PELLISSIPPI STATE TECHNICAL COMMUNITY COLLEGE
MASTER SYLLABUS

CONTRACTS & UCC
LAW 2300

Class Hours: 3.0

 

Credit Hours: 3.0

 

Laboratory Hours: 0.0

 

Revised: Spring 07

 

 NOTE: This course is not designed for transfer credit.

 

Catalog Course Description:

 

 

 

Fundamental principles concerning the formation, performance, and enforcement of personal and commercial contracts; sales and secured transactions under the Uniform Commercial Code; and overview of federal and state law regulating consumer credit and collection procedures. 

Entry Level Standards:

 

 

 

 College-level competencies in logic, reading, and English are required. 

Prerequisites; Corequisites: LAW 1000; LAW 1060

 

 

Textbook(s) and Other Course Materials:

 

 

 Barnes, Dworkin & Richards, Law for Business.  9th ed. (McGraw-Hill Irwin, 2006)

I. Week/Unit/Topic Basis:

 

 

 

Week 

Topic

 

1

Introduction; Overview of Business Law (3.0 hours)

 

2

Business Law (1.5 hours); Law of Contracts and UCC (1.5 hours)

 

3

The Basics of Contract Law (1.5 hours); Agreement: Offer (1.5 hours)

 

4

Consideration (1.5 hours); Acceptance (1.5 hours)

 

5

Capacity (1.5 hours); Consent (1.5 hours)

 

6

Illegality (1.5 hours); Form and Meaning of Contracts (1.5 hours)

 

7

Third Party Rights(1.5 hours); Performance and Remedies (1.5 hours)

 

8

The Sales Contract: Formation and Terms under the UCC (3.0 hours)

 

9

Warranties (1.0), Performance of Sales Contracts (1.0), Remedies for Breach of Sales Contracts (1.0)

 

10

Agency (1.0), Liability of  Principals & Agents to 3rd parties (1.0), Employment laws (1.0)

 

11

Insurance (2.0 hour),  Commercial Paper (1.0 hour)

 

12

Negotiable Instruments(1.5 hours); Holder in Due Course, Negotiation (1.5 hours)

 

13

Checks, Electronic Fund Transfers (2.0 hours), Credit Transactions (1.0)

 

14

Security Interests(1.5 hours); Antitrust (1.5 hours)

 

15

Final Examination

II. Course Objectives*:

 

 

 

A.

Understand legal principles governing commercial contract formation and enforcement.  I, II, III, IV, V

 

B.

Understand the basic law of commercial paper and secured transactions.  I, II, III, IV, V

 

C.

Collect relevant data and draft initial documents to assist the attorney in commercial cases.  I, II, III, IV, V

 

D.

Continue developing a legal vocabulary.  I, II, III, IV, V

*Roman numerals after course objectives reference goals of the Paralegal Studies program.

III. Instructional Processes*: 

 

 

Students will:

 

 

 

 

1.

Practice elements of the work ethic such as professionalism, preparedness, punctuality, honesty, cooperation, dependability, contribution, effectiveness, good manners, etc. Active Learning Strategy, Transitional Strategy

 

2.

Refine reading skills and expand legal vocabularies through completion of weekly guided reading exercises that allows more effective communication with lawyers and other professionals. Communication Outcome, Active Learning Strategy, Transitional Outcome

 

3.

Strengthen analytical skills by locating court cases and statutes in the Educational Resources Center and on Westlaw to determine the application of the rules of law to specific facts. Communication Outcome, Technological Literacy Outcome, Transitional Strategy, Active Learning Strategy

 

4.

Examine ethical issues related to legal representation, unauthorized practice of law, confidentiality, duty of legal professional to provide legal services, etc. Communication Outcome, Transitional Strategy, Active Learning Strategy

 

5.

Listen to guest speakers from the legal and business community to learn the demands for employees who possess basic knowledge of business law topics in the work world. Transitional Strategy

 

6.

