TORT LAW PLS
241
Location & Time: Section 1: C2-8; Tuesdays and Thursdays 12:30P.- 1:50P.
Instructor: Dena Sukol, Esq.
Email: dsukol@ccp.edu
Office: C2-9 (and 2nd
floor lounge of
Office Hours: MWF:
Meetings with Instructor: If at any time during the semester you are experiencing problems with the material, please let me know so that we can work together in clearing them up. Don’t let your questions/problems pile up; it makes resolving them much more difficult. I’m here to help you!
Textbook: TORTS AND PERSONAL
INJURY LAW, 3d ed
William
R. Buckley, Cathy J. Okrent
(Delmar
Learning. 2004)
Course Description: This course presents an
overview of Tort Law for paralegal students.
The subjects that will be covered and discussed in the course
include: negligence, special negligence
actions, defenses to negligence actions, intentional torts and injuries to
persons, intentional torts and injuries to property, product liability, tort
immunities, and paralegal ethics. The
role of the paralegal in instituting and defending tort actions will also be
emphasized.
Course Goals: At the end of this course, the student should
understand the:
1. history and
evolution of modern tort law;
2. concepts, analysis
and elements of negligence and special negligence actions;
3. concepts and
analysis of defenses to negligence;
4. nature and elements
of intentional torts to persons and to property;
5. concepts and
analysis of defenses to intentional torts;
6. concepts and
analysis of strict/absolute liability and products liability
7. nature of special
tort actions and tort immunities;
8. role of the
paralegal in investigation and preparation of a tort case;
9. special issues of
evidence in tort cases.
Attendance: It is the policy of CCP to
automatically drop any student who is absent for the equivalent of
more than
two weeks. Absence is defined as missing 15 minutes or more of a class. (Lateness,
leaving early and leaving during
class all count toward calculating an absence.) Please turn off all cell phones, pagers, and other electronic devices
before class unless you have a family emergency in which case please
immediately leave the classroom if your phone rings. Students are expected to wait for 15
minutes in the unlikely event of the instructor’s lateness. Attendance is mandatory for guest lecturers
and field trips. If a student experiences a serious emergency, such as illness,
a death in the family, or serious child-care problems, please inform the
instructor as soon as possible.
IMPORTANT NOTE: From time to time, the order of readings may be
changed to accommodate special issues, guest lecturers, and field trips. Your attendance will insure that you are up
to date on assignments.
GRADING-no
makeup tests will be given.
Test 25%
Test 25%
Final
Examination 25%
Class
Project 12.5%
Class
Participation & Homework 12.5%
Instructor reserves the
right to give additional quizzes.
SCHEDULE OF
WEEK 1: Chapter 1:
Introduction to Torts and Legal Analysis
2 Chapter 2: Negligence
3 Chapter 2: Negligence (contd.)
4 Chapter 3: Special Negligence Actions
5 Chapter 4: Defenses to Negligence
TEST: CHAPTERS 1,2,3,4
6 Chapter 5: Intentional Torts – Injuries to Persons
7 Chapter 6: Intentional Torts – Injuries to Property
8 Chapter 7: Defenses to Intentional Torts
TEST: CHAPTERS 5,6,7,8
9 Chapter 8: Strict or Absolute Liability
ASSIGNMENT: CLASS PROJECT
10 Chapter 9: Products Liability
11 Chapters 10 & 11: Special Tort Actions and Tort Immunities
12 Chapter 13: Tort Investigation
13 Flexible Days
14 Review