Pellissippi State Technical Community College
Master Syllabus

CONTRACTS & UCC
LAW 2300

Class Hours: 3.0

Instructor:

Laboratory Hours: 0.0

Office No.:

Credit Hours: 3.0

Phone No.:

Date Revised: 03-26-08

E-mail:

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 credit and collection procedures.

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

Prerequisites:  LAW 1000

Corequisite:  LAW 1060

Textbooks and Other Supplies:

Goldman & Sigismond, Business Law: Principles and Practices, 7th Ed. (Houghton-Mifflin, 2007).

 

I.      WEEK/ UNIT/ TOPIC BASIS:

WEEK

UNIT

TOPIC

1

Chapter 1,2

Introduction; The Court System; Criminal Law & Business (3.0 hours)

2

Chapters 3,6

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

3

Chapters 7, 8

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

4

Chapters 9,10

Competent Parties (1.5 hours); Legal Purpose (1.5 hours)

5

Chapters 11,12

 Contracts in Writing, E-Signatures(1.5 hours); Transfer of Rights (1.5 hours)

6

Chapters 13,14

Termination of Contracts (1.5 hours); Breach (1.5 hours)

7

Chapters 15,16

The UCC: Formation of Sales and Lease Contracts(1.5 hours); Performance and Breach of Sales contracts(1.5 hours)

8

Chapters 17,18

Remedies for breach of sales contracts (1.5), Products Liability Law (3.0 hours) 

9

Chapters 19,20,21

Negotiable Instruments(1.0), Issue, and Transfer of N.I. (1.0), Rights and Duties of Parties (1.0)

10

Chapters  22, 23

Checks & the Banking System (1.5), Employment law (1.5)

11

Chapters 24,25

Principal-Agent Relationship (1.5 hours); Business Organizations (1.5)

12

Chapters 26,27,28

Business Organizations and Franchises (1.5 hours); Government Regulation of Business (1.5)

13

Chapters 42,44

Consumer and Creditor Protection(3.0)

14

Chapter 38

Insurance  (3.0 hours)

15

→

Final Examination

II.      COURSE OBJECTIVES:

  1. Understand legal principles governing commercial contract formation and enforcement. I, II, III, IV, V
  2. Understand the basic law of commercial paper and secured transactions. I, II, III, IV, V
  3. Collect relevant data and draft initial documents to assist the attorney in commercial cases. I, II, III, IV, V
  4. Continue developing a legal vocabulary. I, II, III, IV, V

 

III.     INSTRUCTIONAL PROCESSES:

The student 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

 

IV.       EXPECTATIONS FOR STUDENT PERFORMANCE:

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. Determine the priority of claims to a debtor's collateral which is subject to perfect or unperfected security interests. (B,C,D)
  15. Recognize and understand the creation and enforcement of sales warranties. (A,C,D)

V.      EVALUATION:

  1. Testing Procedures:
    Students are evaluated primarily on the basis of tests.
  2. Laboratory Expectations:  N/A
  3. 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 Bill of Sale
    • Drafting simple security agreement creating security interest

 

  1. 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.

 

  1. 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:

  1. 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 class and laboratory meetings in order to receive credit for the course. [NOTE: No differentiation is noted for excused/unexcused absences. These will be treated as an absence.] (Pellissippi State, Catalog)
  2. Academic Dishonesty:
    Plagiarism, cheating, and other forms of academic dishonesty are prohibited. Students guilty of academic misconduct, either directly or indirectly through participation or assistance, are immediately responsible to the instructor of the class. In addition to other possible disciplinary sanctions which 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. (Pellissippi StateCatalog)
  3. Computer Usage Guidelines:
    College-owned or –operated computing resources are provided for use by students of Pellissippi State. All students are responsible for the usage of Pellissippi State's computing resources in an effective, efficient, ethical and lawful manner. (Pellissippi State, Catalog)
  4. Late Work:
    Late papers will not be accepted nor will make-up tests be given without specific approval of the instructor.