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JOHN CABOT UNIVERSITY
COURSE CODE: "LAW 219-2"
COURSE NAME: "Legal Environment of Business"
SEMESTER & YEAR:
Spring 2026
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SYLLABUS
INSTRUCTOR:
Maria Bruccoleri
EMAIL: [email protected]
HOURS:
TTH 3:00 PM 4:15 PM
TOTAL NO. OF CONTACT HOURS:
45
CREDITS:
3
PREREQUISITES:
Recommended: EN 110 with a grade of C or above
OFFICE HOURS:
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COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This course provides students with an overview of the law in general, beginning with the foundations of the legal and regulatory environment, the law-making processes, and the implementation of legal rules. Students examine some areas of substantive law, including bodies of law that are regulatory in nature. Particular attention is given to aspects of business transactions in an international context.
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SUMMARY OF COURSE CONTENT:
This course provides students with an overview of the law in general, beginning with the foundations of the legal and regulatory environment, the law-making processes, and the implementation of legal rules. Students examine some areas of substantive law, including bodies of law that are regulatory in nature. Particular attention is given to aspects of business transactions in an international context.
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LEARNING OUTCOMES:
This course provides students with an overview of the law in general, beginning with the foundations of the legal and regulatory environment, the law-making processes, and the implementation of legal rules. Students examine some areas of substantive law, including bodies of law that are regulatory in nature. Particular attention is given to aspects of business transactions in an international context.
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TEXTBOOK:
| Book Title | Author | Publisher | ISBN number | Library Call Number | Comments | Format | Local Bookstore | Online Purchase |
| Business: Its Legal, Ethical, and Global Environment | Jennings, Marianne M. (2023). | Cengage Learning. | 978-0357447642 | | | | | |
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REQUIRED RESERVED READING:
RECOMMENDED RESERVED READING:
| Book Title | Author | Publisher | ISBN number | Library Call Number | Comments |
| Comprehensive overview of business law in digital and global contexts. | Mallor et al. (2023) | South-Western Pub | 978-1111530631 | | |
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GRADING POLICY
-ASSESSMENT METHODS:
| Assignment | Guidelines | Weight |
| Class presentation | Students will be assigned by the professor specific cases to present and discuss in class in a group of two or three. | 10% |
| Class participation | Active participation in class is essential. Persistent absence or tardiness precludes satisfactory performance in the course and jeopardizes this part of the grade. After the first three UNEXUSED ABSENCES, the students will lose 10% points of this part of the grade for each subsequent absence. The Dean of Academic Affairs Office may grant exemptions from this specific attendance policy in the case of a chronic medical condition or other serious problem, or in the case of exceptional students pursuing high-level activities in such areas as champion level competitions or professional artistic pursuits. Students seeking such an exemption must submit the Petition: Exemption from Instructor's Attendance Policies (link on Moodle). | 5% |
| In class group presentation | Students will be subdivided into groups and will select a topic of their choice. Topics must be related to the ones covered in this course and will have to be approved by the instructor. Groups will present their research in class on selected dates. Projects will have to include a relevant bibliography containing academic sources. More specific guidelines will be available on Moodle. | 20% |
| Midterm exam | The midterm will consist of open questions and/or a case to be analyzed by the students. The exam is closed books/slides. In cases of unclear answers or suspected plagiarism, the instructor is entitled to supplement this assignment with an oral exam. | 30% |
| Final exam | The final exam is cumulative and will consist of multiple open questions and a case. The exam is closed books/slides. In cases of unclear answers or suspected plagiarism, the instructor is entitled to supplement this assignment with an oral exam. | 35% |
-ASSESSMENT CRITERIA:
AWork of this quality directly addresses the question or problem raised and provides a coherent argument displaying an extensive knowledge of relevant information or content. This type of work demonstrates the ability to critically evaluate concepts and theory and has an element of novelty and originality. There is clear evidence of a significant amount of reading beyond that required for the course.
BThis is highly competent level of performance and directly addresses the question or problem raised.There is a demonstration of some ability to critically evaluatetheory and concepts and relate them to practice. Discussions reflect the student’s own arguments and are not simply a repetition of standard lecture andreference material. The work does not suffer from any major errors or omissions and provides evidence of reading beyond the required assignments.
CThis is an acceptable level of performance and provides answers that are clear but limited, reflecting the information offered in the lectures and reference readings.
