Overview

Business Law is a significant part of many legal practices. As a paralegal, you may work in one or more areas of business law. This short course will equip you with a solid grasp of how agency relationships work—including how to spot legal risks when they go sideways. You'll get hands-on with real-world business structures, learning when it makes sense to form an LLC versus a partnership, and how to avoid those dreaded partnership disputes. Plus, you'll navigate the world of corporations—from incorporation to boardroom accountability—so you can confidently support clients through business growth, governance, and even mergers. This course is designed as an introductory overview and not a ‘one-stop shop’ for in-depth legal education. Understanding each aspect of these specialized areas—would require much more time and study. Each lesson has a reading assignment, case scenarios (practice assessments) and a graded quiz. These activities will help you reinforce what you have learned. The course will require you to practice basic legal writing and analytical skills that you apply towards case scenario assignments to strengthen your case analysis skills. Remember to monitor business law trends as the business laws presented in this course are likely to change over time.

Syllabus

Introduction
Module 2

Starting a new business is an exciting and challenging time for the owner. It is a time when he or she is facing numerous decisions – some with just short-range effects and others with very long-range effects. An example of the latter is the decision on how to legally organize the business, which is the very topic of this lesson. Often the new business owner seeks the advice of an attorney to ensure that the legal foundation is wisely chosen.The material in this lesson acquaints you with the various legal ownership forms – their benefits as well as their constraints and then asks you to apply your newly gained knowledge to the assignment. Although this lesson presents many details of the various ownership forms, the material presented is just an overview; it is not intended to make you an expert on the subject.Performing the analysis needed to properly advise clients about the best form of ownership for a business requires knowledge in many areas – law, accounting, tax, marketing to name but a few.This week’s lesson has four parts. At the end of each part you are encouraged to complete the activity presented at the conclusion of that part. Doing so will help you to learn and retain the information.

Corporations

This week we will study corporations – their formation, their financing, and their dissolution. This includes the foundational legal steps involved in forming a corporation, the strategic considerations behind financing decisions, the ethical and legal responsibilities of corporate leadership, and the complexities of corporate growth through mergers and acquisitions. Through real-world scenarios and critical analysis, learners will gain practical insights into how corporations are structured, funded, governed, and expanded.