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Fall 2023 Course Syllabus
Course: LGLA-2303 (Section: 71, CRN: 91924) Torts and Personal Injury Law |
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| Instructor Information | |||||||||
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| Instructor | Doneane Beckcom | ||||||||
| beckcomde@lamarpa.edu | |||||||||
| Phone | (409) 984-6548 | ||||||||
| Office | Umphrey Industrial Technology Center - Room: 201A | ||||||||
| Office Hours | ALL TIMES BY APPOINTMENT TEXT OR EMAIL FOR AN APPOINTMENT TIME |
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| Additional Contact Information | CELL 409-718-8613 | ||||||||
| Course Information | |||||||||
| Description | Fundamental concepts of tort and personal injury law including intentional torts, negligence, and strict liability with emphasis on the paralegal's role. | ||||||||
| Required Textbooks |
Textbook Purchasing Statement: A student attending Lamar State College Port Arthur is not under any obligation to purchase a textbook from the college-affiliated bookstore. The same textbook may also be available from an independent retailer, including an online retailer.
Tort Law for Paralegals, Sixth Edition Neal R. Bevans Wolters Kluwer ISBN: 9781454896227 |
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| Additional Materials/Resources | I will post links to the YouTube court channels and other resources throughout the semester in Blackboard | ||||||||
| Corequisites/Prerequisites | None | ||||||||
| Learning Outcomes | Fundamental concepts of tort and personal injury law including intentional torts, negligence, and strict liability with emphasis on the paralegal's role. Learn the correct use of terminology relating to tort and personal injury law; analyze sources relating to tort and personal injury law; draft documents used in tort and personal injury law; and analyze the ethical considerations of the paralegal's role in tort and personal injury law. | ||||||||
| Program Student Learning Outcomes |
PSLO 1: understand legal terms and the paralegal's role in the legal environment. PSLO 2: apply correct drafting procedures to transactional and court documents. PSLO 3: demonstrate appropriate ethics and professionalism in the legal environment. PSLO 4: exhibit the ability to use computer skills. |
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| Lecture Topics Outline |
Chapter 1 An Introduction to Tort Law Chapter 2 Intentional Torts Chapter 3 Defenses to Intentional Torts Chapter 4 Introduction to Negligence Chapter 5 Duty Chapter 6 Breach of Duty Under Negligence Law Chapter 7 Proximate Cause Chapter 8 Damages Chapter 9 Defenses to Negligence Chapter 10 Strict Liability and Products Liability Chapter 11 Defamation Chapter 12 Malpractice Chapter 13 Insurance Chapter 14 Fraud, Misrepresentation, and Business Torts |
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| Major Assignments Schedule |
ONLINE LECTURES We will typically cover one to two chapters per week. Since this class is online, you are able to move through the materials at your own pace; however, it is not suggested that you get more than one chapter ahead. There are approximately 15 weeks of instruction in the semester to allow for review for finals. We are covering 14 chapters in the textbook, so this is about one chapter per week. I recommend that you READ the chapter for the week and review the PowerPoint slides for the chapter. THEN watch the lecture video. The lecture summarizes the chapter and will make more sense to you if you are familiar with the materials before you watch it. The lecture videos were recorded in a prior semester, so DISREGARD dates for test windows and other due dates. I will email you with the dates that tests will open and close. WEEK 1: Chapter 1 An Introduction to Tort Law and Chapter 2 Intentional Torts WEEK 2: Chapter 3 Defenses to Intentional Torts WEEK 3: Chapter 4 Introduction to Negligence WEEK 4: Chapter 5 Duty WEEK 5: Chapter 6 Breach of Duty Under Negligence Law WEEK 6: Chapter 7 Proximate Cause WEEK 7: Chapter 8 Damages WEEK 8: Chapter 9 Defenses to Negligence WEEK 9: Chapter 10 Strict Liability and Products Liability WEEK 10: Chapter 11 Defamation WEEK 11: Chapter 12 Malpractice WEEK 12:Chapter 13 Insurance WEEK 13: Chapter 14 Fraud, Misrepresentation, and Business Torts DISCUSSION BOARD ON BLACKBOARD There will be a written discussion board assignment each week from the topic of each chapter/week. Discussion posts are due every Friday at NOON, no exceptions (unless Blackboard goes down). Your responses will be graded for accuracy, writing proficiency, and content. This is a way for us to do writing assignments for a grade while developing good writing and communication skills. You will receive more instruction for each discussion assignment as each one is posted. TESTS Tests will generally cover 4 chapters and occur every 3 - 4 weeks throughout the semester, with a review prior to each exam. You will be given the dates the test will be open and when it will close at least one week prior so that you can plan accordingly. Tests will cover: Test 1: chapters 1 - 4 Test 2: chapters 5 - 8 Test 3: chapters 9 - 12 Final: chapters 13 - 14 |
