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Legal Environment of Business
Test 1
180
Business
Undergraduate 3
02/16/2009

Additional Business Flashcards

 


 

Cards

Term
Summary Judgement
Definition

 

A motion filed by one party based on the record that there is "no material question or fact".

Term

Depostion 

 

Definition
A chance for the layer to ask the party a question under oath prior to trial.
Term
Plaintiff
Definition
Person that files the lawsuit of person that makes the complaint.
Term
Defendant
Definition
Person being sued
Term
Question of fact
Definition
Question that has to be decided by the jury rather than the judge.
Term
Caveat
Definition

"Buyer Beware"

It means that you have to pay attention and listen to what is being said. 

Term
Conclusion
Definition
A position or stance on an issue; the legal ;goal toward which reasoning pushes us.
Term
Critical thinking
Definition
the ability to understand the structure of an argument and apply a set of evaluative criteria to assess its merits.
Term
8 steps to legal reasoning
Definition

1. What are the facts?

2. What is the issue?

3. What are the reasons & conclusions?

4. What are the relevant rules of law?

5. Does the legal argument contain significant ambiguity?

6. What are ethical norms are fundamental to the courts reasoning?
7. How appropriate are the legal analogies?

8. Is there relevant missing information? 

Term
Ambiguous
Definition
Susceptible to 2 or more possible interpretations.
Term
4 Ethical Norms
Definition

1. Freedom

2. Security

3. Justice

4. Efficiency 

Term
Ethical Norms
Definition
A standard of conduct that we consider good or virtous.
Term
Analogies
Definition
Comparing one outcome to the present situation. Assuming that 2 things are alike.
Term
Stary decisis
Definition

To obide by.

Requires the court to follow previous cases. 

Term
Respondeat superior
Definition
The superior is responsible for what his inferior/servants do.
Term
Vicarious Liability
Definition
Making someone else liable for the actions that you took.
Term
Deep Pocket Theory
Definition
The plaintiffs lawyer will look for the deepest pocket(person with the most money) when suing.
Term
Law
Definition
Body of rules of conduct. It must be followed by the citizens, and if it is not then they face consequences.
Term
Natural Law School
(School of Jurisprudence)
Definition
Believes that the law is derived from some higher authority (GOD, nature, or reason). Believes an unjust law is no law at all.
Term
Positivist Law School
(School of Jurisprudence)
Definition
The law is what the legislative/governing body says the law is. Morals are separate from the law.
Term
American Realist
(School of Jurisprudence)
Definition
Believes that the law is what the judge says it is. Circumstances change so the view of the law must change also.
Term
Judicial Branch
Definition
Interprets the law.
Term
Legislative Branch
Definition
Maker and creator of the law.
Term
Executive Branch
Definition
The enforcer of the law. Has the power to make the law and decided whether or not to enforce the law. It influences the laws that the legislative branch makes.
Term
Administrative Law
Definition
The 4th branch/source of laws.
Term
U.S. Constitution
Definition
The supreme law of the land.
Term
Criminal Law
Definition

Gov. vs. Individual

The individual may face consequences.

"burden of proof" 

Term
Civil Law
Definition
Someone is usually suing for damages. Its by a prepondance of evidence.
Term
Burden of Proof
Definition
Evidence must be beyond a reasonable doubt that the person is guilty. 90/10.
Term
Prepondance of Evidence
Definition
It must be just enough evidence to find the person liable. 60/40.
Term
Procedural law
Definition
How you go about enforcing those laws.
Term
Jurisdiction
Definition
The power of the court to hear the case and rinder a binding decision.
Term
Subject Matter Jurisdiction
Definition
Does the court have the power to hear this kind of case? Does the court have original or appealant jurisdiction.
Term
Inpersonam Jurisdiction
Definition
Jurisdiction over the person. Means that the trial court has acquired power over this person. (Serve w/ petiton)
Term
Service of Process
Definition
Serving summons/petitions to the defending party.
Term

Long Arm Statute

Definition
When the other party has sufficient minimum contact to have jurisdiction over a person/company in another state.
Term
Concurrent Jurisdiction
Definition
Jurisdiction in federal and state court.
Term
Diversity Citizenship
Definition
If the lawsuit involves people of different states then they can be tried in federal or state court.
Term
Right of Removal
Definition
Right granted to a defendant being sued to remove the case from the state court and move it to the federal court.
Term
Venue
Definition
Right to try a case that occurs in this particular area(county, state). The place where the court sits.
Term
Forum Non Convieniens
Definition
This is not a convient place to try this case. A motion filed by one party saying that this isn't the place to try this case. The court may transfer the case to a more convienent forum.
Term
Removal
Definition
Some case under concurrent jurisdiction may be filed in either state that the incident occured in or it may be tried in the federal court.
Term

Lawyer

Definition
A person learning in the law. A person licensed to practice law. Requires degree, completion of law school and passage of the bar exam.
Term
Pro bono
Definition

Lawyers have to work a certain amount of hours each year to benefit the public/community.

