not strictly graded, but he’ll let you know if you’re not on the right track. Not necessarily as detailed as the syllabus indicates. He’ll let us know what he wants from each brief.

For next class:
Read chapter 1 for next class (Thursday) and bring the book to every class.