Intro Title
Gavin Goldstein, J.D., Ph.D., Associate Chair of LIM's Business department, recently authored an innovative new textbook designed to engage students in the area of business law.

Goldstein describes Business Law: A Modern Textbook for Undergraduate Students and Primer for Law Students (Textbook Media Press 2023) as his “quarantine baby,” saying he wanted to create a textbook from the perspective of an undergraduate student, so that it can be used for learning both inside and outside of the classroom.

“Business law is a very difficult topic for undergraduates, so the goal was that the typical 18-year-old who has no background in law can actually understand this,” Goldstein said.

He notes that most students will buy an expensive textbook and reference it a few times, but they won’t really read and absorb the material. 

“My experience with business law books is that they are dreadfully outdated, boring, and written in a manner that students can’t understand and can’t relate to,” he said.

One of the ways Goldstein modernized his book was by using Supreme Court decisions and events from the last few years, such as the overturning of Roe v. Wade and the Black Lives Matter movement, rather than court decisions from many decades ago. He also opted to write in a conversational style rather than an instructional style. 

Modern technology is also incorporated, with links to all sources included, along with scannable QR codes that link to YouTube lessons students can watch while reading.

Goldstein will be using the book in his Business Law course and will apply his approach in the book to his other courses as well, such as Organizational Behavior, Negotiation, Protecting Your Creative Expression, and Global Management. 

“This is a good text for anyone interested in the topic of law,” Goldstein said. “Taking my class is going to be a more enjoyable experience because of this book.”