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| Final Exam Date | December 4, 2023 - 8:0 AM Through December 8, 2023 - 12:0 PM | ||||||||
| Grading Scale | 90 - 100=A 80 - 89=B 70 - 79=C 60 - 69=D Below 59 = F | ||||||||
| Determination of Final Grade |
Tests: 75% Discussions: 25% |
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| Course Policies | |||||||||
| Instructor Policies | If you need to speak to me, send an email and we will set a time for a Zoom or a phone call. If you have an EMERGENCY, you can text between the hours of 7AM and 7PM 409-718-8613. And emergency would be if Blackboard goes down during a test or an assignment submission. | ||||||||
| Attendance Policy | As this is an online class you MUST log into the course at least once per week to be counted as present for the week. All of the materials you need for the class, aside from the textbook, are available in the Blackboard course. | ||||||||
| Additional Information |
I am always available via email. If you have an emergency, you can text me at 409-718-8613. If you need to see me in person, please make an appointment. TimelyCare is a virtual health and well-being platform available 24/7 for Lamar State College Port Arthur students. Any enrolled student can use TimelyCare. There is no cost to students. Go to timelycare.com/LSCPA or download the TimelyCare app to access care. |
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| Institutional Policies | |||||||||
| MyLSCPA | Be sure to check your campus email and Course Homepage using MyLSCPA campus web portal. You can also access your grades, transcripts, academic advisors, degree progress, and other services through MyLSCPA. | ||||||||
| Academic Honesty | Academic honesty is expected from all students, and dishonesty in any form will not be tolerated. Please consult the LSCPA policies (Academic Dishonesty section in the Student Handbook) for consequences of academic dishonesty. | ||||||||
| 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. | ||||||||
| COVID 19 Information | The Lamar State College Port Arthur (LSCPA) Student Code of Conduct COVID 19 Policy requires students who have been diagnosed with COVID 19 to report their condition directly to their local health department. Students should also contact their course faculty to report their quarantine status. In addition, this policy requires all students to wear face coverings when directly exposed to COVID 19 in compliance with the criteria included in the policy. For more information please refer to the COVID 19 link on the LSCPA website. | ||||||||
| Facility Policies | No food or tobacco products are allowed in the classroom. Only students enrolled in the course are allowed in the classroom, except by special instructor permission. Use of electronic devices is prohibited. | ||||||||
| HB 2504 | This syllabus is part of LSCPA's efforts to comply with Texas House Bill 2504. | ||||||||
| Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse and Neglect | As per Texas law and LSCPA policy, all LSCPA employees, including faculty, are required to report allegations or disclosures of child abuse or neglect to the designated authorities, which may include a local or state law enforcement agency or the Texas Department of Family Protective Services. For more information about mandatory reporting requirements, see LSCPA's Policy and Procedure Manual. | ||||||||
| Title IX and Sexual Misconduct | LSCPA is committed to establishing and maintaining an environment that is free from all forms of sex discrimination, including sexual harassment, sexual violence, and other forms of sexual misconduct. All LSCPA employees, including faculty, have the responsibility to report disclosures of sexual misconduct, including sexual harassment, sexual assault (including rape and acquaintance rape), domestic violence, dating violence, relationship violence, or stalking, to LSCPA's Title IX Coordinator, whose role is to coordinate the college's response to sexual misconduct. For more information about Title IX protections, faculty reporting responsibilities, options for confidential reporting, and the resources available for support visit LSCPA's Title IX website. | ||||||||
| Clery Act Crime Reporting |
For more information about the Clery Act and crime reporting, see the Annual Security & Fire Safety Report and the Campus Security website. |
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| Grievance / Complaint / Concern | If you have a grievance, complaint, or concern about this course that has not been resolved through discussion with the Instructor, please consult the Department Chair. | ||||||||
| Department Information |
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