The format for the term paper is 12-point, Times New Roman font, with one-inch margins. Please number each page and include a cover page (not included in the page count).

Although this course will introduce you to several topics related to construction law, and provide a strong starting point for understanding this body of law, the topics covered are not exhaustive. It is very likely that at some point in your professional careers you will encounter a legal issue that will require you to further examine a topic we have studied in this course. Therefore, the intent of this exercise is to make sure you know how to do basic legal research. As you all know, in the real world you will still have to consult a licensed attorney, but through this exercise each of you will at least have a basic understanding of how to research areas in the law, what your attorney is talking about during a consultation and why her services are so expensive!

The term paper can be on a topic of your choice, however; I suggest that you choose a topic that you have or will likely encounter at work or in other professional settings. Using basic legal research tools, identify and explain the legal issue. Next, explain the specific “law” or legal concepts that apply, how courts generally rule of these types of cases and finally what steps can have be taken to avoid this legal issue in the future.

Write your term paper from the point of view of an employee explaining to senior management how to alter, or how to include specific practices to avoid legal complications or for additional legal protection. You can pick any aspect of business, for example, the subcontracting process, how contracts are formed or terminated, ethical concerns, allocating losses, insurance, payments, etc. Term papers should be full of analysis, and include your viewpoints and understanding of how to resolve or improve the business situation. Be sure to include personal analysis in your term paper. I am very interested to see how you analyze the legal situation based on the research you have found.

Term papers must include a complete list of sources. Plagiarism will result in a failing grade. Quotes taken directly from a source must have quotation marks and appropriate citations. Please cite all sources with footnotes. Remember if you include a concept that you did not know before researching this term paper, you must attribute the source, even if you do not use a direct quote. Omission of sources is plagiarism. I will provide additional information on how to conduct legal research, and the term paper format and citations.