Session 1 (Jan 24 & 25, 6-10 PM) 

-Course and instructor introduction

-Preferred contact method [email, email, email! Please include "Bus 250 and your Section Number" in the subject line]

-Tour of Course Website: Syllabus, preparation procedures, FIRACT format, reading assignments, etc. 

-Overview of Legal Procedure, Court Systems [9th Circuit and California appellate courts], and Citation Forms [see separate links on course main page] 

Topics: Employee/Contractor status; Exempt/Non-Exempt status [see Topic 1 outline]

Reading: Guide to Reading Cases [very important material for understanding stare decisis and use of precedent in U.S. law]; Chapter 1, pp. 2-18; Chapter 15, pp. 800-804; and Chapter 16, pp. 836-847.

FIRACT: NLRB v. Friendly Cab Co. [posted online in Topic Outline 1; see pre-course assignment] 

-Preview of upcoming class sessions and schedule [reading/preparation, "FIRACT"s, writing assignments, Self-evaluation Form (blank, with name, email address & photo for next class)]

-Discuss Writing assignment Employment-at-will [ethics focus]; due beginning of next class

 

Session 2 (Saturday, Jan 28, 2-6 PM [Joint Session, Sections 02 & 03]

Writing assignment Employment-at-will and Self-evaluation Form due, beginning of class

Discuss Syllabus and other general course questions, if any

Topics: The Employment Relationship and At-will Employment; Exceptions to at-will doctrine, tort liability, and introduction to privacy issues [Topic Outline 2]

Reading: Chapter 2 (through p. 69)

Dr. Malos' article on At-Will and international comparative employment relationships

FIRACT: Guz v. Bechtel [p. 99]

 

Session 3 (Jan 31 and Feb 1, 6-10 PM) 

Topics: Privacy and related Employee Rights issues [e.g., electronic monitoring, email, "BYOD" issues]

Reading: Chapter 14

FIRACT: Quon [p. 788; also skim (no FIRACT) O'Connor v. Ortega, p. 781, for background and note its use as precedent in Quon]

Videos: Privacy then and now [computer surveillance and related developments]

Send out Exam 1 [Take-home; notwithstanding short turnaround time, do not neglect very important reading for next class as well as exam!] 

 

Session 4 (Feb 7 & 8, 6-10 PM) 

Exam 1 due, beginning of class; review and discuss Exam 1

Topics: Title VII of CRA 1964 and related state law provisions (California's Fair Employment & Housing Act [FEHA]); CRA 1991 [Topic Outline 3]

Reading: Chapter 2 [p. 69 to end]; Chapter 3 [all]; skim Chapter 6 [all].

Proving and defending discrimination claims (Disparate Treatment, Racial Harassment).

FIRACT: McDonnell Douglas v. Green [p. 100; also skim (no FIRACT) Vaughn v. Edel, p. 319 for discussion in class]

 

Session 5 (Feb 14 & 15, 6-10 PM)  

Topics: Proving and defending discrimination claims (Adverse Impact); [Topic Outline 4]

Establishing and Managing the Employment Relationship: Miscellaneous Issues in Recruitment, Selection, Performance Appraisal

Reading: Chapter 4 [all]

FIRACT: Griggs v. Duke Power [p. 103; review discussion of Bradley v. Domino's at pp. 300-301] 

-Send out Exam 2 [Take-home; again, do not neglect reading [at least Ch. 8] for next class as well as exam!

[Note: Extra credit assignment Option 1 (see separate link) due next class period, beginning of class, for those doing it] 

 

 

Session 6 (Feb 21 & 22, 6-10 PM) 

(Option 1 extra credit paper due, beginning of class for those doing it)

Exam 2 due, beginning of class; review and discuss Exam 2

Topic: Overview of gender discrimination, harassment, stereotyping, sexual orientation discrimination/harassment; road map for understanding Chapters 8, 9, & 10 overall [Topic Outline 5].

Reading: Chapter 8 [skim Chapter 10 for class discussion]

FIRACT: Price Waterhouse v. Hopkins, p. 422 [skimDothard v. Rawlinson, p. 421; Nichols v. Azteca, p. 523 for class discussion]

[Note: Extra credit assignment Option 2 (see separate link) due next class period, beginning of class, for those doing it] 

Review of LRP info and preview of online research demo for next class session 

 

Session 7 (Feb 28 & Mar 1, 6-10 PM)  

(Option 2 extra credit paper due, beginning of class for those doing it)

Topics: Sexual harassment: Investigating and managing harassment complaints

Reading: Chapter 9

FIRACT: Meritor SB v. Vinson [p. 465; skim Ellison, p. 467; Ellerth, p. 464 for class discussion]

