This open-source casebook is the seventh edition of a casebook using the H2O/OpenCasebook platform of Harvard's Berkman Center. This casebook is intended to be used as the main casebook for an introductory course on the law of corporations. Because is subject to a Creative Commons license and can be printed via Amazon Direct Publishing, it is available to students at a very modest cost. Alternatively, students can read and access the cases and materials online via the H2O platform at opencasebook.org at no cost. This casebook and the H2O/OpenCasebook platform are part of an effort by educators to make high quality course materials and casebooks available to students at reasonable prices.
The Model Rules of Professional Conduct provides an up-to-date resource for information on legal ethics. Federal, state and local courts in all jurisdictions look to the Rules for guidance in solving lawyer malpractice cases, disciplinary actions, disqualification issues, sanctions questions and much more. In this volume, black-letter Rules of Professional Conduct are followed by numbered Comments that explain each Rule's purpose and provide suggestions for its practical application. The Rules will help you identify proper conduct in a variety of given situations, review those instances where discretionary action is possible, and define the nature of the relationship between you and your clients, colleagues and the courts.
Developed by the Panel on the Nonprofit Sector, the Principles for Good Governance and Ethical Practice outline 33 principles of sound practice related to legal compliance and public disclosure, effective governance, financial oversight, and responsible fundraising. These principles, especially in conjunction with the Principles Workbook, help organizations assess and improve their operations. Organizations that have applied the Principles report increased capacity to achieve their missions, including improved governance, stronger organizational cultures and practices, and increased credibility with funders, individual donors and community partners.
In a concise and readable format, Nonprofit Law, 2nd Edition provides up-to-date information about the legal issues that can arise at every turn--from inception to termination--of a Section 501(c)(3) organization. This second edition continues and builds upon the comprehensive features of the first edition, including: A reader-friendly presentation that does not assume earlier background with tax, trusts, or corporations A balanced treatment between theory and practical reality Cradle-to-grave organization of topics Notes, questions, and problems in each chapter that add context to the text All relevant statutes and regulations within the text Optional exercises for creating a virtual nonprofit, which become the basis for further hypothetical questions. Designed to satisfy the highest academic requirements for students of law, business, and public policy (and to provide an accessible, comprehensive desk reference for practicing nonprofit professionals), Nonprofit Law, 2nd Edition explains the corporate, tax, and other regulatory issues that all nonprofit managers, board members, and their lawyers ultimately face. Highlights of the second edition include: Examples of familiar organizations, from Catholic Dioceses to the American Red Cross, grappling with critical issues Consideration of for-profit social enterprises as alternatives to nonprofits Thorough exploration of the policy implications of nonprofit regulation An explanation of the controversies surrounding nonprofits' entrance into politics and the IRS' response.
This book covers the formation, tax, governance, and documentation issues [of nonprofit organizations] ... and addresses some other areas, including mergers and sale of assets of nonprofits as well as dissolution of nonprofits. -- From the author's preface.
The legal rights of Americans are threatened as never before. In No Contest, Ralph Nader and Wesley J. Smith reveal how power lawyers--Kenneth Starr perhaps the most notorious among them--misuse and manipulate the law at the expense of fairness and equity. Nader and Smith document how corporate lawyers File baseless lawsuits Use court secrecy to their unfair advantage Engage in billing fraud Nader and Smith sound the warning that this system-wide abuse is eroding our basic legal rights, and propose a positive, commonsense vision of what should be done to reverse the corporate-inspired corruption of civil justice. Timely, incisive, and highly readable, this is a book for all citizens who believe that prompt access to justice is the backbone of democracy, and a precious right to be reclaimed.
A concise overview of the legal needs of nonprofit organizations Good Counsel is a compact and personable overview of the legal needs of nonprofits, crafted by one of America's most astute nonprofit general counsels. The book distills the legal needs of the 1.8 million tax-exempt organizations in the United States.Written in a clear and accessible style, with plenty of humor and storytelling as well as illustrative case studies, Good Counsel explains the basics of nonprofit corporate law, governance, and the tax exemption. It then takes a department-by-department look at legal topics relevant to program, fundraising, finance, communications, human resources, operations, contracts, government relations, and more. Good Counsel is designed help organizations fulfill their missions to do the public good. Designed to impart confidence and demystify the issues, Good Counsel is a must-read for nonprofit professionals and board members as well as lawyers and law students. Using Good Counsel as their playbook, lawyers, executives, and trustees can get an overview of the most common legal, governance, and compliance issues facing their organization and together ramp up a top-notch legal function. Contains practice pointers, checklists, and assessment tools Features sample contracts, licenses, and other form documents Filled with case studies and end-of-chapter focus questions, as well as available lesson plans for easy classroom use by educators in business, management, public policy, and law schools Good Counsel is the first-of-its-kind guidebook written by the sitting General Counsel of a major nonprofit. Written by influential author, speaker, and Bar leader Lesley Rosenthal, the General Counsel of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, Good Counsel shares the insights of a Harvard Law School graduate with years of in-house and business law experience as well as board service.
