LAW/421
October 27, 2014
Richard Simon

Role and Functions of Law
Without law there would be no order in our everyday lives. The law is intended to create order where there would otherwise be chaos, to set boundaries to keep this order and to protect people against wrong doing. The law is a guide to what is and is not acceptable behavior both in society and in business practices. The law allows people to embrace freedom and justice and live within a fair society. Business law deals with the creation of new businesses and the issues that arise within current businesses (Business Law). The law allows government rule that is intended to allow society and businesses to operate effectively and efficiently.
According to Melvin law is “a body of rules of action or conduct prescribed by controlling authority, and having legal binding force” (Melvin, 2011). The law aids individuals, businesses and the government in normal everyday operations and in more perilous times. The law is meant to be enforced and reinforced when they are not followed.
The law affects the way that businesses are formed and structured. Once business is up and running the law continues to regulate business practices to ensure that rules are being followed and everyone is treated fairly from the employees to the consumers to the suppliers and so forth. According to the law there are certain standards of practice that must be adhered to in business. The law not only helps structure everyday business, but also is meant to protect businesses from wrong doing as well. According to Business Law, much of this area of the law deals with tax laws, intellectual property, employment law, bankruptcy and so forth (Business Law). Many business lawyers work to ensure that the company is adhering to these laws, that business practices are running smoothly and to avoid future litigations. This area of law is meant to be a barrier of protection to employees and business owners providing a fair surface in which to conduct business. There are many areas of business that benefit from the law such as conducting business transactions, entering into contracts, keeping records and even filing taxes to name just a few. If we did not have government regulations to shape the way business is conducted there would be many that would cut corners, rip people off and perhaps even mistreat their employees. The law is not meant to take away a business owners control, but rather to aid the business owner in making fair decisions and better judgments when conducting business.
The role of the law within society is to maintain order, peace and discipline. Every person who walks on the soil of the United States is subject to the laws of the land. The law gives the people who are living in this society a peace of mind, a sense of protection in knowing that if the law is broken there are consequences for ones actions. Without the law to govern society there would be no order, no peace and no protection from wrong doing. The law is also what grants people the freedom that is so cherished in the United States. The law is not meant to take away this freedom or make people feel bound, but rather to keep order and guide people in the choices that they make which might affect the welfare of themselves or of others and to ensure that we can interact with one another without the fear of wrong doing.
The law governs the way we live every day. When we drive down the road, we are given a speed limit that we must follow or be punished according to the law. When we are at work the law governs the way we treat others and the way we conduct business. In my most previous job in the deli department of our local grocery store the law set guidelines on the taxes that we charged on the merchandise that was sold. The law also governed the items that we sold by monitoring food and health safety through the Health Department inspections. There were many times that we discarded food that may not have been hazardous, but according to the law, it would have been unsafe and/or unsanitary to serve certain foods to people after a period of time. The law also governed the wages that we were paid. The company was required to pay us at least minimum wage. There are times when the law is also a level of protection to employees by requiring employers to provide a safe and healthy work environment to its employees.
Some people look at the law as a means of taking away our freedom when in fact without the law we might have little freedom to do many of the things that we would normally do in a day and feel safe about doing it. Even though the law might be a complex system to keep up with, it is a necessary and very important aspect of our freedom. The law sets the rules and standards by which we are to live and conduct business and if that law is broken there are consequences to face. Whether we look at the laws that govern society or businesses, all laws are meant to ensure that we live in a free, just and equal society.

References
Business Law. (n.d.). Retrieved October 28, 2014, from http://www.hg.org/corp.html.
Melvin, S. (2011). The legal environment of business: A managerial approach : Theory to practice. New York: McGraw-Hill/Irwin.