Instructions for the Current Event Research Paper
One of the best things about studying securities regulation is that the topic is often in the news. Every day, a company chooses to go public, an executive at a public company is charged with violating anti-fraud provisions, or company is investigated for bribing foreign government officials. This assignment asks that you choose one current event relevant to any of the topics we cover in the course 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.
How to choose your current event:
The current event must have been in the news within the last year. To find a topic of interest, read the news (The Wall Street Journal, The Economist, Financial Times), 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, 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 touches the legal issues 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 these questions (or any other question). The goal is to demonstrate meaningful application of facts to the law and deep thinking about the issues presented by the news story.
Logistics:
· 6-7 pages, double spaced, including title page and works cited page
· Citation required anytime what you wrote did not originate in your brain
· The paper should be prepared using the APA writing style and guideline for formatting references. You must provide a bibliography, and all direct quotations and data sources must be properly cited.
· The Department uses the APA style to facilitate both reading the paper and understanding references without being as cumbersome as some of the other styles (such as Chicago or MLA).
· The BU library has guides to citation: https://library.bu.edu/create_bibliographies
· Students could also download the student style guide from the American Psychological Association Style web site or you can purchase the APA style guide from the bookstore. The American Psychological Association provides many online resources to help you as you write your paper.
· Papers are to be RESEARCH PAPERS. Remember that work that you use from other authors MUST be referenced. Since it is assumed that you are not an authority on the topic that you are writing about, it is expected that this paper is an overview of many different sources of information. These must be attributed to the author using the APA format.
· This is your paper and not a cut and paste of someone else’s work. The internet has led to a false sense of what research is all about. Those new to research tend to think that it means spending an afternoon surfing the internet and then an afternoon cutting from material available.
· Keep in mind that the internet is: (1) not quality oriented as it has both good materials and not so good materials, and the internet does not know the difference; (2) the internet is NOT a sole source location. Sources such as Wikipedia are the works of individual submitters that are not reviewed. Thus, while many entries provide excellent information, some are fundamentally flawed or just plain wrong.
Topics covered in the course
1.Introduction to Securities Markets and Regulation
2.Definition of Security
3.Materiality
4.Registration of Securities Offerings
5.Exemptions from Securities Act Registration
6.Securities Act Liability
7.Secondary and Other Postoffering Distributions
8.Securities Exchange Act of 1934
9.Rule 10b- 5
10.Insider Trading
11.Regulation of Securities Industry
12.Public Enforcement
13.U.S. Regulation of Cross- Border Securities Transactions
Paper Grading Rubric
Your paper grades will be determined according to the following rubric:
