Think of the Law as Reality TV, Ace Your Exams

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Ashish August 20, 2014

Put down the remote. Here's some lawsuits that have more drama than ten episodes of "Real Housewives."

In this course, participants learn core principles, concepts, and methods of continuous improvement and explore the history of continuous improvement efforts. In a series of lectures, Master Black Belt in Six Sigma Shane Wentz, Ph.D., enables learners to enhance, optimize, and stabilize business processes and to augment quality control through varied methodologies. Participants gain the skills and knowledge to reimagine internal processes, engage in advanced problem-solving, and empower employees. The course covers high-level foundational principles of Lean, Six Sigma, and DMAIC processes before diving deep into Lean Six Sigma methods. Learners will analyze the tools of process mapping, Kaizen (a continuous improvement method/tool deemed a prerequisite for Lean transformation success), Lean (a continuous improvement philosophy that emphasizes streamlined workflows and reducing waste), and the process improvement methodology driving DMAIC: Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control.

Entrepreneurs fostering new ventures outside of well-developed entrepreneurial ecosystems like Silicon Valley face significant challenges. These markets are unlike Silicon Valley, and they will likely remain so. That doesn't mean they can't nurture and sustain new businesses. In transitioning markets that lack abundant private sector financing, creative approaches from government officials, donors, and business leaders can fill the void to support entrepreneurial activity. Northeast Ohio (where Cleveland and Case Western Reserve University are located) has become a laboratory for such innovative solutions. During our time together in this course, we will explore some of these creative approaches to promoting regional entrepreneurship. Northeast Ohio has seen a massive infusion of government and donor resources for over ten years. In that time, Northeast Ohio has promoted regional development (including job creation and follow-on funding) through alternative methods of financing startups. It has not been easy. The region has made progress, but it remains to be seen whether it has struck upon an enduring formula. A dynamic entrepreneurial ecosystem takes many years, even decades, to develop. Government policymakers and donors typically seek quicker returns on their support programs, which makes long-term support for entrepreneurship challenging. This course includes case studies and first-person testimonials from entrepreneurs who have launched products and services ranging from medical devices to LED lights to whiskey. You will learn how these entrepreneurs discovered and procured resources from various programs and intermediary organizations. You will hear from business people still in the process of developing their companies as well as those whose ventures have flourished. Our focus will extend beyond Cleveland to selected markets around the world, including Greece, Vietnam, Tunisia, Argentina, Rwanda and China. You will learn about international incentives and other supports available to developing startups and small businesses across the globe. This course examines how different communities around the world approach implementing strategies and methods to support businesses. I will ask you to reflect on how to apply the principles we learn to growing entrepreneurship where you live. The social interactive features of the online platform will enable students from around the world to share ideas and learn from one another. Most MOOCs rebroadcast professors’ lectures; this course is different. Don’t expect to see me standing in front of the camera, talking and lecturing every module. Instead, the lectures will be relatively short in length. They have more of the feel of an engaging documentary than a static classroom setting. ## __What type of person takes the *Beyond Silicon Valley* course?__ - Active and aspiring businesspeople in communities looking to initiate new startup ecosystems or bolster existing ones - Current and prospective entrepreneurs who want to learn about funding sources, risk management, and the lifecycle of startups - Professionals who work in government agencies, nongovernmental organizations, philanthropic institutions, and various private funds that fund startups - Anyone curious about how to create and grow startup ecosystems outside the major tech hubs - The principles Beyond Silicon Valley teaches have been drawn from and applied to startups worldwide, from small villages to megalopolises. You'll study success stories spanning the globe from Vietnam to Kosovo to Botswana. ## __What will you learn in *Beyond Silicon Valley*?__ - How and where startups can find funding to get their businesses off the ground - What role government can play in encouraging startups and a healthy startup ecosystem - How anchor institutions such as universities and healthcare systems participate in startup ecosystems - How nongovernmental organizations support startups - How to raise funds from venture capitalists, angel investors, and accelerators - How to navigate challenging periods in the startup lifecycle - The importance of mentoring in successful startups

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Having trouble memorizing lawsuits, famous cases, names and facts integral to your law school exam? Most cases are as dramatic and thrilling as the latest episode of "Real Housewives" — if you teach your brain to focus on the histrionics, you might find that the details are easier to remember under pressure. Some high stakes, high action examples:

In Turpin v. Sortini, parents of a deaf child sued a doctor for damages for failing to recognize the deafness' hereditary origin. After their second child was also born deaf, they claimed in a wrongful birth action that they would not have conceived her if they had known the risks. The court awarded damages.

Sailors were adrift at sea without adequate provisions. After an extended period of time, two sailors killed another and ate the victim’s body and drank his blood. These sailors were eventually rescued, found guilty of murder, and sentenced to death in Regina v. Dudley and Stephens. On appeal, the sentence was eventually commuted to six months’ imprisonment.

Sitting in judgment of a situation rivaling the best of a Maury Povich paternity show, Justice Scalia opined in Michael H. and Victoria D. v. Gerald D., “The facts of this case are, we must hope, extraordinary."

A married woman had an affair with a neighbor and became pregnant. Even though her husband was listed as father on the birth certificate, the wife told neighbor that he could be the father. A pre-DNA blood test revealed that neighbor was 98% likely the father. For the next three years, the mother ping-ponged between the husband, neighbor, and a third man who each acted as the child’s father.

The neighbor sued to legally establish his paternity, but halted court proceedings whenever it was his turn. When the wife ultimately reconciled with her husband, the neighbor sued again. The husband argued that since the child was born during the marriage, he was the presumptive father. This case had sufficient constitutional issues that it was heard in the Supreme Court. Alas, the neighbor was out of luck.

While paternity questions go back to time immemorial, maternity questions have arisen with technological advances. In Johnson v. Calvert, a court had to decide if the natural mother of a baby was the woman whose egg was fertilized or the surrogate with no genetic link. Since the egg donor's intent had always been to raise the child, the court ruled in her favor.

Who needs Bravo's manufactured drama when the law provides the real deal?