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16.6 Cases and Problems

Career Opportunities

Would You Like to Be a Lawyer?

Are you interested in a career in law? To learn what lawyers do, read the article on About.com, “Lawyer” by Sally Kane, http://legalcareers.about.com/od/careerprofiles/p/Lawyer.htm

As a follow-up (and because getting a job is a good thing), read a second article on About.com, “Who Hires Lawyers?” by Tara Kuther, http://gradschool.about.com/od/lawschool/f/lawjobs.htm. Then, answer the following questions, being sure to provide an explanation for each of your answers:

  • What about being a lawyer interests you?
  • What might discourage you from pursuing a career in law?
  • Overall, does a career in law appeal to you? Why, or why not?

Ethics Angle (AACSB)

The Product Liability Debate

The article "Who Should Pay? The Product Liability Debate,” by Claire Andre and Manuel Velasquez, provides the pros and cons of the current product liability legal environment. Read the article, which can be found at http://www.scu.edu/ethics/publications/iie/v4n1/pay.html, and answer these questions:

  1. Should consumers bear more responsibility for product injuries?
  2. Should drug manufacturers bear more responsibility?
  3. Is the current product-liability legal system broken? Why, or why not? If you believe it is broken, how would you fix it?

Team-Building Skills (AACSB)

Get together as a team and debate these two related issues: “How much should a pack of cigarettes cost?” and “Should businesses ban smoking the workplace?” Write a “position” paper explaining your group’s opinion. If the group doesn’t reach an agreement on the issues, include a “minority report”—the opinion of a minority of the group.

The Global View (AACSB)

What issues would you encounter as a businessperson negotiating a sales contract with a company in China? How would you overcome these issues?