"Work for free"

Term
Attorney-client privilege
Definition
Provides that information furnished by a client to an attorney in confidence or in conjuction with a legal matter, may not be revealed by the attorney without the client's permission.
Term
Work product doctrine
Definition
Provides that formal and informal documents prepared by an attorney in conjuction with a client's case are privileged and may not be revealed by the attorney without the clients permission.
Term
Judge
Definition
A trial court judge presides over the trial, making sure the case is heard with reasonable speed, rules on all motions are made in the case, and decides all questions of the law.
Term
Appellate Judge
Definition
Serve on panels. Review lower-court cases to determine whether errors where committed by the lower-courts.
Term
Doctrine of Judicial Review
Definition
Judges have the power to review actions made by other branches.
Term
Judicial Activism
Definition
A judicial philosophy that says the courts need to take an active role in encouraging political, economic and social change.
Term
Originalist
Definition

View there cases as "what would the founding fathers do".

Term
Judicial Restraint
Definition
A judicial philosophy that says courts should refrain from determining the constitutionality of a legislative act unless absolutely necessary and that social, political, and economic change should come out of the political process.
Term
The Jury
Definition
Most jurisdictions have jury lists. The jury commissioner comes up with the jury list. The prospective persons then gets summoned to come to court.
Term
Petit Jury
Definition
A jury of 12 citizens impaneled to decide on the facts at issue in a criminal case and to pronounce the defendant guilty or not guilty. (trial court)
Term
Grand Jury
Definition
A group of 12 to 23 citizens convened in private to decide whether enough evidence exists to try the defendant for a felony. Assists the D.A. in determining criminal charges. They only hear the state side "prosecution". They deal with other matters also. If the jury returns a "no bill" then the person will not charged/tried.
Term
Adversarial System
Definition
A system of litigation which the judge hears evidence and arguments presented by both sides in a case and then makes an objective decision based on the facts and law as presided by each sid.
Term
Social Responsibility
Definition
Concern of business entities about profit and nonprofit activities and their unintended impact on others directly or indirectly involved.
Term
Pleading Stage
Definition

One party files a complaint and the other party files an answer to the case. Papers filed by a party in court and then served on the opponent in a civil suit.

Term
Motion for more defendant statements
Definition

A motion asking the plaintiff to give more evidence filed by the defendant.

Term
Interrogatories
Definition
Parties may file written questions.
Term
Pretrial conference
Definition
Lawyers appear in front of the judge and they go over the cause informally or formally. (this may get the parties to come to an agreement)
Term
Stipulations
Definition
A simple agreement between the parties to determine whether or not something is true.
Term
Mock Jury
Definition
A group of individuals that are demographically matched to the actual jurors in a case, in front of whom the lawyers practice their arguments before presenting their case to the actual jury.
Term

Voir Dire

Definition

Process whereby the judge and/or the attorneys question potential jurors to determine whether they will be able to render an unbiased opinion in the case. Then they strike off the jury.

Term
Strike for cause
Definition
Some legitimate reason that will dismiss a person from being on the jury.
Term
Parentary strikes
Definition
They do not have to have any reason to dismiss the person from the jury.
Term
Work-product doctrine
Definition
Provides that formal and informal documents prepared be prepared by an attorney in conjuction.
Term
Shadow jury
Definition
Group of individuals, demographically matched to the actual jurors in a case that sit in the courtroom during a trial and the "deliberates" at the end of each day so that lawyers have continous feedback of how their case is going.
Term
Opening Statements
Definition
Each partys attorney explains to the judge and jury what facts he or she intends to prove, the legal conclusions to which the facts will lead and the verdict. (First Impression)
Term
Direct Examination
Definition
The lawyer asks questions and relies on the witness to answer it. "Yes or No"
Term
Cross Examination
Definition
The lawyer can ask probing questions. (leading the witness on)
Term
Directed Verdict
Definition

Similar to summary judgement. No material question or fact that my client did it.

