I Declare Bankruptcy: Examining the Law and Ethics of Lewellen vs. Access Group
SMC Affiliated Work
1
Status
Faculty
School
School of Economics and Business Administration
Department
Management and Entrepreneurship
Document Type
Case study
Publication Date
2017
Publication / Conference / Sponsorship
Sage Business Cases
Description/Abstract
Students are increasingly familiar with the burden of debt for higher education. This case depicts the financial struggles of Nancy Lewellen, a woman who decided to quit her job to attend law school in mid-life. Ms. Lewellen borrowed money to obtain her law degree and worked for a law firm upon graduation. While working for the firm, she earned a sufficient income to make payments on her student loan debts and cover her costs of living with her adult disabled daughter. When Ms. Lewellen was laid off, she found herself scrambling to pay her bills. The struggle seemed perpetual and Ms. Lewellen considered bankruptcy as a result. This case study is based on Ms. Lewellen v. Access Group (2010), and questions the legal, financial, and ethical implications of Ms. Lewellen’s bankruptcy claims. The ethical framework of bankruptcy surrounded the issues in Ms. Lewellen’s case both before and after the judge ruled.
DOI
10.4135/9781473997837
Disciplines
Business Law, Public Responsibility, and Ethics | Economics | Finance and Financial Management
Original Citation
O'Brien, M. and Papagiannis, G. (2016) I Declare Bankruptcy: Examining the Law and Ethics of Lewellen vs. Access Group, Sage Business Cases. doi:10.4135/9781473997837
Repository Citation
O'Brien, Michael and Papagiannis, George. I Declare Bankruptcy: Examining the Law and Ethics of Lewellen vs. Access Group (2017). Sage Business Cases. 10.4135/9781473997837 [case_study]. https://digitalcommons.stmarys-ca.edu/school-economics-business-faculty-works/104
Comments
Michael O'Brien, Management; George Papagiannis, Organizations and Responsible Business