Partnership Types, Employment Discrimination & Harassment Law
This paper surveys foundational concepts in business and employment law across four areas. It begins by distinguishing general partnerships from limited partnerships, explaining their structures, liabilities, and tax treatment. It then outlines three theories of employment discrimination — disparate treatment, disparate impact, and failure to make reasonable accommodation — with illustrative examples. The paper proceeds to examine seven recognized defenses employers may raise against discrimination claims. Finally, it addresses sexual harassment in the workplace, covering its legal definition, verbal, visual, and physical forms, and practical steps for prevention and reporting. The paper draws on legal reference sources to present these concepts in accessible terms.
- General and Limited Partnerships: Structures, liabilities, and tax treatment of partnerships
- Theories of Employment Discrimination: Disparate treatment, disparate impact, and reasonable accommodation
- Defenses to Employment Discrimination Claims: Seven legal defenses employers may assert
- Sexual Harassment in the Workplace: Definition, types, prevention, and reporting steps
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What makes this paper effective
- Clearly defines each legal concept before applying it, giving readers an accessible entry point into complex statutory and case-law territory.
- Uses concrete, relatable examples — such as an older applicant passed over for a younger one — to ground abstract legal theories in recognizable scenarios.
- Maintains consistent parallel structure across sections: definition, examples, burden of proof, and practical implications are addressed in the same order for each topic.
Key academic technique demonstrated
The paper demonstrates systematic legal categorization — a core technique in law-related writing. Rather than treating employment law as a monolithic subject, it breaks it into discrete doctrines (disparate treatment vs. disparate impact vs. reasonable accommodation) and explains what distinguishes each. This approach mirrors how courts and practitioners analyze legal questions and shows the student's ability to organize complex regulatory material into coherent, distinguishable categories.
Structure breakdown
The paper is organized into four thematic sections. The first covers the two classes of partnership. The second introduces the three theories of employment discrimination with supporting examples. The third catalogs seven employer defenses to discrimination claims. The fourth addresses sexual harassment: its definition, types, prevention strategies, and procedural steps for reporting. Each section functions as a self-contained legal briefing while collectively building a coherent overview of core business and employment law concepts.
General and Limited Partnerships
A partnership is a business with more than one owner that has not applied to become a corporation or a limited liability company (Laurence, 2012). The two general types are the general partnership and the limited partnership.
The general partnership is the more common form. Each partner has a hand in the business's operation, and it is also the simplest and least expensive business structure to create and maintain. Both partners share all liability for the debts and obligations of the business, including court judgments. Either partner may be bound by a contract or deal entered into by the other. Partners pay taxes that "pass through" the business to their respective individual income tax returns. Creating a general partnership does not require filing formal papers; two persons who agree to form one may simply register the business upon payment of a minimum fee. Although no written partnership agreement is required, partners may choose to document a business name and key details such as each partner's rights, responsibilities, and share of profits. A general partnership ends if one partner decides to leave; the remaining partner must settle outstanding obligations and debts and then divide any remaining profits and assets (Laurence, 2012).
Limited Partnership
A limited partnership includes additional partners with varying business liabilities (Bachmann, 2012). Each partner's responsibilities and involvement in the business differ, and each partner's financial obligation is limited to the amount of their investment. One advantage of this structure is that more partners can greatly increase available capital. Some individuals may join as limited partners while the general partners retain control of daily operations. However, tax complications or clashes between general and limited partners can reduce overall business effectiveness (Bachmann, 2012).
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