LEGL 101: INTRODUCTION TO LAW Section 602 | CRN# 79403 | Fall 2012 | 3 credits Time: T 5:30 – 8:15 |Location: SSB 213 Instructor Information Professor Jason Brandeis, J.D. Office: Justice Center, LIB 213 Office Hours: Monday 10-11, Tuesday 2-5
Phone: (907) 786-1812 Email:
[email protected] Website: www.justice.uaa.alaska.edu
Course Description This is a survey course that provides an introduction to the American legal system, discusses the general concepts of prominent areas of substantive law, and explains legal terminology and basic legal analysis methods. The first half of the course will discuss constitutional law, the federal and state court systems, the litigation process, judicial decision-making, the limitations on a court’s ability to resolve disputes and fashion remedies, and the methods by which civil and criminal law regulate conduct and reflect and define social norms in the United States. The second half will focus on the fundamental concepts of several areas of law, including torts, contracts, property, family, and criminal law, and application of those concepts to various fact patterns. Course Learning Objectives Upon successful completion of this course, you will be able to: 1. Comprehend the way in which law regulates conduct and defines social norms in a democratic society. 2. Identify the functions of the federal and state court systems and the role courts play in resolving disputes and maintaining social order. 3. Describe the distinction between civil and criminal laws and remedies. 4. Recognize vocabulary and concepts related to fundamental principles of contract, tort, administrative, family, and criminal law. 5. Relate current events presented in mainstream and alternative media to principles of law presented in the course. These objectives will be met through lectures, class discussion, and writing assignments. Required Text and Materials Scheb & Scheb, An Introduction to the American Legal System (2nd Edition). Additional reading materials will be available on Blackboard under the “Course Materials” tab.
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Assessments And Grading Policy The course grade will be based on the A-F grading criteria identified in the current UAA Catalog: A B C D F
90- 100 80-89 70-79 60-69 Below 60
The instructor reserves the right to amend the grading structure and require additional examinations, quizzes, or assignments. The course grade will be comprised of the following: 75% -- Examinations There will be a midterm and a final examination. Examinations will not be cumulative. Failure to take an examination will result in grade of zero for that examination. Students who miss the midterm exam (for any reason) may take the missed exam during the final exam period at the end of the semester. This is the only opportunity to make up a missed exam. Students who miss the final exam must make prior arrangements where practicable. Extreme circumstances and documentation thereof are required to make up the final exam. Examples of circumstances that could lead to a make-up final exam include medical emergencies, observance of religious holidays, and required military commitments. Do not assume you are eligible for a make-up final exam; contact the instructor to discuss it as soon as circumstances allow. 25% -- Assignments Assignments may include, among other things, quizzes, essays, analysis of legal current events, and written responses to movies or other presentations. Detailed instructions for each assignment will be found under the “Assignments” tab on the Blackboard page for this class. Assignment instructions will become available on Blackboard approximately one week before they are due. Assignments will either be submitted online through the Blackboard system or in person, depending on the nature of the assignment. All assignments must be turned in at the start of class on the assigned due date unless otherwise specified. Late assignments will not be accepted. Exceptions may be granted in extreme circumstances, as described above. Students who do not complete an assignment on time will receive a grade of zero for that assignment. Unless otherwise specified, all assignments must be typed in 11- or 12-point Times New Roman or Calibri font with one-inch margins. Hand-written assignments will not be accepted. For purposes of gauging assignment length, one page is approximately 500 words (i.e., a one-page essay will be one single-spaced page or two-double spaced pages, either of which will contain approximately 500 words). Assignments must include a heading with your name, assignment number and title (e.g., Assignment 2: Law and Justice), course name, section number, and semester (e.g., LEGL 101-601 Fall 2012).
