The current event paper is an individual project and should reflect your
own research, analysis, opinions, and conclusion.
One of the best things about studying securities regulation is that the topic
is in the news every day. Every day a new company chooses to go public,
another executive at a public company is charged with violating anti-fraud
provisions, or another public company is investigated for bribing foreign
government officials. This assignment asks that you choose one current
event relevant to any of the topics we will study this semester and write a
research paper describing what happened, the relevant law, and the
significance of the story for the industry, the company, the law, and/or you.
Case Event Paper Grading Criteria:
Essential facts of the case stated well; (25%)
The decision of the court concisely explained; (25%)
The issues in the original filing were accurately articulated; (25%)
Analysis of the case is clear (25%)
How to choose your current event:
The current event must have been in the news within the last six months to
a year. To find a topic of interest, start reading the news now. You might
also visit the SEC’s website for press releases, or read some of the many
blogs on securities regulation, white-collar crime, or corruption. You can
also follow the SEC on Twitter. Once you find a news story, you will
research it more deeply, including the relevant law. Your story does not
have to be a case that has gone to court already. It can be an investigation,
a proposed new rule or regulation, or any other story that implicates the
legal issues that we study.
What to include in your paper:
• A detailed description of the current event
• A detailed discussion of the relevant law — explain the law from the
very beginning, as if your reader knows nothing about the topic; this
is how you demonstrate your understanding of the law
• An analysis of the current event — Why is it important to the
industry? What companies will care about this news story? What will
its impact be? Who will win? Why? You can choose to answer any or
all of these questions (or any other question). The goal is to
demonstrate meaningful application of law to facts and deep
thinking about the issues presented by the news story