This course will serve as an introduction to the American legal system emphasizing concepts which students are likely to encounter in their professional lives such as Constitutional law (federalism; states’ rights; structure of court systems), dispute resolution (litigation; mediation; arbitration), contracts (elements; defenses to formation; remedies), employment law, business associations (partnerships; corporations; LLCs), securities regulation, and intellectual property (patents; trademarks; trade secrets; copyrights). By learning to identify issues which would alert one to the need for a lawyer, the class will sensitize students to key legal issues they may encounter in the normal course of business. Textbook reading and lectures will be supplemented by practicing lawyers expert in their field of business law as guest speakers.