Case Study

Questionnaires, Interviews, Testing & Educational Requirements

Jennings Company, which manufactures sophisticated electronic equipment, hires its assembly employees on the basis of applicants' scores on a standardized mathematics aptitude test.It has been shown that those who score higher on the test almost always perform better on the job.However, it has also been demonstrated that the use of the test in hiring employees has the effect of excluding African American and other minority groups.Is this practice of the Jennings Company prohibited by the Civil Rights Act of 1964? (Write-in answers under each question below)

1)Briefly summarize the facts of the case- restating the facts in a clear and concise manner ( You must understand the facts of a case before you can attempt to resolve it)

2)Identify the major issue(s) that flow from the facts (Legal issue).Sometimes this process indicates the various avenues of litigation open to the plaintiff.For instance, the issues identified can suggest that both Negligence and Strict Liability may be pursued.

3)Identify the elements of each issue (Determine the relevant elements of each issue.For instance Negligence has: Existence of Duty of care, Breach of that Duty, Proof of Injury and Causation or Proximate Cause).

Sometimes the elements of the Legal Issue may not be very apparent or obvious.In that case DEFINE or DESCRIBE the issue as best as you can according to the text.

4)Discuss the elements of each issue as they apply to the case or apply the description to the facts.

5)Apply the relevant law (Make a decision based on the relevant law).

6)Cite a supporting case (As this is common law, briefly state the facts of the supporting case and show how it can serve as a precedent to your case problem).You can find cases at : Findlaw.com, Westlaw.com, Lexisnexis.com, Lawnix.com, Lawteacher.net. Google Scholar, or even Wikipedia, the online Encyclopedia.