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Spring 2022 Course Syllabus
Course: LGLA-1345- Section: 1 Civil Litigation |
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| Instructor Information | |||||||||||
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| Instructor | Doneane Beckcom | ||||||||||
| beckcomde@lamarpa.edu | |||||||||||
| Phone | (409) 984-6548 | ||||||||||
| Office |
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| COVID 19 Information | The Lamar State College Port Arthur (LSCPA) Student Code of Conduct COVID 19 Policy requires students who have been exposed to COVID 19 or diagnosed with COVID 19 to report their condition on the COVID 19 Notification Form (available via a link on the Student Code of Conduct COVID19 webpage). This information will be provided to the Dean of Student Services. In addition, this policy requires all students to wear face coverings in compliance with the criteria included in the policy. For more information please refer to the COVID 19 link on the LSCPA website. | ||||||||||
| Course Information | |||||||||||
| Description | Presents fundamental concepts and procedures of civil litigation including pretrial, trial, and post-trial phases of litigation and emphasizes the paralegal's role in civil litigation. | ||||||||||
| Prerequisites | LGLA 1307 or concurrent enrollment | ||||||||||
| Learning Outcomes |
1. Use terminology relating to civil litigation 2. Analyze sources relating to civil litigation and applicable court rules 3. Draft documents used in civil litigation 4. Analyze the ethical considerations of the paralegal in relating to civil litigation |
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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. * Empirical and Quantitative Skills: Students will demonstrate applications of scientific and mathematical concepts. * Teamwork: Students will demonstrate the ability to work effectively with others to support a shared purpose or goal and consider different points of view. * 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. |
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| 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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| 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.
Civil Litigation, Kerley latest edition Delmar Publishing Suggested: download the Student Resources from the Cengage website (PowerPoints, outlines, study gudes, etc.). We will NOT use MindTap. 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. |
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| Lecture Topics Outline |
Week 1 Orientation Chapter 1: Litigation and the Paralegal Overview of litigation process and role of paralegal DISCUSSION BOARD Week 2 Chapter 2: The Courts and Jurisdiction Structure and function of federal courts; subject matter jurisdiction and personal jurisdiction of courts DISCUSSION BOARD Week3 Chapter 3: Preliminary Considerations and Procedures Cause of actions, statutes of limitation, ethical considerations DISCUSSION BOARD Week 4 Chapter 4: Investigation and Evidence interviewing and investigation; overview of Federal Rules of Evidence DISCUSSION BOARD Week 5 Chapter 5: The Complaint Drafting and filing the complaint and summons; service of process Test 1 chapters 1 - 4 Week 6 Chapter 6: Responses to the Complaint DISCUSSION BOARD Week 7 Chapter 7: Motion Practice Drafting and serving answers, counter claims, cross claims and third party actions; defaults; overview of pretrial, trial and posttrial motions; drafting motions DISCUSSION BOARD Week 8 Chapter 8: Overview of the Discovery Process Nature and extent of discovery including ESI; mutual disclosure under federal rules; obligation to cooperate DISCUSSION BOARD Week 9 SPRING BREAK (Nothing is due this week! Take a break!) Week 10 Chapter 9: Depositions Nature of oral depositions, depositions in an electronic age, paralegal role before, during and after the oral deposition; depositions on written questions Test 2 chapters 5 - 8 Week 11 Chapter 10: Interrogatories Scope and purpose of interrogatories; drafting and responding to interrogatories, including use of ESI; objections to interrogatories; motions to compel DISCUSSION BOARD Week 12 Chapter 11: Physical and Mental Examinations Nature and purpose of physical and mental examinations; requesting and objecting to requests and motions for physical and mental examinations; role of the paralegal DISCUSSION BOARD Week 13 Chapter 12: Request for Documents Overview of document production; ESI and document production; drafting requests for production; responding to requests; privileges and protection of documents; organizing and indexing documents; inspection of property DISCUSSION BOARD Week 14 Chapter 13: Request for Admissions Purpose and uses of request for admissions; drafting and responding to the request Test 3 chapters 9 -12 Week 15 Chapter 14: Settlements, Dismissals and ADR Chapter 15: Trial Techniques Settlement offers and agreements; dismissals and consent decrees; distribution of settlement funds; overview of trial procedure; role of paralegal at trial DISCUSSION BOARD Week 16 Chapter 16: Posttrial Practice Calculating due dates; posttrial motions; overview of appellate procedures; preparation of appellate brief DISCUSSION BOARD |
