LEG:500 Assignment 2: The Gig Economy

Assignment 2: The Gig Economy Due Week 8 and worth 220 points

Uber is largely hailed as the advent of the gig economy, which is the idea that people will not work for any one employer, but instead will work on projects for any variety of companies desiring their services.  While creating a new type of entrepreneurship for individuals, it raises a host of new legal questions for companies around the law of agency.

An investment firm has asked you to evaluate Uber’s legal exposure for the conduct of its drivers. Write an interoffice memo in which you:

1. Summarize the main principles of agency.
2. Analyze the circumstances under which Uber might be liable for the conduct of its drivers.
3. Identify the steps Uber can take, if any, to limit its legal exposure for the conduct of its drivers.
4. Use at least three (3) quality resources in this assignment. Note: Wikipedia is not an acceptable reference and proprietary Websites do not qualify as academic resources.

Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements:

• Your news brief or memo should include a heading, summary statement, background and recommendations.

The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:

• Analyze and apply the concepts of ethical decision making,  corporate governance and  corporate social responsibility.
• Analyze and evaluate the employment-at-will doctrine and the statutory protections afforded employees.
• Analyze and evaluate laws and regulations relative to product safety, liability and representations.
• Write clearly and concisely about law, ethics, and corporate governance using proper writing mechanics.

Grading for this assignment will be based on answer quality, logic / organization of the paper, and language and writing skills, using the following rubric.