MITCH DRASCO

BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION Instructor BUS 140, Legal Environment of Business BS, Cal State Poly Tech, Pomona JD, Western State University VOICEMAIL: 760.757.2121 x1390 EMAIL: mdrasco@miracosta.edu

Mitchell (Mitch) Drasco practices law in San Diego.  (www.drascolaw.com ) His practice-focus is corporate counsel for emerging and mid-level technology firms. 

Mitch relocated to San Diego from Orange County where he was corporate counsel for a NASDAQ medical computer services corporation. Earlier he was with both Computer Sciences Corporation and Hughes Aircraft Corporation.  He has been practicing law in California since 1982, obtaining his Juris Doctor (Law) from Western State University College of Law while working full time and raising three children. 

The practice of law is Mitch’s second career.  His undergraduate work was at California State Polytechnic College, Pomona where he earned both a BS Mechanical Engineering and a BS Mathematics. 

Mitch has represented his clients in international transactions in Great Britain, Canada, France, Israel, China, and Mexico. Mitch has lectured at UCLA on the difference in U.S. Government and commercial contracts, written books on contracts administration. 

Mitch volunteers his time with the San Diego MIT Enterprise Forum ( www.sdmitforum.org ) which spotlights a new business each month in a public forum - students are welcome. Mitch is a long time member of Rotary International.  He held the position of President of the Rotary Club of Alhambra for 2008-2009 and is has taken a lead roll in many international charitable projects such as fresh water well drilling in Kenya, building housing for the very poor in Mexico and raising the heath standards for children after the 2008 Sichuan earthquake from which 68,000 people perished.

Teaching Philosophy/Style and Class Management/Activities

Welcome       Welcome         Welcome

Here’s your first surprise: You’re going to love this course.
Here’s your second surprise: You won’t want to sell the book.
Here’s your third surprise: For years to come, you’re going to keep the book close at hand.
Here’s the biggest surprise: For many of you, the course will change your lives.
Here’s the final surprise: You won’t want the course to end.
Reason: Like a spark igniting dry grass, this course will combust your thinking and thoughts. Life's events just won't look the same.
“No Way,” you say. “Way!” I say. 

I just opened the text to page 461. There I find the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act. By the time we get to page 461, you’ll be mentally agile, ready and anxious to “decode” the meaning of Magnuson-Moss.
You say, “But, the book looks Boring! Boring! Boring!”
You add, “There are over 800 pages to read. ‘OMG! Do I have to memorize all this junk?’ It’s full of dusty old laws and tinker toy stories. Worst of all it is jammed with disjointed dates. Frightful!” you think to yourself, not wanting to insult the professor, possibly compromising your grade.

Here’s a little secret. The authors love business law and they had a very clear image of you in there mind’s eye as they crafted this unique text. The authors are playful folk. They want you too to be playful with the content.
I’m your guide. Think - Disneyland Jungle Cruise. I’m a story teller.

Here are some bribed testimonials from my summer class:
I really enjoyed your real-life examples. They were very applicable and made the text come alive.
I enjoyed the atmosphere of the class. While always informative, useful and interesting the class was always fun & relaxed.
I appreciated your opinions of the text; you told us what to focus on and what we did not need to remember, such as “par value.”
Honestly you rocked and the book wasn’t half bad. You knew what you were talking about and you gave real-life examples which helped me relate things better. If I ever get into any trouble or decide to sue (just kidding), you are the person I am going to. I am keeping your email address so be prepared.
I work in a small business (12 employees). This class was so applicable I was able to relate to twice as much as when I started! I have gained such valuable knowledge & this class has truly pushed me to advance in the business world. I have started to pursue investing knowledge, and many other academic books I have pickup up & I give the credit to you.
I think the lectures were great. The book is so well written and the sample cases are a great way of understanding the material being covered. While reading the material those cases are really what made me understand the subject matter. What was really difficult in the beginning for me was the vocabulary. [Student is a Mexican National, here for only her second year. English is a second language]) I didn’t expect to learn so much about how laws are created or the origins of law … You being a lawyer also helped a lot since you were able to give us real scenarios of how things happen … .
My favorite part of the class was the first day. As weird as that is, I thought that whole story you told about England and how laws began was really interesting. You’re a good story teller and I remember really enjoying it.
I liked the fact that you “understand” students and that you explained new and difficult terms. [Student is a new immigrant from Russia.]
In the beginning I was scared. After the first day, I thought the class would be really hard. Looking back, I really enjoy the fact that I could have cared less about law in the beginning of the class but now I think it’s fascinating. You are definitely one of the best teachers I have EVER had. (Not the best, but top 3 for sure.) Do I get extra credit for that last comment?

This course is not a cakewalk … reading the material and staying current is the key. The course promises to “forever” improve your judgment. You’ll be able to read a newspaper and “know” when you’ve spotted the BS. You’ll be able to write better, because you’ll know what to say and what not to say. If journalism is your goal, this course will add depth and quality to your writing. If running a business is your goal, this course is a bright torch in the dark unknown ...

Without the knowledge of this course, we are all just lost hikers wondering somewhere in the forest. With the right knowledge, the forest, the oceans, the cities, the skies, the farms and the future’s our playground.