Fall 2018 Course Syllabus
Course: LGLA-1401- Section: 11 Legal Research and Writing |
Instructor Information | |||||||||
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Instructor | Doneane Beckcom | ||||||||
beckcomde@lamarpa.edu | |||||||||
Phone | (409) 984-6548 | ||||||||
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Department |
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Course Information | |||||||||
Description | Presents the fundamentals of legal research and writing emphasizing the paralegal's role including resources and processes used in legal research and writing. | ||||||||
Prerequisites | LGLA 1307 (may be taken concurrently, however) | ||||||||
Learning Outcomes |
Related PSLO 1.5 Research U.S. Supreme court caselaw 2.1 Locate Texas statutory law 3.5 Write proper citations for various jurisdictions 4.5 Find caselaw for lower federal courts 5.5 Research administrative law 6.5 Locate federal statutory law 7.4 Do legal research in Westlaw 8.1 Research in legal encyclopedias 9.5 Update legal materials in citators 10.4 Perform legal research in Lexis-Nexis 11.5 Research in legal periodicals |
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Core Objectives |
* Communication skills: Students will demonstrate effective written, oral and visual communication. * Critical Thinking Skills: Students will engage in creative and/or innovative thinking, and/or inquiry, analysis, evaluation, synthesis of information, organizing concepts and constructing solutions. * Personal Responsibility: Students will demonstrate the ability to connect choices, actions and consequences to ethical decision-making. |
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Program Student Learning Outcomes |
Alpha reading skills- 1. Understand legal terms and the paralegal's role in the legal environment. 2. Apply correct drafting procedures to transactional and court documents. 3. Demonstrate appropriate ethics and professionalism in the legal environment. 4. Exhibit the ability to use computer skills. 5. Demonstrate comprehension of legal reading materials |
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Textbooks |
(1) Paralegal Today; Miller/Meinsinger; latest ed. ISBN 978-1-305-50608-4 (2) Texas Rules of Form, Texas Law Review, latest ed. (3) The Bluebook of Uniform System of Citation, Columbia Law and Harvard Law Review Association, latest ed. |
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Lecture Topics Outline |
See syllabus for the class section for lecture topics. Lab time will be devoted to assignments. | ||||||||
Major Assignments Schedule |
Each week we will do research projects in lab that correspond to the chapters we cover in class: Week 1: Orientation to lab, syllabus, trip to the library Week 2: Chapters 1 - 2 Week 3: Chapter 3 Week 4: Chapter 4 Week 5: Chapter 5 Week 6: Chapter 6 Week 7: Chapter 7 Week 8: Chapter 8 Week 9: Chapter 9 Week 10: Chapter 10 Week 11: Chapter 11 Week 12: Chapter 12 Week 13: Chapter 13 Week 14: Chapter 14 - 15 Week 15: Chapter 16 - 18 Week 16: Chapter 19 |
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Final Exam Date | December 7, 2018 - 8:00 AM Through December 7, 2018 - 10:00 AM | ||||||||
Grading Scale | 90 - 100=A 80 - 89=B 70 - 79=C 60 - 69=D Below 59 = F | ||||||||
Determination of Final Grade |
Projects and Special Assignments 80% Attendance 20% |
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Course Policies | |||||||||
Instructor Policies | I am always available via email and via text in an emergency, 409-718-8613. If you'd like to see me in person, please make an appointment. | ||||||||
Attendance Policy | A student who misses 6 classes may be dropped from the course | ||||||||
Academic Honesty | Academic honesty is expected from all students, and dishonesty in any form will not be tolerated. Please consult the LSC-PA policies (Section IX, subsection A, in the Faculty Handbook) for consequences of academic dishonesty. | ||||||||
Facility Policies |
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Important Information | |||||||||
ADA Considerations | The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal anti-discrimination statute that provides comprehensive civil rights for persons with disabilities. Among other things, this legislation requires that all students with disabilities be guaranteed a learning environment that provides for reasonable accommodation of their disabilities. If you believe you have a disability requiring an accommodation, please contact the Special Populations Coordinator, Room 231, in the Madison Monroe Building. The phone number is (409) 984-6241. | ||||||||
MyLamarPA | Be sure to check your campus E-mail and Course Homepage using MyLamarPA campus web portal (My.LamarPA.edu). When you've logged in, click the email icon in the upper right-hand corner to check email, or click on the "My Courses" tab to get to your Course Homepage. Click the link to your course and review the information presented. It is important that you check your email and Course Homepage regularly. You can also access your grades, transcripts, and determine who your academic advisor is by using MyLamarPA. | ||||||||
Other | |||||||||
HB 2504 | This syllabus is part of LSC-PA's efforts to comply with Texas House Bill 2504. |