Law (LAW) Courses

LAW2001 The Legal Environment of Business I

This course provides an overview of the legal, regulatory and ethical environment in which business decisions must be made. Students are exposed to a variety of legal topics; basic concepts, such as court procedures, contracts and torts, are followed by a selection of more advanced related fields which may include sales, intellectual property, real property law, constitutional law and alternative dispute resolution. Attention is paid to both the letter of the law and its practical effect on business decision-making. This course relies on, and develops, the student's ability to read and reason critically.
Prerequisite(s): Sophomore status.
Offered at Charlotte, Online, Providence
3 Semester Credits

LAW2005 Hospitality Law

This course provides an overview of the legal and regulatory environment in which business decisions must be made within the hospitality industry. The course exposes the student to a variety of basic legal topics such as contracts and torts which are followed by a selection of more advanced related concepts which may include service of food and alcohol, innkeeper-guest relations, liability for the personal property of others and employment relationships. Attention is paid to both the letter of the law and its practical effect on business decision-making. This course relies on, and develops, the student’s ability to read and reason critically.
Prerequisite(s): Sophomore status.
Offered at Charlotte, Online, Providence
3 Semester Credits

LAW2850 Media Law

This course introduces students to foundational legal principles that inform the work of media professionals such as entrepreneurial content creators, public relations specialists, and journalists. Students study the legal system generally and gain exposure to the constitutional, statutory and regulatory environment wherein lawful communications are distinguished from those that violate the law. To understand the judicial process, students engage with such relevant common law torts as defamation and invasion of privacy, exploring the potential for liability and the nature of court-imposed damages. In addition, an examination of the constitutional right to freedom of expression under the First Amendment offers students the framework under which governing statutory law and administrative regulations may permissibly occur. Coverage of copyrights and trademarks, journalistic privilege, obscenity, and media ownership provides the context for appreciating the tensions between government regulation of media and the First Amendment. Throughout the course, students rely heavily on their developing ability to think critically and communicate clearly about complex issues.
Prerequisite(s): ENG1021 or ENG1027.
Offered at Charlotte, Providence
3 Semester Credits

LAW3002 The Legal Environment of Business II

This course is a continuation of LAW2001, The Legal Environment of Business I. Students are exposed to the laws governing the internal organization and relationships within a business, the laws governing relationships between a business entity and its clientele, and the laws governing relationships between a business and its employees. Attention is paid to both the letter of the law and its practical effect on business decision-making and managerial policy. This course relies on, and develops, the student's ability to read and reason critically.
Prerequisite(s): LAW2001 or LAW2005, sophomore status.
Offered at Online, Providence
3 Semester Credits

LAW3010 Business Law for Accountants

This course provides the Accounting major with an understanding of the legal framework within which accountants must operate. The course concentrates on the following topics: business organizations, professional responsibilities, contracts, government regulation of business, the Uniform Commercial Code (Articles 2, 3 and 9) property and debtor-creditor relationships.
Prerequisite(s): LAW2001.
Offered at Providence
3 Semester Credits

LAW3015 Criminal Procedure

This course presents an overview, analysis and critique of American criminal procedure in the context of the U.S. Constitution, with special emphasis on the Fourth Amendment with respect to search and seizure, stop and frisk, arrest, evidence, interrogations, confessions, identification, and remedies such as the exclusionary rule. Other constitutional issues relevant to the foregoing, including the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments' due process and equal protection doctrines, shall be examined.
Offered at Online, Providence
3 Semester Credits

LAW3025 Criminal Law

This course is an introduction to the basic elements of, and defenses to, criminal liability. Topics include the basic crimes against the person (homicide, assault, battery, rape, etc.), the basic crimes against property (larceny, fraud, embezzlement, burglary, etc.), and the basic defenses and justifications (diminished capacity, self-defense, mistake, etc.).
Offered at Online, Providence
3 Semester Credits

LAW3055 International Business Law

This course introduces the student to the principles of public and private international law. It addresses the legal problems of doing business in developed, developing, and non-market economy countries, together with the economic and political issues that commonly arise.
Prerequisite(s): LAW2001.
Offered at Online, Providence
3 Semester Credits

LAW3065 Employment Law

This course acquaints students with the different legal rules governing the employer/employee relationship. Topics include employment discrimination, sexual harassment, employment contracts, labor relations, Fair Labor Standards Act, The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), OSHA and vicarious liability. There is heavy emphasis on discussion and written work.
Prerequisite(s): LAW2001 or LAW2010.
Offered at Online, Providence
3 Semester Credits

LAW3080 Cyberlaw

This upper-level course confronts students with the changes and adaptations of U.S. law resulting from the ascendancy of computers and the Internet. Fundamental common law and statutory assumptions about the nature of person, place, thing and action are called into question by data transactions between computer memories, unprecedented wealth concentrated in the development and distribution of software, widespread access to large quantities of data with minimal quality control, and the blurring of geographical boundaries. Students examine how contract formation, defamation, obscenity, copyright, trademark, privacy and other legal issues have been changed by technology and the online world.
Prerequisite(s): LAW2001.
Offered at Charlotte, Online, Providence
3 Semester Credits

LAW3610 Cannabis Law

This course examines the legal issues specific to the cannabis industry, particularly businesses engaged in the cultivation, sale and/or distribution of cannabis and its derivatives. Covered topics include the different legal frameworks existing between the federal government and the states, the legality of THC products (cannabis, CBD oil, hemp, etc.), medical marijuana versus recreational marijuana (including edibles), relevant intellectual property regulations, and the taxing systems imposed on marijuana-related businesses.
Prerequisite(s): LAW2001, sophomore status.
Offered at Providence
3 Semester Credits

LAW5410 Food Law and Policy

This advanced course examines legal rules, especially federal statutes and regulations, that impact the production, processing, transportation, labeling, advertising and sale of food. These legal tools touch on a wide variety of food-related concerns, including but not limited to genetically modified and organic food, labels and advertising, obesity and malnutrition, food equity and animal welfare, and environmental practices. Special attention is paid to the power of government to regulate various aspects of food, and to the limitations on that power.
Prerequisite(s): LAW2001 or LAW2005.
Offered at Online, Providence
3 Semester Credits

LAW6000 Law for Accountants

This course offers the student a practical approach to understanding the complexity in the area of law and the implications upon the accounting profession. Discussion centers on the study of business organizations, contracts, bankruptcy, wills and estates, antitrust, employment law and products liability. Emphasis is placed on the legal liability of the accountant and professional responsibility. Students gain an understanding that the accounting profession is a self-regulating industry whereby theory and reporting requirements are initiated, developed, implemented and enforced by the accounting profession.
Prerequisite(s): LAW2001 or LAW2010, completion of required accounting prerequisite and foundation courses.
Offered at Online, Providence
3 Semester Credits