YOUR INSTRUCTOR
see information on your instructor including website, phone no. etc. http://lamission.edu/law/lawfaculty.htm

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Catalog: CSU 3 units. Law 11 is a continuation of Law 10 with a comprehensive study of the composition, location, and jurisdiction of all courts, a study of the production and admistration within the judicial structure, a detailed examination of legal research of case law, statutes, and administrative regulations, and an introduction to legal drafting and writing.

Law 11 introduces the student to the Litigation Process starting with the preparation and filing of suits, the court rules on preparing papers and document, the answer, and various defendants' pleadings such as demurrer, and motion to strike, discovery, interrogatories, depositions, request for production of documents, and preparation of pre-trial and trial paperwork and documents.

The student will learn how to draft, and craft pleadings, including complaints, and answers, and will study how to prepare discovery, such as interrogatories, Notices of Depositions, deposition summaries, and will learn the rules of the Code of Civil Procedure as they apply to discovery and pleadings. The paralegal student will als be introduced to pre-trial and trial documents including trial briefs, jury instructions, and Motions In Limine.

COURSE TEXT      

FUNDAMENTALS OF CALIFORNIA CIVIL LITIGATION FOR PARALEGALS  ($74.95) by Marlene A. Maerowitz and Thomas A. Mauet, Aspen Law & Business. ISBN 0-7355-2478-5 1st Edition, or most recent .Available at the Campus Bookstore or - http://lamission.edu/law/textbooks - order textbook online

COURSE OBJECTIVES

1. The student will learn an overview of law and the legal system, , including the courts, the court system, how to read, understand and brief court cases, how to read, and understand California and Federal Codes, and a general overview of substantive laws of Civil Procedure and Civil Litigation which a paralegal must be familiar with to do their job properly.

2. The student will learn to "think critically" in law, This will be accomplished through the multiple-choice quizzes, postings to hypothetical legal questions in a threaded discussion format The assignments will require the student to prepare certain legal documents and pleadings, to analyze code sections in the Code of Civil Procedure, prepare a trial brief, and other relevant legal tasks related to the subject materials.

3. The student will learn how to do legal research in general, how to phrase a legal question or issue, and how to search for the correct "legal" answer.

4. The student will improve their writing skills and learn basic skills in legal drafting and writing.

5. The student will improve their study skills and will improve how they study law.

GRADING & EVALUATION

The class will be composed of quizzes, postings to an "electronic bulletin board" - threaded discussions, and written projects.The student should work off of the duedates for the class. The deadlines are clearly posted on the schedule. Quizzes will be posted and students are expected to fill in their answers to the multiple choice questions during a deadline period. After the time period has expired, the quiz link will no longer be available, and the student will NOT be allowed to take the quiz (certain exceptions might be made if the student emails his/her online instructor regarding exceptional family circumstances or situtations - not just "not enough time", or "late", and the instructor will decide and determine each request on the facts of the circumstances).

The "letter grade" scale is as follows.

A =  90-100 percent of total points
B =  80-89
C =  70-79
D =  60-69
F =  Below 60

Office Hours: see Faculty page at http://lamission.edu/law/lawfaculty.htm - Office Hours, Mon. - Friday 9-5 pm at the Office Telephone number of each Faculty member, or upon special appointment - email the faculty member for your appointment date and time.

Course Structure: This course will be offered online and hybrid in the classroom, and the student should check the online portal at Mission College - http://lamission.edu/online for the class and the course management system.

LATE ASSIGNMENTS: ASSIGNMENTS SUBMITTED LATE WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED UNLESS PRIOR APPROVAL IS REQUESTED AND GRANTED BY THE INSTRUCTOR.

EXTRA CREDIT: Since the law is in constant change, along with the advent of the Internet, issues may arise that are timely and germane to our class. Therefore, opportunities may arise during the term that allow for extra credit, although no extra credit is presently offered.

INCOMPLETE: If you require a grade of "incomplete," you must advise me as soon as possible and discuss the terms of its removal.

ACADEMIC HONESTY: Academic honesty is highly valued at Mission College, just as it is at all colleges and universities. A student must always submit work that represents his or her original words or ideas. If any words or ideas are used that do not represent the student's original words or ideas, the student must cite all relevant sources. The student should also make it clear to what extent such sources were used. Words or ideas that require citations include, but are not limited to, all hard copy or electronic publications, whether copyrighted or not, and all verbal or visual communications when the content of such communications clearly originates from an identifiable source. All submissions to any public meeting or private mailbox fall within the scope of words and ideas that require citations if used by someone other than the original author.

Course Assignments: see assignments under due dates at http://duedates.pbwiki.com .

Course Evaluation:

The final grade will be determined by: averaging quizzes, discussion questions and written assignments, each assigned 100 or more points.

Required Resources (for internet/online work)

System requirements: IBM or compatible (486/33 CPU minimum) with Windows or Mac or compatible with 6.05 operating system or higher, 8 megs of RAM, 20 megs free hard disc space, modem with a 9600 baud rate minimum.

* This syllabus is subject to change. Please note revision dates ("updated") below. Students are responsible for the most recent updated version of this syllabus.

updated: 3/06/07