Develop investigative skills using the Internet, library, and governmental agency resources to find relevant information. Technological Literacy Outcome, Transitional Strategy, Active Learning Strategy

*Strategies and outcomes listed after instructional processes reference TBR’s goals for strengthening general education knowledge and skills, connecting coursework to experiences beyond the classroom, and encouraging students to take active and responsible roles in the educational process.

IV. Expectations for Student Performance*: 

 

 

Upon successful completion of this course, the student should be able to:

 

1.

Demonstrate a complete and thorough understanding of legal ethics.  A,B,C,D

 

2.

Identify the elements of a contract.  A,C,D

 

3.

Prepare initial drafts of contract clauses. A,C,D

 

4.

Identify UCC forms. B,C,D

 

5.

Determine when a holder is a holder in due course.  B,C,D

 

6.

Prepare a stop payment order.  B,C,D

 

7.

Recognize restrictive endorsements.  B,C,D

 

8.

Differentiate negotiable from non-negotiable commercial paper.  B,C,D

 

9.

Determine damages for breach of contract. A,D

 

10.

Determine when a contract must be in writing to be enforceable.  A,D

 

11.

Recognize when a party lacks the capacity to contract.  A,D

 

12.

Determine when purchase money security interest has been created by purchase on credit.  B,D

 

13.

Draft a simple security agreement creating a security interest.  B,C,D

 

14.
 

15.

Determine the priority of claims to a debtor's collateral which is subject to perfect or unperfected security interests.  B,C,D

Recognize and understand the creation and enforcement of sales warranties. A, C, D

*Letters after performance expectations reference the course objectives listed above.

V. Evaluation:

 

 

 

A. Testing Procedures: 

 

Students are evaluated primarily on the basis of tests. 

 

B. Laboratory Expectations:

 

 N/A 

 

C. Field Work: 

 

Students will complete several out-of-class skills projects which may include: 
               Legal writing exercises 
               Drafting initial drafts of contracts clauses 
               Developing checklist for drafting contract 
               Completing UCC forms 
               Preparing a stop-payment order 
               Drafting simple security agreement creating security interest 

 

D. Other Evaluation Methods:

 

1. Class participation, group work, and homework will also comprise the final grade for the course.  The instructor will provide full details the first week of class via a syllabus supplement.
2. All tests and papers will be graded for spelling and English usage in addition to content and format.
3. Any student encountering academic difficulty during the term is strongly encouraged to meet with the instructor to discuss options and solutions

 

E. Grading Scale:

 

A       93-100 
B+     88- 92 
B       83- 87 
C+     78- 82 
C       73- 77
D      65- 72
F       64 and below

VI. Policies:

 

 

 

A. Attendance Policy:

 

Pellissippi State Technical Community College expects students to attend all scheduled instructional activities. As a minimum, students in all courses must be present for at least 75 percent of their scheduled classes and laboratory meetings in order to receive credit for the course.

 

B. Academic Dishonesty:

 

Plagiarism, cheating and other forms of academic dishonesty are prohibited. A student guilty of academic misconduct, either directly or indirectly through participation or assistance, is immediately responsible to the instructor of the class. In addition to other possible disciplinary sanctions that may be imposed through the regular Pellissippi State procedures as a result of academic misconduct, the instructor has the authority to assign an F or a zero for the exercise or examination or to assign an F in the course.

 

C. Accommodations for disabilities:

 

If you need accommodations because of a disability, if you have emergency medical information to share, or if you need special arrangements in case the building must be evacuated, please inform the instructor immediately. Please see the instructor privately after class or in his/her office. Students must present a current accommodation plan from a staff member in Services for Students with Disabilities (SSWD) in order to receive accommodations in this course. Services for Students with Disabilities may be contacted by going to Goins 127 or 131 or by phone: 694-6751(Voice/TTY) or 539-7153.

 

D. Other Policies:

 

Late papers will not be accepted nor will make-up tests will be given without specific approval of the instructor.