Law Changes
For Paper #3, you will take your skills in independent research and reasoned, logical argument further. You should consider current news and recent developments in the business law arena (like you did in Paper #1) to develop and argue a thesis (like you did in Paper #2). You can choose from any number of areas of the law where changes in society, technology or the environment raise interesting issues. The following list offers some potential topics, but you should not limit yourself to only these topics: Copyright law, technology and the music industry Patent law, AIDs and the pharmaceutical industry Securities laws and related violations, such as insider trading Government responses to global warming and other environmental law matters Legal issues relating to employee privacy and technology Employment laws, affirmative action and discrimination Corporate power and lobbying in the regulatory process Tort reform Workplace safety and government regulationContents: Your essay should analyze the legal, ethical and policy issue you have chosen. Your paper should include the following: Clear introduction with brief history, background and description of current issue Thesis statement taking clear, interesting, debatable position on issue Discussion and analysis of issue and arguments, including relevant legal, ethical, policy concerns, supported by information and argument from relevant sources (particularly primary sources) and experts on the issue Conclusion and/or recommendations that are justified, explained and relevant to the thesis Thesis: Your thesis needs to be clear, well-written and raise a claim that is genuinely debatable (i.e. not just a matter of opinion), and also one that is relevant to a legal environment course. You will develop your thesis on your own and have it approved by me. As you know, I have uploaded onto Canvas resources to help you guide you in this process. Research: You should conduct independent research using current news sources and legal scholarly articles. You may also use primary sources such as relevant laws and regulations, Congressional debate and FDA Reports. You may, but are not required to, cite the Miller textbook. Try to use the best sources possible for your information. Be aware of the bias in different sources. For example, corporate websites, lawyers blogs, etc. have a specific agenda and must be treated with caution. Remember that primary sources are generally better than secondary sources for laws, regulations and other legal information. You should NOT USEWikipedia and Google as sources for this essay. The Lipson book and the links on Canvas will help ensure that your sources are correctly cited in APA format.Writing: Assume the audience for your essay is someone who is not familiar with your specific topic but who understand the business and legal arena generally. Use the Ely book to make improvements to your writing style. Set out your positions in a clear business style using the active voice. Avoid long vague paragraphs and irrelevant generalizations. Remember to analyze and discuss your findings. Dont just jump to a conclusion without explaining why. We will do in-class peer reviews. You must bring your draft with you to class in hard copy do not put your name on your draft, only your PAWS number. I will also review drafts and provide comments. I can be more helpful if you ask me specific questions about your writing issues.Mechanics: The essay should be six to eight pages double-spaced (before references) and in Times New Roman, Arial or similar font, 12 point. Margins should be 1 inch. Refer to the syllabus for additional formatting guidelines.
