Oxford Attorney Gives Insights to VGCC Students

Vance-Granville Community College students recently heard the inside story of how our legal system works from Oxford attorney A. Chance Wilkinson (above). Wilkinson, of the Watson, Dunlow & Wilkinson firm and also an Oxford city commissioner, was a special guest speaker for a Business Law class taught by instructor and Business Administration program head Carl Hann in May. He spoke as part of the class’s study of the law and court procedures.In his twelfth year of practicing law in Henderson and in Oxford, Wilkinson handles a wide variety of cases, “ranging from speeding tickets to capital crimes,” he said. Using a case he had tried as an example, Wilkinson took students through the criminal justice process, from the time that he was appointed to defend a person, through bond hearings and eventually to a plea arrangement. Wilkinson informed the students that most criminal cases end in pleas, rather than full trials. Wilkinson is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Wake Forest University School of Law.Business Law is a required course for the Business Administration (Associate in Applied Science) curriculum, which is designed to introduce students to the various aspects of the free enterprise system. Business Law I introduces the ethics and legal framework of business. Emphasis is placed on contracts, negotiable instruments, Uniform Commercial Code, and the working of the court systems. Upon completion, students should be able to apply ethical issues and laws covered to selected business decision-making situations. Business Administration students are provided a fundamental knowledge of business functions, processes and organizations in today’s global economy. Course work includes business concepts such as accounting, law, economics, management and marketing. Skills related to the application of these concepts are developed through the study of computer applications, communication, team building, and decision making. Graduates are prepared for employment opportunities in government agencies, financial institutions and large-to-small business or industry. For more information on the Business Administration program, contact Carl Hann at (252) 738-3295.