Spring 2019 Course Syllabus Course: LGLA-1355- Section: 71 Family Law

Instructor Information
Instructor	Doneane Beckcom
E-mail	beckcomde@lamarpa.edu
Phone	(409) 984-6548
Office	Location: Student Center - Room: 415 Hours: MWF 12 - 1pm, TTR 9am - 1pm
Department	Business and Technology Chair: Sheila Guillot E-mail: guillsr@lamarpa.edu Phone: (409) 984-6381
Course Information
Description	Fundamental concepts of family law including formal and informal marriages, divorce, annulment, martial property, and the parent-child relationship with emphasis on the paralegal's role in family law.
Prerequisites	LGLA 1307 or concurrent enrollment
Learning Outcomes	(Related PSLOs in parenthesis) PSLO Alpha measure by pretest/posttest. All other PSLOs measured by embedded test questions, in class discussions, and online discussion board. 1. Use terminology relating to family law (ALPHA, 1) 2. Analyze sources relating to family law (ALPHA, 1, 2) 3. Draft documents used in family law (ALPHA, 1, 3, 4) 4. Analyze the ethical considerations of the paralegal in family law (1, 3)
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. * Social Responsibility: Students will demonstrate intercultural competency and civic knowledge by engaging effectively in local, regional, national and/or global communities. * Personal Responsibility: Students will demonstrate the ability to connect choices, actions and consequences to ethical decision-making.
Program Student Learning Outcomes	PSLO ALPHA: Reading skills: demonstrates comprehension of content (legal) area. 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.
Textbooks	Family Law for Paralegals, Ehrlich 7th Edition Aspen College Series, Wolters Kluwer ISBN 978-1-4548-7339-6
Lecture Topics Outline	Chapter 1: Marriage and the Legal Recognition of Nonmarital Couples Chapter 2: Premarital Agreements Chapter 3: Domestic Violence Chapter 4: The Law of Divorce, Annulment and Legal Separation Chapter 5: Child Custody Chapter 6: Child Support Chapter 7: Spousal Support Chapter 8: Division of Marital Property Chapter 9: Jurisdiction Chapter 10: The Divorce Process Chapter 11: Determining Parentage Chapter 12: Child Abuse and Neglect Chapter 13: Adoption
Major Assignments Schedule	Week 1: Intro and Orientation to Course, Chapter 1 Week 2: Chapter 2 Week 3: Chapter 3 Week 4: Chapter 4 Week 5: Chapter 5, Test 1 (chapters 1 - 4) Week 6: Chapter 6 Week 7: Chapter 7 Week 8: Chapter 8 Week 9: Spring Break Week 10: Chapter 9, Test 2 (chapters 5 - 8) Week 11: Chapter 10 Week 12: Chapter 11 Week 13: Chapter 12 Week 14: Chapter 13, Test 3 (chapters 9 - 12) Week 15: Review for Final Week 16: Final
Final Exam Date	May 9, 2019 - 8:00 AM   Through  May 13, 2019 - 12:00 PM
Grading Scale	90 - 100=A    80 - 89=B    70 - 79=C     60 - 69=D    Below 59 = F
Determination of Final Grade	Tests: 70% Attendance: 10% Discussion Board: 10% Chapter exercises: 10% I will drop your lowest test grade, so long as it is NOT the final. We will generally test over every 3 - 4 chapters in the book, every 4 weeks during the semester. Tests will be online and will be open for several days each time we test. It is HIGHLY recommended that when you take a test that you do it on a computer that is NOT operating over WiFi. Blackboard tends to do much better during a test if you are networked to the internet (that is, you are hardwired or plugged into an internet source rather than accessing it through WiFi).
Course Policies
Instructor Policies	Power Points for each chapter are posted on Blackboard for you to use during lecture videos and as a study aids. I will post a video each week which is a lecture over the text and PowerPoint, with additional Texas information provided that is not included in the text book. You should take notes from the lecture as some things will be covered that are not in the book or on the PowerPoint slides, but WILL be covered on a test. It is suggested also that you review the key terms and any discussion questions that are included in each chapter. This will help you to master concepts for each test. We will do at least one exercise from each chapter.
Attendance Policy	Since this is an online course you need to login at LEAST once per week to keep up. A student who is not logging in at least once per week and reading at least one chapter per week should consider dropping the course. You have to keep up with the reading and lecture videos in order to stay current in the course. There are only 13 chapters and 16 weeks in the semester (one week is spring break) so you should have no problem keeping up IF you do at least one chapter per week. Online orientation will be scheduled and sent out via email.
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	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.
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	The best way to reach me is via email: beckcomde@lamarpa.edu. If you need to discuss grades please make an appointment to see me in person or via phone. My cell phone for EMERGENCIES ONLY is 409-718-8613 (emergency example: blackboard crashes during a test). If you miss a test, you have TWO WEEKS from the original test date to make up the test. This is YOUR RESPONSIBILITY to request a make up. I will not automatically do this for you. I will have to reopen the online test for you, and unless you ask for a make up I will not just do this for you, so please be diligent if you have to miss the window that a test is open. I generally will leave it open for several days and you will have plenty of advance notice of when each test will be open, so please plan accordingly.
HB 2504	This syllabus is part of LSC-PA's efforts to comply with Texas House Bill 2504.