Reaction to Law Article

The article used a sports analogy to describe the business law team brand. The author talked
about how sports unite people and even people who do not bother with sports cannot dispute
that. The article also likened the law faculty to a sports team that operates by a common
theme, which in turn, unites the team members. According to the article, the law team, just
like a sports team has a mission to gain followers who are passionate about the sports - or in
this case – law. These followers continue with the traditions and promote the cause. The author
paints a mental picture about how ridiculous it would be for a person who has no knowledge
about the rules of a particular sport to attempt to play the sport, and even more ironic, to
expect to excel at the sport. He used this mental image to show that an education in business
law is not a substitute for a law degree, but rather an enlightenment to figure out when it is
necessary to seek legal counsel.
I agree with the author’s view that when faculty follows sports news and events, it helps with
interaction with students. Most students like sports and they enjoy talking about sports. Talking
to students about things that they are interested in, can help faculty build better interactions
and connections with their students,1 which in turn helps the learning process.
I also like the way the author used the sports example about trying to play without knowing
what to do, to show that an education in business law does not qualify a person as a
professional lawyer. From the lectures and material covered in class, I have seen that failure to
take certain measures could have consequences. For example, Frederick Bouchat could have
received a statutory damage award if he had registered his copyright and the Baltimore Ravens
football team would have paid him for infringing on his copyright.2 If Frederick Bouchat had
sought legal counsel, he would have known that it was better for him to copyright his drawings
and register the copyright with the U.S. Copyright Office before displaying them or even giving
them away. Although it is not necessary to register a copyright to get copyright protection,
before a copyright owner can file for copyright infringement in court in the U.S., a copyright
registration is required.3
The article also likens business law to a trademark that acts as a representation of a business.
‘Trademarks identify the origin or source of the goods or services, allowing consumers to

1 Provenzano, Nicholas (2014). 3 Ways to Make Meaningful Connections with Your Students.
https://www.edutopia.org/blog/make-meaningful-connections-with-students-nick-provenzano
2 Emerson, Robert W. (2017) Law and Business – Course Pack, BUL 6930, p.47, XanEdu

Publishing.
3 United States Copyright Office. Copyright Basics. Available at:

https://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ01.pdf. Accessed on April 24, 2017.

distinguish those of one merchant from those of another.’4 Consumers make purchases of
goods or services to fulfill their needs and wants, and they have certain expectations of the
brands that they choose to purchase from. Students and other people who study business law
have an expectation of getting ‘clear responses to fundamental legal problems.’5 I think this is a
vital part of the business law ‘brand’. Prior to taking this business law class, I had never taken a
law class and I was excited about taking the class. I certainly had expectations of the class and I
wanted answers to questions about contracts and other subject areas of law. However, I knew
that law was such a broad topic and I had heard that it could be painfully boring to try to study
the vast material. I was therefore pleasantly surprised to have a Professor who made learning
fun and made it easy to relate business law concepts to certain skits and music. I know that
taking a three-month business law class does not make me a lawyer, but it provided an insight
on some areas of law and now I know when I need to seek the services of a lawyer. Business
Law Faculty have the task of ensuring that they project the right representation of the brand
and guide the consumer’s expectations.

4 Saunders Kurt M. (2016), Intellectual Property Law: Legal Aspects of Innovation and
Competition, p.472, West Academic Publishing.
5 Emerson, Robert W. (2015). Editor's Corner: The Business Law Team Brand. American Business

Law Journal, Vol. 52, No. 3, p. v-ix, Fall 2015. Available at SSRN:
https://ssrn.com/abstract=2671943