Frederick Community College
Course Syllabus
LA110-Legal Research/Fall 2011
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Class begins: 8/22/11 |
Class ends: 12/10/11 |
Last Day to
Withdraw: 11/2/11 |
Instructor
Information
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Instructor: Dr. Tracy R. Parker |
Office:
H229 |
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E-mail: tparker@frederick.edu |
Phone Number: 301-624-2819 |
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Office Hours: Daytime: Tuesdays and Thursdays 9:00-11:00am Weekend/Evening:
(by appointment only) Saturdays-before (8:00am) or after class
8/27-10/15; and Wednesdays- (9:15-10:00pm) on 8/24, 9/21,
10/12, 11/2, and 12/7. |
Campus Mail Box Number: 290 |
Course
Information
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Course: LA 100 |
Credits:
3 |
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Prerequisites: EN 52 or ESL 99 |
Co-requisites: |
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Meeting Day(s): Wednesdays This is a hybrid course. Face to face instruction will be held on
the following dates: 8/24, 8/31, 9/7, 9/21, 9/28, 10/12, 10/19,
and 11/2. Mini-conferences will be
scheduled the weeks of 11/9 and 11/16.
Weekly assignments are posted on Blackboard. |
Meeting Time: 7:45-9:05pm |
Course
Description
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Offers
working knowledge of techniques of legal research. Includes assigned problems in legal
research and basic knowledge of Shepard’s citation, West’s Digest system and
Key Numbers; American Law Reports; legal periodicals; Federal and state statutes
legislative history resource materials; and other legal research tools. Stress proper citation form, along with
“briefing” of cases and memo preparation.
Includes the use of computers in legal research. |
Core Learning
Outcomes:
By
the completion of the course students will:
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1. Gather and analyze
facts |
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2. Identify and
organize legal issues |
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3. Develop a legal
research strategy |
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4. Locate applicable
primary and secondary authority |
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5. Perform book-based
and computerized legal research |
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6. Update the law |
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7. Use The Bluebook to properly cite both
primary and secondary authority |
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8. Prepare a
memorandum of law |
Instructional
Methods:
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Lecture |
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Group
Discussion |
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Demonstration |
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Practice
by Doing |
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Virtual
Classroom |
Text(s)
for Course:
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Legal Research,
Analysis, and Writing, Hames and Ekern 2nd Edition The Bluebook, 18th Ed. |
Students will receive some form of written assessment of
their progress in the course no later than the sixth week of a fifteen week
semester or one-third of the instructional time for shorter sessions.
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Evaluation
Methods:
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Tests /
Papers / Projects |
Point
Value |
Final Grade Scale |
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Mid-term
Exam |
100 points |
A=90-100% |
|
Final
Exam |
100 points |
B=80-89% |
|
Research
Exercises |
10 points each |
C=70-79% |
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Memorandum
of Law |
200 points |
D=60-60% |
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Professionalism |
25 points |
F=59% or below |
Codes
of Academic Integrity and Student Conduct
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Students are required to uphold the Code of
Academic Integrity and the Code of Student Conduct. Students who violate
either of these codes may receive a failing grade in the class. Information about these codes and other
student policies, procedures, and penalties is available on the Student
Policy and Procedures web page at http://www.frederick.edu/student_services/studentpolicies.aspx
. |
Student
Services
A variety of
services are available to assist students in succeeding at FCC. Students can
learn more about these services by visiting the Student Services web page: http://www.frederick.edu/student_services/index.aspx
Students with disabilities who are in need of
accommodations or who have questions related to disabilities services should
contact the Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) office at
301-846-2408. Students can learn more about these services by visiting the
Services for Students with Disabilities web page: http://www.frederick.edu/student_services/disability.aspx
.
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You are expected to
be present, prompt, and prepared for all classes. This course
requires student participation in learning activities every class
session. If you are absent, then you
cannot participate. Therefore, classes
should be missed only for serious illness, emergency, religious holidays, or
participation in official college functions.
All
evaluated work is due on the dates specified.
A late assignment will be
penalized by 50% of the total possible points. You should note that this is better
than earning a zero on the assignment.
The instructor will allow a make-up exam if the exam is missed due to
a serious illness, emergency, religious holiday, or participation in an
official college function. A make-up
exam must be taken within 7 calendar days. Failure to meet the make-up exam deadline
will result in a 0% on the exam. |
Email
Communication
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All students will
receive and be expected to use their FCC email address for their
correspondence with faculty and staff at the college. Students can establish and access their FCC
email accounts at the login page: https://myfcc.frederick.edu. |
TOPICAL OUTLINE
Weekly Assignments are posted on Blackboard
in the Assignment Folders. If the
assignment folders differ from this topical outline, you should follow the
assignment folder.
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9/26/11 |
Last Day to Withdraw from this Course |
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10/22/11 |
Inclement Weather Meeting Dates- both must
be included in the topical outline |
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Week |
Subject |
Content |
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1
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Introduction
to the Course; Legal Research and Law Libraries |
Chapter
1: Introduction to Legal Research; the
Role of the Research Assistant; and Law Libraries |
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Finding
the Law; The Federal and State Court Systems |
Chapter
2: Overview of the Legal System;
Sources of Law |
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2 |
Analyzing
Facts and Identifying Legal Issues |
Chapter
3: Sorting the Facts of a Client’s
Case; Comparing Facts from Court Opinions to your Client’s Facts |
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3- |
Court Structure and Law Book Publishing;
Case Law and Judicial Opinions |
Chapter
4: Elements of a Case; Briefing Cases;
Citation Form; Publishing of Cases; How to Use Case Law to Compare and
Contrast the Facts of a Client’s Case (situation); Case Citation Form |
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4 |
How to Brief a Case |
Chapter
5: Purpose of a Case Brief;
Components; Writing A Case Brief |
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5 |
The
Use of Digests; Annotated Law Reports and Words and Phrases |
Chapter
9: Using Digest to Locate Cases;
American Law Reports; Words and Phrases Citation Form |
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Statutory Law; State and Federal |
Chapter
6: Statutory Law; Federal And State
Legislation; Research Techniques; Citation Form |
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6- |
MID-TERM
EXAM |
Mid-term
covers all material to date |
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7 |
Computer Assisted Legal Research |
Computer-Assisted
Legal Research; Westlaw |
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8 |
Secondary Authority and Other Research Aids |
Chapter
8: Encyclopedias; Periodicals;
Treatises; Restatements; Miscellaneous Secondary Authorities |
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9 |
Updating
the Law |
Chapter
10: Updating the Law Manually; Shepardizing; Pocket
Parts; Looseleaf Services |
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10 |
MEMORANDUM
AT LAW ASSIGENED; Legal Research Strategy |
Chapter
12: Legal Research Strategy |
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11 |
How
to Take Effective Notes; When to Stop; Research Project (consult
w/instructor) |
Note
Taking; When to Stop |
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12 |
Research Legal Memorandum |
Research |
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13 |
Legal Writing In General; Memorandum at Law |
Chapter
14: Legal Memorandum at Law; Purpose and Format |
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Research Legal Memorandum |
Conduct
Research |
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14 |
Legal Writing and Citation Form |
Class
Handout: The Bluebook: Citation
Form |
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Rough Drafts Prepared and Reviewed |
Review
Format, Proper Citation; Proof Read and Edit Memos Accordingly |
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15 |
MEMORANDUM
OF LAW DUE-(SUMBIT ONLINE) FINAL
EXAM (TESTING CENTER) |
Turn
in Memorandum of Law and Take Final Exam |
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