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Lasell University
Lasell University

2018 - 2019 Academic Catalog

Law and Business Minor

The minor in Law and Business consists of six courses. This minor provides students with practical legal knowledge of fundamental business law topics and current legal issues. Students are given the opportunity to recognize and manage issues encountered within personal and business contexts including litigation, contract law, employment and human resources, and property law. Students are given a basic framework for global legal issues in business and discover how modern commercial law affects the business world.

Accounting, Finance, Entrepreneurship, Hospitality Management, Event Management, Resort and Casino Management, International Business, Management, Marketing, Sport Management, and Fashion Retail and Merchandising majors must take a minimum of 3 Legal Studies courses (including BUSS 205 if it is not required for their major). Legal Studies majors must take a minimum of 3 Business courses. No more than three courses may be counted for the minor that are already required for the major.

Course Code Course Title Credits
Core Courses
BUSS205 Legal Environment of Business 3
LS101 Foundations of American Legal System(KP) 3
Choose 1 from the following:
BUSS101 Contemporary Issues in Business 3
FASH101 The Business of Fashion 3
HEM101 Hospitality Management 3
SMGT102 Contemporary Sport Management 3
Choose 3 from the following:
BUSS201 Financial Accounting 4
BUSS202 Managerial Accounting 4
BUSS203 Financial Management 3
BUSS210 Federal Income Taxes 4
BUSS220 Marketing 3
BUSS224 Organizational Behavior 3
BUSS235 Ethics in Business 3
COM308 Conflict Resolution & Negotiations 3
LS202 Legal Research & Analysis 3
LS203 Justice, Law & the Constitution 3
LS210 Special Topics in Legal Studies 3
LS213 Mock Trial Practicum I 3
LS214 Communication Law 3
LS215 Entertainment Law 3
LS301 Legal Writing & Reasoning 3
LS304 Litigation Practice 3
LS305 Comparative Law & Legal Systems 3
LS307 Tort & Personal Injury Law 3
LS320 Philosophy of Law 3
LS325 Evidence 3
SMGT201 Legal Aspects of Sports 3

Please note that several of the electives have prerequisites that must be taken before taking the course.

Credit Requirements for minor: 18-21 credits

BUSS205 - Legal Environment of Business

This course provides a working knowledge of everyday law as it applies to both business and personal needs. The primary focus is on contract law and property law.

LS101 - Foundations of American Legal System(KP)

This course is designed to provide students with an introduction to the law. Students are introduced to the basics of the legal system in the United States including its organization and operation. The course covers major areas of legal practice and the legal principles that apply. Legal concepts are explained and legal terminology defined.

BUSS101 - Contemporary Issues in Business

This course is designed to familiarize students with various aspects of the business world. Areas covered include: private enterprise, forms of ownership, legal aspects, management, marketing, human resources, operations management, labor relations, and finance. In addition, students become aware of how business functions are integrated into an organization to achieve specific goals.

FASH101 - The Business of Fashion

This survey course takes an interdisciplinary approach to the fashion business as it relates to cultural, historic, economic, and contemporary influences, giving students a basic understanding of the terms and concepts associated with the fashion and retail industries. The concepts and practices developed are equally applicable to the many career paths possible within the Fashion Industry. Topics include: technological applications, environmental influences on fashion; the fashion cycle; trend forecasting; fashion marketing; women's, men's, and children's apparel; supply chain management; product development, foreign and domestic market centers; and retail merchandising on multiple platforms.

HEM101 - Hospitality Management

This course examines the Hospitality and Tourism industry with emphasis on individual sectors of the industry and their business functions. The infrastructure and interrelationships of lodging, tourism, food service, events, and entertainment organizations are examined. Career opportunities, current operational issues, and emerging trends in the hospitality industry are also explored. Students will have the opportunity to become Certified Guest Service Providers (CGSP) as part of the course.