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Attendance and Participation Regular, punctual class attendance is expected. Attendance is more than merely showing up for class. Participation is crucial to success in this course. Each class will include discussion of the assigned reading materials and application of the concepts contained therein. It is the responsibility of each student to come to class prepared to discuss the readings and to participate in the discussion and other in-class assignments. Students will be held responsible on the exams for all material covered in class whether or not the material is included in the assigned readings. Classroom Conduct Policy As with all members of the University community, the University requires students to conduct themselves responsibly and to respect the rights of others. Conduct that unreasonably interferes with the learning environment or that violates the rights of others is prohibited by the standards and guidelines collectively described as the Student Code of Conduct. For more information on student conduct see: http://www.uaa.alaska.edu/deanofstudents/StudentJudicialServices/index.cfm Academic Honesty Policy The UAA Academic Honesty Policy mandates that students take credit only for ideas and efforts that are their own. Academic dishonesty is defined as the use of unauthorized assistance to prepare materials submitted as original work. Cheating, plagiarism (the use of another’s words or ideas, in whole or in part, without adequate citation), and other forms of academic dishonesty will not be tolerated. Any dishonest behavior associated with your participation in this class may result in a failing grade for the course and will subject you to University disciplinary proceedings. For more information on UAA’s academic honesty policy see: http://www.uaa.alaska.edu/deanofstudents/StudentJudicialServices/academicintegrity.cfm Support For Students With Disabilities And Other Special Needs If you have, or think you may have, a disability or any other special needs (such as a learning disability, a chronic health problem, a mobility impairment, or a mental health condition) that may interfere with your performance as a student in this class, you are encouraged to discuss your needs and arrange for support services and/or accommodations Disability Support Services (“DSS”). Visit the DSS website (www.uaa.alaska.edu/dss) for more information. To request support, contact DSS at 907-786-4530,
[email protected] or Rasmuson Hall 105. Use Of Electronic Devices In Class The use of electronic devices to record or transmit class lectures, discussions, or other activities is prohibited without prior approval.1 Use of cell phones in class is not permitted. Please turn off your cell phone and any other potentially distracting electronic devices when you come to class. If an emergency requires that you leave your phone on during class, please let the instructor know in advance 1
If a disability or other unusual circumstance makes recording desirable, please see the instructor in advance so that appropriate accommodations may be made. LEGL A101-602 | Fall 2012 | Professor Brandeis | University of Alaska Anchorage
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so that an accommodation may be made that is fair to other students. You will be asked to leave class if you are on your phone or texting during a lecture. The use of laptop computers for the purpose of note taking or work on special course projects is permitted. All other uses, such as personal Internet use, checking Facebook, or using instant messaging or chat programs are prohibited. Any student violating this policy will be asked to discontinue use of the device and to leave class. If the problem is pervasive, the instructor reserves the right to prohibit all laptop use for the benefit of the entire class. If such a situation occurs, students with a disability necessitating laptop use should see the instructor. Blackboard This course will make extensive use of the Blackboard system.2 Pertinent announcements will be made on Blackboard, course materials will be posted to Blackboard for you to download, and assignments may be required to be submitted via Blackboard. Therefore, it is very important that you are familiar with how to use the Blackboard site and you should check it at least twice per week. The URL for Blackboard is www.uaa.alaska.edu/classes/. If you have not previously used Blackboard, spend some time taking the brief tutorial explaining how to sign in and use the system. This information is located here: https://kb.uaa.alaska.edu/Wiki%20Pages/Blackboard%20Student%20Resources.aspx. Contact the UAA IT Call Center by phone (907-786-4646 or 877-633-3888) or e-mail (