Term

Change Conference

Definition
Parties meet with the judge and go over the law. The judge tells the jury which law to apply to the case.
Term
Post Trial Motion
Definition
The losing party can file a motion granting a new trial or they could ask the judge to grant a judgement contrary to that handed down by the jury.
Term
Affirm
Definition
Uphold the decision of a lower court.
Term
Modify
Definition
Although the lower courts decision was correct, it granted an inappropriate remedy that needs to be changed.
Term

Reverse

Definition
Term used for an appellate courts decision that the lower courts decision was incorrect and cannot be allowed to stand.
Term
Remand
Definition
An appellate courts decision that an error was committed taht may have affected the outcome of the case and that therefore the case must be returned to the lower court.
Term
Class Action
Definition

Multiple parties joined as plaintiffs and multiple parties joined as defendants. Can be efficient because the same issue can be tried and bought in one action.

Term

Alternative Dispute Resolution

ADR

Definition
A method of resolving disputes without going the court/litigation process. (Less expensive and convienent)
Term
Negotiation and Settlement
Definition
An ADR method in which the disputant parties came together informally to try to resolve thier differences.
Term
Arbitration
Definition
The disputing parties submit their disagreement to a mutally agreed upon neutral decision maker or one provided for by statute. (Decision made by 3rd party)
Term
Binding Arbitration Clause
Definition
A provision in a contract mandating that all disputes arising under the contract be settled by arbitration.
Term
Submission agreement
Definition
Separate agreement providing that a specific dispute be resolved through arbitration.
Term
Mediation
Definition
An ADR method in which the disputant parties select a neutral party to help them reconcile their differences by facilitating communication and suggesting ways to solve their problems.
Term
Minitrial
Definition
An ADR method in which lawyers for each side present the case for their side at a proceeding referred by a neutral adviser, but settlement authority usually resides with senior executives of the disputing corporations.
Term
Early Neutral Case Evaluation
Definition
When parties explain their respective positions to a neutral 3rd party who then evaluates the strengths and weaknesses of the case. This evaluation then guides the parties in reaching a settlement.
Term
Private Trial
Definition
An ADR method in which cases are tried, usually in private bya referee who is selected by the disputants and empowered by statute to enter a binding judgement.
Term
NY Convention
Definition
An arbitration award that can be given to any country that are members of the NY convention.
Term
Commerce Clause
Definition
Article I section 8 clause III - The congress shall have power to.... "regulate commerce with foriegn nations, and among the several states and within the indian tribes"
Term
Summary Clause
Definition
Article VI - The laws of the U.S. shall be the supreme law of the land.
Term

Doctrine of Federal preimption

Definition
The federal law can preclude the laws of the state.
Term
Separation of Powers
Definition
Constitution says each branch is separate (checks and balances).
Term
Checks and Balances
Definition
Each branch regulates the other.
Term
Police Powers
Definition
The states retained authority to pass laws to protect the health, safety, and welfare of the community.
Term
Bill of Rights
Definition
Established individuals rights that are protected from congress.
Term

Due process clause

(5th Amendment)

Definition
Provides that no one can be deprived of life, liberty, or property without "due process of law"; found in the 5th amendment.
Term
Consequential Theory
Definition
Acts are judged good or bad based on whether the acts have achieved thier desired reults. Acts of the business community or any other social unit(e.g., gov, school, fraternity, and sorority). Act and rule utilitarianisms are two subschools.
Term
Procedural due process
Definition
Procedural steps to which individuals are entitled before losing their life, liberty or property.
Term
Substantive Due Process
Definition
Requirements that laws depriving individuals of liberty or property be fair.
Term
Taking Clause
Definition
Private party property shall not be taken for public use without compensation.
Term
Physical taking
Definition
When the state takes property.
Term
Regulatory taking
Definition
When the state restricts the use of your property.
Term

Choice of Forum

Definition
Clause in a contract that decides where a case will be filed.
Term
Patents
Definition
Protects a product, process, invention, machine, or plant produced by asexual reproduction.
Term
Patent Infringement
Definition
Occurs when someone uses, sells, or manufactures the patented invention without the patent holders permission.
Term
1 Node secret
Definition
Process, product method of operation used by a business that is not known by the public.
Term
Domain Name
Definition
Title to describe territory covered by website owner.
Term
Trademark
Definition
A distinctive mark, word, design, picture, or arrangement used by the producer of a product that tends to cause consumers to identify the product with the producer.
Term
Keywording
Definition

Occurs when advertisers pay to have their advertisements displayed when a computer user types in certain keywords.