SMGT102 - Contemporary Sport Management

This course provides an overview of general principles and practices of the sport industry, covering all facets of sport management, including leadership, sociology, marketing, legal aspects, finance, and governance, in both professional and amateur sports setting. Students learn and understand those unique aspects of sport management that distinguish it from other management fields. Students gain an increased awareness of various career opportunities in the sport industry.

BUSS201 - Financial Accounting

This course provides students with the fundamentals of accounting processes and procedures used in business. Students learn how to identify and record business transactions. In addition, students learn how to create financial statements and how to become intelligent users of financial information.

BUSS202 - Managerial Accounting

In this course, students gain experience in the development and use of information within an organization. Course topics include: cost terms; production costing; cost allocation for planning and control; cost behavior patterns; cost-volume-profit relationships; budgeting; inventory planning and control; pricing decisions; and aspects of investment decisions. Prerequisite: BUSS 201 with a grade C or better.

BUSS203 - Financial Management

This course provides an introduction to the fundamental concepts of finance. Various techniques of analysis that reveal the relationships of risk, return, and value are demonstrated. Topics include: financial reporting; long- and short-term forecasting; managing working capital; capital budgeting; and the nature of corporate securities and debt-equity mix. Prerequisites: BUSS 202 with a grade C or better & ECON 102.

BUSS210 - Federal Income Taxes

This course provides students with a basic understanding of the fundamentals of federal income tax laws as they apply to individuals, businesses, and not-for-profit, taxable entities. Students will explore a broad range of tax topics, emphasizing the role of taxation in business decision-making process, tax research, and tax planning. -Prerequsite: BUSS201 with a grade C or better

BUSS220 - Marketing

In this course, the fundamentals of marketing are explored for practical application in today's business environment. The process of creating value for customers by utilizing the tools of marketing -- market segmentation, targeting and positioning, marketing research and communications, product development, channels of distribution, and pricing -- are explored with a project-based, interactive approach. Additionally, there is a service learning component included in this course that enables students to further apply the course concepts while working to advance a participating non-profit organization. Prerequisites: BUSS101, HEM101, HEM102, FASH101, or SMGT102 AND ECON101.

BUSS224 - Organizational Behavior

In this course, students study individuals and their interactions within group settings as they affect efficiencies in business organizations. Group dynamics and intergroup dynamics are emphasized in relation to productivity and work satisfaction along with the examination of specific aspects of organizations that influence behavior. Areas covered include structure, leadership, and change. Teaching modalities include case studies and role-playing. This is a writing intensive course. Prerequisite: PSYC101 or SOC101 or COM101

BUSS235 - Ethics in Business

This course analyzes ethical issues that arise in a wide range of contemporary business practices, both domestically and globally. It is designed to stimulate critical thinking on ethical issues, corporate social responsibility, and professional challenges encountered in business. The course material enables students to recognize and manage ethical issues and to develop their own standards of integrity and professionalism as applied to the business world. Prerequisite: BUSS101, HEM101, HEM102, FASH101, or SMGT102

COM308 - Conflict Resolution & Negotiations

This course helps students to understand the theoretical assumptions, elements, and processes of interpersonal conflict and negotiation, to increase their ability to objectively analyze conflict situations, and to creatively and productively manage conflict. Alternative Dispute Resolution approaches to litigation for resolving conflicts such as mediation, arbitration, and negotiation are examined. Prerequisites: COM 101, LS 101 or BUSS 101; Junior or Senior standing.

LS202 - Legal Research & Analysis

This course serves as an introduction to American constitutional interpretation. Topics to be covered include legal precedent, legal issues surrounding the executive and legislative branches of the federal government, the role of the Supreme Court as a political institution, and the Court’s interpretations of issues dealing with the Bill of Rights. Prerequisite: LS 101.

LS203 - Justice, Law & the Constitution

This course serves as an introduction to American constitutional interpretation. Topics to be covered include legal precedent, legal issues surrounding the executive and legislative branches of the federal government, the role of the Supreme Court as a political institution, and the Court’s interpretations of issues dealing with the Bill of Rights.

