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LAW COURSE DESCRIPTIONS
LAW-2005 Accounting for Lawyers
Mr. Kevin Wall,
3 credits day; 3 credits evening.
There will be a mid-term and final exam, representing 20% and 80% of the course grade,
respectively.
Financial Services and other students interested in understanding the issues of accounting,
finance, auditing, and financial reporting commonly encountered by attorneys. The course begins
with an introduction to the objectives and the mechanics of financial reporting and accounting. In
addition to the traditional textual and case materials, we examine in detail the financial
statements of a local publicly traded company including the balance sheet, income statement,
statement of shareholder's equity, statement of cash flows, footnotes and management disclosure
and analysis. We will also perform fundamental comparative financial analysis from an
investor's viewpoint on several companies during the course to determine each company's
financial strengths and weaknesses. The course also addresses the relationship between lawyer
and auditor and reviews and analyzes recent financial reporting and financial scandals and audit
failures.
Faculty comments
: The course is taught using minimal lectures relying instead on the Socratic
Method as well as the use of short accounting and finance problems. Students are also introduced
to financial analysis of publicly traded companies. Students must complete an extensive, “hands
on” financial analysis project for a public company and its competitors utilizing traditional and
online research techniques. There is a final examination; the aforementioned project and class
participation is graded. Topics discussed in the course include accounting and finance concepts,
statistical and financial analysis and the opportunity to develop an understanding of some of the
online data services used to analyze the financial and operating results of a business.
Elective Course
Meets Financial Services Concentration Requirements
Meets Legal Technology and Innovation Concentration Requirements
Final Exam Required
<<Course Updated: July 13, 2016>>