[email protected]) if you need additional assistance with Blackboard. E-Mail E-mail will be a primary means of communication by which the instructor contacts you outside of the scheduled class meeting times. Students are expected to check their UAA student e-mail regularly or to forward their UAA student e-mail to an e-mail account that they check daily. When e-mailing the instructor, include the course number in the subject line of the e-mail along with the topic of your question (i.e., “LEGL 101: question about grade”) and your first and last name in the body of the message. Failing to follow this policy may result in the instructor’s inability to reply because the message may get classified as spam and deleted. It is requested that students send e-mail to the instructor from their University of Alaska e-mail accounts. The instructor will not respond to questions about grades or other personal matters covered by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) if the message is generated from a personal (non-UAA) e-mail account. Office Hours Office hours are designated times outside of class where instructors make themselves available to meet with students individually. During office hours students can ask questions and talk about class material, readings, exams, papers, and research. Office hours are very useful when students are unclear about material covered in class or the textbook, have questions about papers or exams, or want to ask for 2
Blackboard system problems have been known to occur. When the system is down, system administrators normally post that fact on the main Blackboard login page. The Blackboard or e-mail system being down is not an excuse for failing to contact the professor about exams, assignments, or missed class time. Even if Blackboard is down, telephonic and other communication methods are still available. LEGL A101-602 | Fall 2012 | Professor Brandeis | University of Alaska Anchorage
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feedback. Office hours are also a good opportunity to get to know your professors and for your professors to get to know you. I prefer that you contact me to make an appointment for a meeting during my office hours. This will allow me to better prepare for our meeting and will ensure that I will not be busy with another student when you arrive. If you cannot attend office hours because the times conflict with other classes, jobs, etc., you can make an appointment to meet with me outside of the designated office hours. Course Schedule This syllabus is intended to provide guidance as to what may be covered throughout the course and will be followed as closely as possible. The course schedule may be adjusted to allow for extra time on a particular subject. Any changes to the schedule will be announced in class. Each student is responsible for attending class and remaining aware of the course schedule. The instructor reserves the right to modify or add assignments for the purpose of fostering subject mastery and to make any such other changes to the syllabus as are deemed appropriate for instructional purposes. Students are expected to complete the readings listed in the schedule before class on the dates assigned. Date Week #1
PREPARATION:
8/28
ASSIGNMENTS: TOPICS: NOTES:
Week #2
PREPARATION: ASSIGNMENTS:
9/4
TOPICS: NOTES:
Week #3
PREPARATION:
9/11
ASSIGNMENTS: TOPICS:
NOTES:
Week #4
Tentative Schedule Buy textbooks Read text pp. 3-9 Course Overview Thinking About The Law Assignment 1 (Syllabus Quiz) available on Blackboard (Due 9/11) No class on 9/4 (Labor Day Holiday) Read A Bedtime Story (on Blackboard); Read text pp. 9-28, 31-57, 7479, 388-390; Linehan v. State judicial opinion (on Blackboard) Assignment 1 (Syllabus Quiz) Due Law and Society Law and Justice Structure of the State and Federal Legal Systems Courts and Judicial Decision-Making Assignment 2 (Law and Justice) available on Blackboard (Due 9/18)
PREPARATION:
Read text pp. 79-106, 116-118, 294-297, 451-462 Assignment 2 (Law and Justice) Due TOPICS: Courts and Judicial Decision-Making Constitutional Law and Civil Liberties
ASSIGNMENTS:
9/18
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Week #5 9/25
Week #6 10/2
Week #7
PREPARATION:
Read text pp. 309-336, 361-367; Ravin v. State judicial opinion (on Blackboard) ASSIGNMENTS: TOPICS: Constitutional Law and Civil Liberties The Differences Between Civil and Criminal Litigation Introduction to Civil Procedure PREPARATION:
Read text pp. 57-65; additional reading assignment on Blackboard ASSIGNMENTS: TOPICS: Civil Procedure Lawyers and the Legal Profession NOTES: Assignment 3 (Law and Society) available on Blackboard (Due 10/9) PREPARATION:
Assignment 3 (Law and Society) Due TOPICS: The Civil Litigation Process: A Civil Action Case Study NOTES: Assignment 4 (A Civil Action) available on Blackboard (Due 10/16)
ASSIGNMENTS:
10/9
Week #8
PREPARATION:
Assignment 4 (A Civil Action) Due TOPICS: Midterm Exam Review
ASSIGNMENTS:
10/16 Week #9
PREPARATION:
Study for midterm exam; Read text pp. 167-195
ASSIGNMENTS:
10/23
Week #10
TOPICS:
MIDTERM EXAM Torts and Personal Injury Law
PREPARATION:
Read text pp. 195-198, 267‐285 TOPICS: Special Topics in Tort Law Family Law
ASSIGNMENTS:
10/30
Week #11 11/6
Week #12 11/13
PREPARATION:
Read text pp. 233-248, 251-262 ASSIGNMENTS: TOPICS: Contracts and Business Law NOTES: Assignment 5 (Lawsuits) available on Blackboard (Due 11/13) PREPARATION:
Read text pp. 203-230, Additional Intellectual Property readings on Blackboard ASSIGNMENTS: Assignment 5 (Lawsuits) Due TOPICS: Property
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Week #13
PREPARATION:
Read text pp. 111-113, 118-140 TOPICS: Introduction to Criminal Law
ASSIGNMENTS:
11/20 Week #14
PREPARATION:
Read text pp. 341-361 TOPICS: Criminal Procedure Criminal Prosecution Case Study NOTES: Assignment 6 (12 Angry Men) available on Blackboard (Due 12/4)
ASSIGNMENTS:
11/27
Week #15 12/4
PREPARATION:
Read text pp. 141-161 ASSIGNMENTS: Assignment 6 (12 Angry Men) Due TOPICS: Defenses to Crimes; Punishment Review for Final Exam NOTES: See UAA Final Exam Schedule for exam date, time, location
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