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| Major Assignments Schedule |
Week 1 Orientation Chapter 1: Litigation and the Paralegal Overview of litigation process and role of paralegal DISCUSSION BOARD Week 2 Chapter 2: The Courts and Jurisdiction Structure and function of federal courts; subject matter jurisdiction and personal jurisdiction of courts DISCUSSION BOARD Week3 Chapter 3: Preliminary Considerations and Procedures Cause of actions, statutes of limitation, ethical considerations DISCUSSION BOARD Week 4 Chapter 4: Investigation and Evidence interviewing and investigation; overview of Federal Rules of Evidence DISCUSSION BOARD Week 5 Chapter 5: The Complaint Drafting and filing the complaint and summons; service of process Test 1 chapters 1 - 4 Week 6 Chapter 6: Responses to the Complaint DISCUSSION BOARD Week 7 Chapter 7: Motion Practice Drafting and serving answers, counter claims, cross claims and third party actions; defaults; overview of pretrial, trial and posttrial motions; drafting motions DISCUSSION BOARD Week 8 Chapter 8: Overview of the Discovery Process Nature and extent of discovery including ESI; mutual disclosure under federal rules; obligation to cooperate DISCUSSION BOARD Week 9 SPRING BREAK (Nothing is due this week! Take a break!) Week 10 Chapter 9: Depositions Nature of oral depositions, depositions in an electronic age, paralegal role before, during and after the oral deposition; depositions on written questions Test 2 chapters 5 - 8 Week 11 Chapter 10: Interrogatories Scope and purpose of interrogatories; drafting and responding to interrogatories, including use of ESI; objections to interrogatories; motions to compel DISCUSSION BOARD Week 12 Chapter 11: Physical and Mental Examinations Nature and purpose of physical and mental examinations; requesting and objecting to requests and motions for physical and mental examinations; role of the paralegal DISCUSSION BOARD Week 13 Chapter 12: Request for Documents Overview of document production; ESI and document production; drafting requests for production; responding to requests; privileges and protection of documents; organizing and indexing documents; inspection of property DISCUSSION BOARD Week 14 Chapter 13: Request for Admissions Purpose and uses of request for admissions; drafting and responding to the request Test 3 chapters 9 -12 Week 15 Chapter 14: Settlements, Dismissals and ADR Chapter 15: Trial Techniques Settlement offers and agreements; dismissals and consent decrees; distribution of settlement funds; overview of trial procedure; role of paralegal at trial DISCUSSION BOARD Week 16 Chapter 16: Posttrial Practice Calculating due dates; posttrial motions; overview of appellate procedures; preparation of appellate brief DISCUSSION BOARD |
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| Final Exam Date | May 6, 2022 - 8:0 AM Through May 11, 2022 - 12:0 PM | ||||||||||
| Grading Scale | 90 - 100=A 80 - 89=B 70 - 79=C 60 - 69=D Below 59 = F | ||||||||||
| Determination of Final Grade |
Three regular exams: 70% Final: 20% Discussion Board: 10% |
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| Course Policies | |||||||||||
| Instructor Policies |
The BEST way to reach me is via email. ALL TESTS ARE ONLINE VIA BLACKBOARD. If you have an emergency during a test (BB glitches, internet goes down, etc.) you can TEXT me at 409-718-8613 (between 8AM and 7PM, NO EARLIER OR LATER!). I will not discuss your grades over the phone or by email. If you want to discuss your grades, you must make an appointment and we will meet via ZOOM or you can come to my office on campus if you are comfortable doing that. |
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| Attendance Policy | Regular attendance is required. A student who does not attend class will have a VERY difficult time catching up and being successful in this class. Attendance will be taken every day and will be reflected in your final grade. COME TO CLASS AND BE ON TIME! | ||||||||||
| 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. | ||||||||||
| MyLSCPA | Be sure to check your campus E-mail and Course Homepage using MyLSCPA 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 MyLSCPA. | ||||||||||
| Other | |||||||||||
| HB 2504 | This syllabus is part of LSC-PA's efforts to comply with Texas House Bill 2504. | ||||||||||
| Department |
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