IMPORTANT: This paper must be 100% original. It will be submitted through plagiarism and AI-detection software before submission to my professor. It cannot contain any plagiarized content or AI-generated writing. All sources must be properly cited, and the paper should be written in an original, natural academic style.
I have attached my submitted and approved term paper outline. Please carefully review both the outline itself and the instructor's comments/recommendations included in the Word document before beginning the paper. The final paper should build directly from the approved outline while incorporating any revisions or suggestions provided by my instructor.
Business Law Term Paper Requirements
Topic Requirements
- The paper cannot primarily focus on a case whose last activity (settlement, dismissal, or final court decision) occurred before 2016.
- It is acceptable to briefly mention older cases, but the paper should quickly transition to recent legal developments.
- The paper does not have to center on a court case. You may instead choose:
- a business law topic,
- a legal issue,
- or a current area of business law that interests you.
- If using a case, it should serve as an anchor for discussing the broader legal topic rather than simply summarizing the case.
Paper Length
- 2,200–2,800 words
- Word count does NOT include:
- Title page
- Footnotes
- Bibliography/Works Cited
- Word count does NOT include:
- More than 2,800 words is acceptable (no bonus points).
- Less than 2,200 words will likely be penalized.
- Must be submitted as a Microsoft Word (.docx) document.
Grading Rubric (100 Points)
1. Thesis (5 pts)
- Clear, understandable thesis.
- Reader should immediately understand the argument or position of the paper.
2. Legal Analysis (40 pts)
- This is the largest portion of the grade.
- Analyze:
- legal concepts,
- statutes,
- court decisions,
- and relevant course material.
- Do not simply summarize facts.
3. Clarity & Organization (10 pts)
- Logical organization.
- Smooth transitions.
- Easy to follow.
4. Conclusion (10 pts)
- Strong conclusion.
- Return to the thesis.
- Demonstrate whether the paper successfully proved its argument.
5. Writing Quality (20 pts)
- Grammar
- Spelling
- Punctuation
- Professional writing style
6. Sources & Citations (15 pts)
Must include:
- At least 9 different sources
- Sources should be:
- reputable,
- varied,
- and mostly recent whenever appropriate.
- Include:
- proper footnotes or in-text citations,
- correctly cited court cases,
- bibliography/Works Cited page.
Citation Requirements
Every factual statement needs a source
If a statement is not your own original thought, cite it.
Examples include:
- statistics
- legal rules
- historical facts
- quotations
- summaries of articles
- explanations of cases
The professor specifically notes that many students lose points by failing to cite factual statements.
Footnote Formatting
Footnote numbers belong after punctuation.
Correct:
The Supreme Court reached a different conclusion.^1
Incorrect:
The Supreme Court reached a different conclusion^1.
Footnote markers always come:
- after punctuation
- after quotation marks
Court Case Requirements
Every case mentioned must include:
- the year decided,
or, if the case has not yet been decided:
- the filing date (Year, Month Day).
Also provide enough information for the reader to locate the case (legal citation, court citation, official court link, or reputable legal database citation).
Recommended Legal Research Sources
- FindLaw
- Justia
- Cornell Law School Legal Information Institute (LII)
- LexisNexis (available through UF Libraries)
- Other reputable legal databases
Please ensure the final paper:
- Meets the 2,200–2,800 word requirement
- Follows the approved outline and incorporates the instructor's comments
- Has a clear thesis throughout
- Focuses on current business law developments (2016 or newer)
- Uses analysis rather than summary
- Includes at least 9 high-quality sources
- Properly cites every factual statement
- Uses correct footnote formatting
- Includes the decision year (or filing date) for every court case mentioned
- Ends with a strong conclusion that supports the thesis
- Is professionally written with minimal grammatical or punctuation errors