Syllabus: American Legal System (JUAD 3319 – SA01) Fall 2009

Wednesdays 6 p.m. - 10:00 p.m., room 247, Lackland AFB, bldg. 5725

 

  1. Instructor: J. H. Shields, M.A., J.D.
  2. Office hours: by appointment.
  3. Work phone: 210-260-8946 (9 a.m. – 10 p.m. Mon. – Fri.).

Email: johnhshields@gmail.com

  1. Description of course: Introductory study of the legal system in the United States, including history and development of laws, courts, participants, processes, adversarial system, criminal law, civil law, and contemporary issues.
  2. Prerequisites: see academic catalog, Wayland Baptist University.
  3. Textbook: Fowler, With Justice for All? (1998) Prentice-Hall Inc.
  4. Other resources: U.S. Constitution, New York Times, CNN News, Fox News.
  5. Attendance requirements: (a.)When arriving to each class meeting, each student shall sign-in on the official class sign-in sheet. For any arrival after 6:10 p.m., such student shall write the time of arrival next to his or her name on the sign-in sheet. For any departure prior to 10:00 p.m., such student shall write the time of departure next to his or her name on the sign-in sheet. (b.) Any student who misses 25% or more of the regularly scheduled class meetings will receive a grade of “F” in the course. With only 11 class meetings, 3 absences constitute 25%. Three late arrivals or three early departures or a combination thereof may, at the discretion of the instructor, count as one absence. A student who has missed three or more class meetings shall not take the final exam.
  6. Outcome competencies: recognize basic legal terms in civil and criminal contexts; examine historical sources of law protecting individual liberty, rights, and property from other persons including government; identify legal processes for settling disputes and controversies between citizens; understand the roles of attorneys, judges, juries, police, and other participants in the legal system; gain threshold proficiency (oral and written) in correlating basic legal concepts to contemporary news events and issues; demonstrate familiarity with the analytical method of the legal brief; formulate and evaluate proposals for reforming the legal system.
  7. Course requirements: (a.) “expert panel” - students will sign-up for three “expert panel” presentations of information, concepts, and issues in three chapters of the text (chapters 2-10); the instructor shall serve as moderator (question-asker, discussion leader) of the panel; panel members should anticipate and prepare to answer adequately questions from classmates and instructor regarding anything in that chapter; panelists should also expect to argue for and against any opinions or value judgments expressly or impliedly presented in that chapter;

                                    (b.) legal brief of court case – each student will choose or have assigned one landmark U.S. Supreme Court case for  individual reading, summarizing, analyzing, and critiquing; each student will utilize the legal brief format in his or her written presentation (two pages plus endnotes, bibliography, and a copy of the court’s opinion); each student will individually present the legal brief orally to the class without reading verbatim; the student should prepare to present the ruling, supporting facts, issues, reasoning, and outcomes as well as adequately answer questions about the court case and its significance;

(c.) exams – both a mid-term exam and a final exam will be

administered; the final exam will cover the entire course.

11. Evaluation of student work:   20 points -  “panel” presentations of chapters

                                                      20 points -  written legal brief, including outline

                                                      10 points -  oral presentation of legal brief

                                                      50 points -  exams (25 mid-term + final 25)

                                                        2 points -  proof of evaluation completed                                                        102 points -  total possible.

12. Grading Scale: A = 90 – 100

                               B = 80 – 89

                               C = 70 – 79

                               D = 60 – 69

                               F = below 60.

13. “It is University policy that no otherwise qualified disabled person be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subject to discrimination under any educational program or activity in the University. Students should inform the instructor of existing disabilities during the first class meeting.”

 

14. Calendar of regular class meetings:

Aug.   19  - syllabus; lecture chapter 1 (Intro); sign-up for expert panels; legal news articles (“LNA”).

            Aug.    26 – panel chapter 2 (Courts); LNA; sign-up for legal brief.

Sept.    2 – panel ch. 3 (Judges); panel ch. 4 (Lawyers); LNA.

            Sept.    9 – panel ch. 5 (Juries); LNA; outline of legal brief due..

            Sept.   16 -  Mid-term Exam.

            Sept.   23   - correct mid-term exams; panel ch. 6 (Police); LNA.

            Sept.   30  - dvd; panel ch. 7 (Criminal Law); legal brief oral; LNA.

            Oct.     7  -  panel ch. 8 (Civil Law); legal brief oral; LNA.

            Oct.    14  -  ch. 9 (Law Education) panel; guest debate; legal brief oral.

            Oct.    21   - panel ch. 10 (Reform); legal brief oral; review for exam; absolute deadline for all assignments and proof of evaluation completion.

            Oct.    28   - Final Exam (cumulative).

 

15. No work (other than the Final Exam) will be accepted after October 21.

16. Non-issuance of a report of unsatisfactory progress does not immunize a student against a final course grade of “C”, “D”, or “F”.

17. The Queen’s English - - including good grammar, proper punctuation, and correct spelling - - shall characterize all assignments (including exams) submitted for grading. Points may be withheld on any assignment pending submission of corrections.

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