DThis level of performances demonstrates that the student lacks a coherent grasp of the material.Important information is omitted and irrelevant points included.In effect, the student has barely done enough to persuade the instructor that s/he should not fail.
FThis work fails to show any knowledge or understanding of the issues raised in the question. Most of the material in the answer is irrelevant.
-ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS:
This course provides students with an overview of the law in general, beginning with the foundations of the legal and regulatory environment, the law-making processes, and the implementation of legal rules. Students examine some areas of substantive law, including bodies of law that are regulatory in nature. Particular attention is given to aspects of business transactions in an international context.
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ACADEMIC HONESTY
As stated in the university catalog, any student who commits an act of academic
dishonesty will receive a failing grade on the work in which the dishonesty occurred.
In addition, acts of academic dishonesty, irrespective of the weight of the assignment,
may result in the student receiving a failing grade in the course. Instances of
academic dishonesty will be reported to the Dean of Academic Affairs. A student
who is reported twice for academic dishonesty is subject to summary dismissal from
the University. In such a case, the Academic Council will then make a recommendation
to the President, who will make the final decision.
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STUDENTS WITH LEARNING OR OTHER DISABILITIES
John Cabot University does not discriminate on the basis of disability or handicap.
Students with approved accommodations must inform their professors at the beginning
of the term. Please see the website for the complete policy.
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SCHEDULE
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WEEK 1
Introduction to Law - Definition of law, classifications of law,
characteristics of law, the theory of law, sources of law,
introduction to international law.
CHAPTER 1
WEEK 2
Managing disputes: alternative dispute resolution and litigation
strategies – Types of alternative dispute resolution, resolution
of international disputes, litigation versus ADR, when one is in
litigation, issues in international litigation.
CHAPTER 4
WEEK 3
Business and the Constitution – The U.S. Constitution, the
role of judicial review and the Constitution, constitutional
limitations on economic regulations, state versus federal
regulation of business, application of the Bill of Rights to
business, the role of constitutions in international law.
CHAPTER 5
WEEK 4 Business torts - Definition of tort, intentional torts,
competition torts, negligence, tort reform CHAPTER 9
WEEK 5 Product advertising and liability – Development of product
liability, advertising as a contract basis for product liability,
contract product liability theories: implied warranties, strict
tort liability: product liability under section 402A, negligence,
privity issues in tort theories of product liability, defenses to
product liability torts, product liability reform, federal
standards for product liability, international issues in product
CHAPTER 13
5
liability.
WEEK 6
Business crime – Business crime, liability for business crime,
penalties for business crime, elements of business crime,
examples of business crimes, procedural rights for business
criminals. Overview of financial crimes.
CHAPTER 8
WEEK 7 REVIEW AND MIDTERM OPEN QUESTIONS CHAPTERS
1,4,5,8,9 AND 13
WEEK 8
Governance and Regulation – History of securities law,
primary offering legislation: the 1933 Securities Act, The
Securities Exchange Act of 1934, The Foreign Corrupt
Practices Act, state securities laws, international issues in
securities laws. Best practices on security awareness in
business.
CHAPTER 18
WEEK 9
Business Competition: antitrust - Common law protections
against restraint of trade, federal statutory scheme on restraint
of trade, horizontal restraints of trade, vertical trade restraints,
antitrust issues in international competition.
CHAPTER 14
WEEK
10
Management of employee conduct: agency – Names and roles:
agency terminology, creation of the agency relationship, the
principal-agent relationship, liability of principals for agents’
conduct, termination of the agency relationship, termination of
agents under employment at will, agency relationship in
international law.
CHAPTER 16
WEEK
11
Employment discrimination – History of employment
discrimination law, employment discrimination: Title VII of
the Civil Rights Act, theories of discrimination under Title VII,
specific applications of Title VII, Antidiscrimination laws and
affirmative action, defenses to a Title VII charge, Enforcement
of Title VII, Other antidiscrimination laws, the global
workforce.
CHAPTER 20
WEEK
12
The extent to which we can cover week 12 material will
depend on the number of students in the class and the number
of research paper presentations (Environmental Regulation
and Sustainability - Common law remedies and the
environment, statutory environmental laws, state
environmental laws enforcement of environmental laws,
international environmental issues, new technologies and
Awareness.)
CHAPTER 10
WEEK
13 & 14 PRESENTATION OF PROJECTS
WEEK
15 FINAL EXAM: CUMULATIVE OPEN QUESTIONS CUMULATIVE
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