Term
Deontological Theories
Definition
Actions can be judged good or bad based on rules and principles that are applied universally.
Term
Cybersquatters
Definition
Individuals or businesses that intentionally obtain a domain name registration for a complany's trademark so that it can sell the domain name back to the trademark owner.
Term
Identity theft
Definition
A forum of fraud in which an individual assumes someone else's identity information as his or her own.
Term
Insider Trading
Definition
Someone who uses insider information so that they can manipulate the stock market to their own advantage.
Term
Warehousing
Definition
An individual or business registers domain names in hopes that the name can besold to a business.
Term
Crime requires 2 functions
Definition

1) Wrongful Act (Actusrea)

2) The Guilty Mind (Mensrea)

Term
Copyright
Definition
The exclusive legal right to reproduce, publish, and sell the fixed form of expression of an original creative idea.
Term
Fair Use Doctrine
Definition
(Exemption to the copyright law) A legal doctrine providing that a copyrighted work may be reproduced for purposes of criticism, comments, news, reporting, teaching(including multiple copies for classroom use), scholarships, and research.
Term
Felony
Definition
A serious crime that is punishable by death or imprisonment in a penitentary.
Term
Petty Crime
Definition
A minor crime punishable, under federal statutes, by fine or incarceration of no more than 6 months.
Term

Misdemeanor

Definition
A crime that is less serious than a felony and is punishable by fine or imprisonment in a local jail.
Term
Arrest
Definition
To seize and hold under the authority of the law.
Term
Probable cause
Definition
The reasonable inference from the available facts and circumstances that the suspect committed the crime.
Term
Miranda Rights
Definition
Certain legal rights that the suspect much be informed of upon arrest such as the right to remain silent, to avoid self-incrimination, and the right to an attorney.
Term
First Appearance
Definition
Appearance of the defendant before a magistrate, who determines whether there was probable cause for an arrest.
Term
Bail
Definition
An amount of money the defendant pays to the court upon release from custody as security that he or she will return for trial.
Term

Arraingment

Definition
Formal appearance of the defendant in court to answer the indictment by entering a plea of guilty or not guilty.
Term
Nolo  Contendere
Definition
A plea of no contest that subjects the defendant to punishment but is not an admission of guilt.
Term
Plea bargaining
Definition

The negotiation of an agreement between the defendants attorney and the prosecutor, whereby the defendents plead guilty to a certain change or changes in exhange for the prosecution  reducing the charge.

Term
Entrapment
Definition
An affirmative defense claiming that the idea for the crime did not originate with the defendant but was put into the defendents mind by a police officer or other government official.
Term
Insanity Defense
Definition
An affirmative defense claiming that the defendents mental condition precluded understanding the wrongful nature of the act he or she committed or distinguishing wrong from right in general.
Term
Duress Defense
Definition
An affirmative defense claiming that the defendant was forced to commit the wrongful act by threat of immediate bodily harm or loss of life.
Term
Mistake-of-fact defense
Definition
An affirmative defense claiming that a mistake made by the defendant vitiates criminal intent.
Term
White-Collar crime
Definition
A crime committed in a commercial context by a member of the professional managerial class.
Term

Strict Liability Offense

Definition
An offense for which no state of mind is required.
Term
Bribery
Definition
The offering, giving, soliciting, or recieving of money or any object of value for the purpose of influencing the judgement or conduct of a person in a position of trust, especially a government officials.
Term
Defalcation
Definition
The misappropriation of trust funds or money held in a fiduciary capacity.
Term
False Entries
Definition
The making of an entry into the books of a bank or corporation that is designed to represent the existence of funds that do not exist.
Term
False Token
Definition
A false document or sign of existence used to perpetrate a fraud, such as making counterfeit money.
Term
False Pretenses
Definition
A designed misrepresentation of existing facts or conditions by which a person obtains anothers money or goods. (Ex. Writing bad checks)
Term
Forgery
Definition
The material offering of anything in writing that if geniune might be the foundation of a legal liability.
Term
Fradulent Concealment
Definition
Repressment of material fact that the person is legally bound to disclose.
Term
Violation of Federal Regulation
Definition
Violation of any of the regulations of economic matters, and others designed to protect health, safety, and welfare of employees, consumers and the public in general. This is a white collar crime.
Term
Criminal Fraud
Definition
Intentional use of misrepresentation to gain an advantage over another party.
Term
Larceny
Definition
The secretive and wrongful taking and carrying away of the personal property of another with the intent to permanently deprive the rightful owner of its use or possession.
Term
Humanist Theories
Definition
Actions are evaluated as good or bad depending on whether they contribute to improving inherent human capacities such as intelligence, wisdom, and self-restraint.
Term
Embezzlement
Definition
The wrongful conversion of the property of another by one who is lawfully in possession of that property.
Term
Piggybacking
Definition
A nonauthorized person gaining access to a terminal when an authorized person failed to sign off, or an unauthorized person discovering an authorized user's password and signs on using that password.
Term
Imposter Terminal
Definition
Using a home terminal with a telephone modem to gain access to a mainframe computer by cracking the password code and then using the computer free of charge.
Term
Trojan Horse
Definition
Covertly placing instructions in a computer program that will generate unauthorized accounts.
Term
Salami Slicing
Definition
Stealing tiny amounts of money off large numbers of inputs (such as taking a penny off each entry)  and transfering them into one's personal account.
Term

