Fall 2019 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) Legal Research and Writing for Paralegals, 8th Edition, Deborah E. Bouchoux, Wolters Kluwer, ISBN 978-1-4548-7335-8 (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 |
Finding the Law Federal and State Court Systems Statutory Law Case Law and Judicial Opinions The Use of Digests, Annotations, etc. Encyclopedias, Periodicals, Treatises, and Restatements Miscellaneous Secondary Authorities Legal Citation Form Updating and Validating Research Special Research Issues The Digital Library E-Research Overview of the Research Process Back to Basics Strategies for Effective Writing Legal Correspondence Legal Memoranda Legal Briefs Postwriting Steps |
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Major Assignments Schedule |
Week 1: Orientation to class, syllabus, pre test, Chapter 1 Week 2: Chapter 2 - 3 Week 3: Chapter 4 Week 4: Chapter 5 Week 5: Test 1, Chapters 1 - 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: Test 2, Chapters 6 - 12; Chapter 13 Week 14: Chapter 14 - 15 Week 15: Chapter 16 - 18 Week 16: Chapter 19 FINAL is NOT comprehensive, it will cover Chapters 13 - 19 *THERE IS NOT A SEPARATE FINAL FOR THE LAB, FINAL COVERS BOTH LECTURE AND LAB WORK |
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Final Exam Date | December 6, 2019 - 8:00 AM Through December 6, 2019 - 10:30 AM | ||||||||||
Grading Scale | 90 - 100=A 80 - 89=B 70 - 79=C 60 - 69=D Below 59 = F | ||||||||||
Determination of Final Grade |
Exams (2-3) 60% Projects and assignments (library and internet lab work) 20% Final Exam (not comprehensive) 15% Attendance 5% |
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Course Policies | |||||||||||
Instructor Policies | I am always available via email and text, 409-718-8613 (emergencies only for texting, please!). If you'd like to see me in person, please make an appointment. | ||||||||||
Attendance Policy | It is HIGHLY recommended that you do not miss class or lab. This is a hands on class and you NEED to be in attendance regularly. | ||||||||||
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 the Office for Disability Services 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. |