DDRO 25A04 - Contemporary Issues in Corporate Law & Governance

This course introduces students to current issues relating to decision-making within corporations, increasingly important actors in global matters. The course will include an exploration of the basic corporate governance structure provided by corporate law, with a focus primarily on US corporate law. The course also examines the effects on corporate governance dynamics of various real-world factors. The course begins with an introduction to the various sources of US corporate law, including discussion of the question “what is a corporation” as distinct from other forms of business organization. Following this introductory discussion, Part II of the course will include a deeper exploration of the corporate governance structure: the rights of shareholders and the respective powers and duties of boards of directors and of officers. The discussion focuses on the relationships, both formal and informal, between these three primary actors in corporate governance. Using this understanding of corporate law and governance, the course then focuses on recent debates concerning corporate “personhood,” including whether corporations should be subject to criminal liability and prosecution and whether corporations should be required to operate in a socially responsible manner.

Felicia HENDERSON

Séminaire

English

The course materials are entirely in English and include excerpts of selected books, law journal and news articles, and video resources as defined in the course syllabus. The assigned materials are made available on Moodle. The materials assigned for each session include questions for reflection and will require approximately three hours of work outside of class, assuming good reading ability in English.

There are no prerequisites for enrollment, but students may find that curiosity about or familiarity with law or business concepts enhances their enjoyment of the course.

Autumn and Spring 2025-2026

Completion of reading assignments and participation in class discussion are essential. Accordingly, a portion of each student's grade will be based on the extent to which class participation and weekly engagement demonstrate a thoughtful review of the pre-assigned materials. The remaining portion of each student's grade will be based on individual and group research assignments.

The course consists of 12 sessions, each of which will include lecture and open discussion sequences. Some independent work must also be completed each week.