Racketeer Influenced Corrupt Organizations Act

(RICO)

Definition
Prohibits persons employed by or associated with an enterprise from engaging in a pattern of racketeering acitvity, which is broadly defined to include almost all white-collar crimes as well as acts of violence.
Term
False Claims Act
Definition
Private citizens may sue employers on behalf of the government for fraud against the government.
Term
Whistleblower Protection Act
Definition
Offers protection to federal employees who report illegal governmental activities.
Term

Ethics

Definition

The study of what makes up good and bad conduct inclusive of related actions and values.

Term
Culture
Definition
The learned norms of a society that are based on values, beliefs, and attitudes.
Term
Public International Law
Definition
Law that governs the relationships between nation-states.
Term
Private International Law
Definition
Law that governs the relationships between private parties involved in international transactions. Includes international business.
Term
International Trade
Definition
The export of goods and services from a country and the import of goods and services into a country.
Term
International Licensing
Definition
A contractual agreement by which a company (licensor) makes its intellectual property available to a foriegn individual or company (licensee) for payment.
Term
International franchising
Definition
A contractual agreement whereby a company (licensor) permits another company (licensee) to market its trademarked goods or services in a particular nation.
Term
Foriegn Subsidiary
Definition
A company that is wholly or partially owned and controlled by a company based in another country.
Term
Expropriation
Definition

The taking of private property by a host-country government for political or economic reasons.

Term
Sovereign Immunity Doctrine
Definition
States that a government expropriating foriegn-owned private property is immune from the jurisdiction of courts in the owner's country.
Term
Act-of-state doctrine
Definition
States that each sovereign nation is bound to respect the independence of every other sovereign national and that the courts of one nation will not sit in judgement on the acts of the courts of another nation.
Term
Export Controls
Definition
Usually applied by governments to militarily sensitive goos (e.g., computer hardware and software) to prevent unfriendly nations from obtaining these goods.
Term
Import Controls
Definition
Import barriers set up to prevent foreign companies from destroying home industries. Two such controls are tariffs and quotas.
Term
Currency Controls
Definition
Found in lower-income and lower-middle-income countries where regulations may restrict the conversion of domestic currency into foreign currency (e.g., the U.S. dollar) and the repatriation of foreign currency (e.g., taking U.S. dollars out of India).
Term

Hedging

Definition
Exporting companies contract with a bank athat guarantees the exporter a fixed number of U.S. dollars in exhange for payment of the goods it recieves in a foriegn currency. The exporting company pays a fee to the bank. The fee is based on the risk bank is taking that the foreign currency will fluctuate.
Term
Private Law
Definition
Law dealing with the enforcement of private duties.
Term
Jurisprudence
Definition
The science or philosophy of law; law in its most generalized form.
Term
Public Law
Definition
Law dealing with the relationship of government to individual citizens.
Term
First Amendment
Definition
Guarantees freedom of speech, press, and religion and the right to peacefully assemble and to petition the government for redress of grievances.
Term
Fourth Amendment
Definition
Protects the rights of individuals to be secure in their persons, homes, and property by prohibiting the government from conducting unreasonable searches of individuals and seizing their property.
Term
Actus Reus
Definition
"Guilty Act"
Term
Mens Rea
Definition
"Guilty Mind"
Term
Statutory Law
Definition
Law made by the legislative branch of the government.
Term

Case Law

Definition
Law resulting from judicial interpretations of constitutions and statutes.
Term
Rebuttal
Definition
A brief additional argument by the plaintiff to address any important matters brought out in the defendents's closing argument.
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