Harassment investigation and management issues

[Note: Extra credit assignment Option 3 or Option 4 (one or the other, but not both--your choice; see separate link) due next class period, beginning of class, for those doing it] 

LRP components and detailed online research demo 

[Get started on your LRP Fact Situation and Case search] 

 

Session 8 (March 7 & 8, 6-10 PM) 

(Options 3 or 4 extra credit paper due, beginning of class)

Topics: Religion/National Origin Discrimination, and related Immigration issues [Topic Outline 6]

Reading: Chapters 11, 7

FIRACT: TWA v. Hardison, p. 568 [skim Peterson, p. 570, Garcia v. Spun Steak, p. 357]

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Note: LRP fact situation and Web Research FIRACT due next class; be sure to download and carefully review Submission Check List for LRP Fact Situation and Web FIRACT (link at bottom of Course Writing Assignments page) before you submit!

Preview Age and Disability Topic Outines [to be covered more fully at upcoming Saturday session] to help orient integration of LRP facts and case research 

In-class office hours for help preparing LRP components and full draft of LRP as needed

Find an LRP peer review partner if you have not already done so

 

Session 9 (March 11, 2-6 PM--joint Saturday session Sec's 2 & 3)   

LRP fact situations and Web Research FIRACTS due, beginning of class, for my review and feedback, which you will receive by tomorrow [Sunday]

Topic 1: Age Discrimination [Topic Outline 7]

Reading: Chapter 12; Chapter 16, pp. 864-876, 881; at minimum, skim chapter summary

FIRACTS: None [skim Hazen Paper, p. 626; Western Air Lines, p. 622, Oubre, p. 627]

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Topic 2: Disability Discrimination, Occupational Safety, and Workers Compensation, and FMLA/CFRA issues [the "treacherous triangle" of employment law; Topic Outline 8].

Reading: Chapter 13; Chapter 16, pp. 849-864; at minimum, skim chapter summary

FIRACTS: None [skim EEOC v. Ford, p. 699 and Huber v. Wal-Mart, p. 705 if you have time]

Send out Exam 3; due next time, beginning of class

Note 1: Completed Self-evaluation form due next time, beginning of class [see posted Check Lists at the end of this schedule]  

Note 2: Complete Draft of LRP also due next time, beginning of class, for peer exchange and review in class [this is MBA-program required "culminating experience"; incorporate my feedback, which you will receive some time Sunday, into your draft]

 

Session 10 (Mar 14 & 15, 6-10 PM; last class sessions)

Exam 3 due, beginning of class; review and discuss Exam 3

Completed Self-Evaluation form due, beginning of class

Complete Draft of LRP also due, beginning of class [for tonight's peer review only; do not submit to me]

Conduct peer review process [culminating experience required by MBA program] in class; note point award of up to 50 points for a thorough, constructive peer review; see course syllabus, final submission check list and Note* below] 

*Note: You will provide a complete 6 pp draft of your Legal Research Paper to a classmate of your choice for peer exchange and review. If for some reason you are absolutely unable to do this in the 2-3 hours of allotted class time this session, then you may arrange to do so outside of class so long as you do so in time to hand in your annotated first draft with your partners' comments along with your final paper [see final submission checklist below] by your final submission due date [Mar 22 or 23] 

 

[Mar 21 & 22 (No Class)--Final Submissions Due]

Complete LRP Bundle [see Final Submission Checklist at the end of this schedule] due via email] on or before 7 PM on your class day [Tuesday or Wednesday]  

 

Have a great rest of the school year, a great program, and a great career!

 

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Final Submission Checklists:

 

1)      Self-Evaluation Form [due Mar 14 or 15 depending on your section]:

__      Completed Self-Evaluation Form, with real-time notes on class participation contributions and uncollected FIRACTS*, and proposed realistic total score [of 100]:

Class written HW & Prep      Active Participation in class

50 points 50 points

[*Optional: You may submit any weekly FIRACTs you have done that I have not collected for extra credit to support your proposed preparation component score]

 

2)      LRP Bundle [due via email submission by 7 pm, March 21 or 22]:

__      The final Legal Research Paper [remember to check the Reminder re: Research Paper Format and LRP Grading Form links before & after to be sure your paper complies]

__      Your three (3) recent cases [complete, recent, high-quality appellate opinions, from the Supreme Court, 9^th Circuit, or California, highlighted electronically per instructions in the Further Details on the Legal Research Paper link]

__      Your annotated first draft of the LRP [annotated by your peer partner electronically using "track changes" or the review program of your choice]