LAW 7118 - Business Ethics

Institution:

Villanova University

Subject:

Description:

Description: The major corporate scandals that shocked the business world over the past several years have raised many questions. Among the most troubling for the legal profession is: Where were the lawyers And, how did corporate lawyers from elite firms and top law schools end up in federal prison This course will draw on the lessons of these scandals, putting the Model Rules of Professional Conduct and the literature of professional ethics into context and provide a backdrop for students to wrestle with the challenging issues they can expect to encounter in a business practice. It does not repeat or replace the basic Legal Profession course, nor is that course a prerequisite. Rather, Ethics in Corporate and Business Legal Practice uses as a point of entry the day to day practice tasks a business lawyer handles, addressing the ethical issues raised not only by the subject matter, but also (and equally important) by the very structure of the representation. This course will explore these complex matters, beginning with examination of the structure of businesses and how in-house business legal departments are organized, how they operate, and the ways in which in- house counsel may provide a combination of legal and business advice. It will also examine the structure and relationships within private firm business departments, and their relationship to corporate and business clients. Against this background, the course will analyze problems that arise in the context of specific kinds of projects that lawyers (whether in-house or in firm practice) representing corporations and businesses handle, including for example issues relating to incorporation, securities, regulatory counseling and compliance transactions, civil litigation, internal investigations, criminal defense of corporations and businesses, mergers and acquisitions, shareholder litigation, and other matters. The class will be organized around work flow focusing on the particular kinds of work lawyers do, and how ethical issues arise in each type of project. 3.00credit(s) Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Law School

Credits:

3.00

Credit Hours:

Prerequisites:

Corequisites:

Exclusions:

Level:

Instructional Type:

Lecture

Notes:

Additional Information:

Historical Version(s):

Institution Website:

www.villanova.edu

Phone Number:

(610) 519-4500

Regional Accreditation:

Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools

Calendar System:

Semester

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