LS210 - Special Topics in Legal Studies

This course provides specialized offerings in Legal Studies in order to satisfy interests of both faculty and students. Examples of topics are: Property or Real Estate Law. Cyberlaw, or Law and Education.

LS213 - Mock Trial Practicum I

This course engages students in preparing for trial advocacy through analyzing American Mock Trial Competition (“AMTA”) case materials and engaging in the practical skills of questioning witnesses through direct and cross-examination, applying rules of evidence, formulating and making objections, preparing opening and closing statements, and arguing the law applicable to the particular case. Through this course students learn rules of evidence, court procedures, trial strategies, legal advocacy and taking on various roles in courtroom proceedings. Essential skills acquired include debate, public speaking, professional collaboration and teamwork and critical thinking. This “connected learning” course introduces students to law in an applied setting and the students will participate in one or more intercollegiate scrimmages and/or invitational tournament in preparation for the AMTA in February. Participation in LS 216: Mock Trial Practicum II (1 credit) and the regional AMTA Mock Trial Regional competition in the spring is required. Students are permitted to repeat this course. Department Chair/Instructor permission required. (Fall Semester as needed)

LS214 - Communication Law

This course provides students with a basic understanding of the law and governmental regulations that apply to communication practitioners. Course topics include the First Amendment, defamation and libel, invasion of privacy law, copyright, advertising regulation, obscenity, pornography, internet law, protecting “news sources” for journalists, FCC regulation of broadcasting, and the Telecommunications Act of 1996. Prerequisite: COM 101 or LS 101.

LS215 - Entertainment Law

This course will explore legal and regulatory issues as they affect the entertainment industry including an examination of: intellectual property, antitrust regulation, agent, manager and other entertainment contracts, administrative regulation and constitutional issues in the music, television, live performance and motion picture industries. Prerequisite: COM 101 or LS 101.

LS301 - Legal Writing & Reasoning

This course focuses on the development of fundamental skills necessary for successful legal writing that could assist in employment in a law office, such as drafting correspondence, developing various documents, and preparing legal memoranda. It looks at legal research, writing, and reasoning as a continuum, since the results of nearly all legal research must be submitted in written form. Legal writing is examined as a three step process. The steps consist of identifying the document’s purpose, audience, and constraints; developing a structure and draft; and editing and rewriting. This is a writing intensive course. Prerequisites: LS 101 & LS202.

LS304 - Litigation Practice

This course is designed to provide an understanding of the types of claims that are litigated in the business world, including contract interpretation, real estate law, landlord/tenant disputes, personal injury claims, and employment issues. Students will learn about interviewing and interacting with clients, pleadings and discovery, dispositive motions, legal arguments, and trial strategy. Prerequisite: LS101 or Permission of Dept Chair.

LS305 - Comparative Law & Legal Systems

This course introduces students to the complex issues involved in comparing various laws and legal systems around the contemporary world. The course focuses on the main legal systems in terms of the structure and sources of their laws and against the historical and political background in which these laws were formed. Prerequisite: LS 101.

LS307 - Tort & Personal Injury Law

This course is designed to give the student a basic overview of concepts in tort and personal injury law. Topics to be covered include: defamation, negligence, intentional torts, and general personal injury law. Prerequisite: LS 101.

LS320 - Philosophy of Law

This course explores selected philosophical issues in law. Topics include human and civil rights, personal autonomy and the right of the state to regulate conduct, the extent to which an individual’s rights should be sacrificed for the common good, and other concepts of justice.

LS325 - Evidence

This course provides a detailed examination of the law of evidence. Topics include types of evidence, principles of exclusion, evaluation and examination of evidence, competency of witnesses, and the rule against hearsay evidence and the exceptions to this rule. Prerequisite: LS 101 or CJ 101.

SMGT201 - Legal Aspects of Sports

This course is an exploration of the relationship of the law to organized secondary school, collegiate, and professional sports. It provides an overview of a wide range of legal principles that relate to the sport management field. This is a writing intensive course. Prerequisite: SMGT 102 or LS101