LEGAL RESEARCH & WRITING I

 

Community College of Philadelphia                                       Professor Linda J. Hibbs

Fall 2009 - Tuesday/Thursday                                                (215) 751-8908

PLS 111                                                                                  lhibbs@ccp.edu

 

OFFICE HOURS:  Linda J. Hibbs’s office is located in B2-44.  Office hours are Tuesday 1 – 4:00 p.m. and Thursday 1:00-4:00 p.m.

 

TEXTBOOKS:   

A. Yelin and H. Samborn, The Legal Research and Writing Handbook 5th edition (Aspen Publishers 2009). 

 

The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation 18th edition (2005). 

 

CLASS ROOM & TIMES:  Tues. & Thur., 11:00 a.m. – 12:20 p.m. in Rm. L-133. 

 

GRADES AND GRADING POLICIES:  Barring excessive absences, the following graded assignments will determine your final grade for the class: 

 

Midterm (15% of grade)                                            Case Brief (10% of grade)

* 10/22                                                            * assigned 10/29

* due 11/5

 

Final Project (25% of grade)

* assigned 11/12

* due 12/10 – Research project and complete memorandum draft

* due 12/15- Final Memorandum and list of sources

6 Research Exercises (Each worth 10% of grade):  Lowest grade will be dropped. 

DEADLINES:  Unless I tell you otherwise, assignments are due at the beginning of class.  If your assignment is late, I will reduce your grade accordingly.  The penalty for an assignment not turned in at the beginning of class, but on the same day is 5 points on a scale of 100 for every calendar day late. The penalty for an assignment turned in after the day it is due is 20 points on a scale of 100 for every calendar day late.  Partial days will be treated as full days. 

 

ATTENDANCE:  This is a hands on class, and it is imperative that you attend every class.   Excessive absences and latenesses will result in you being withdrawn from the class or, if past the deadline for withdraws, a lowering of your final grade by one full letter grade.  More than four absences are considered excessive.  Lateness of more than 15 minutes will count as an absence. 

 

 

DESCRIPTION OF THE COURSE:  This foundation course is an introduction to the field of legal research and writing.  It provides students with an overview of the legal research process, the various legal source materials, both primary and secondary, and the basics of drafting a legal memorandum. 

PLAGIARISM:  Plagiarism means passing off the work or writings of others as one’s own.  Plagiarism is a serious offense.  It is a form of theft; stealing someone's work and passing it off as your own.  Plagiarism can occur intentionally when a student intends to use someone else’s work and pass it off as his/her own, or it may occur unintentionally when a student fails to credit the source of  information through proper citing.

If you are discovered to have plagiarized, you will: (1) fail the assignment; and/or (2) fail the course.  I may also turn the matter over to the Dean of Student Affairs for disciplinary action. The College and our program take this offense very seriously and so should you.

As part of this course, you will be asked to sign an integrity statement addressing all areas of unethical behavior such as plagiarism.  Violations of the integrity statement could result in your removal from the program.

 

Schedule of Readings & Assignments 

Week 1:          9/8:  Introduction to Legal Research/Overview of Semester  

9/10:  The American Legal System/Types of Authority

                                                Reading:   Ch. 1 & 2

 

Week 2:          9/15:  The Research Plan  

                                    Reading: Ch. 14

 

9/17:  The Research Plan, continued  

 

Week 3:          9/22:  Citations  

                                                Reading: Appendix B p. 541-548

 

9/24:  Secondary Sources - Encyclopedias & Treatises

                                                Reading: Ch. 6 (p. 153-172) 

 

Week 4:          9/29:  Secondary Sources, continued 

 

10/1:  Secondary Sources, continued 

                                    Assigned: 1st Exercise – Encyclopedias

 

Week 5:          10/6:  Jenkins Law Library tour  

 

10/8:  The Reporter System 

                        Reading:  Ch. 3 (p. 35-55, 61-63)

Due:  1st Exercise – Encyclopedias

 

Week 6:          10/13:  The Reporter System, continued

Assigned: 2nd Exercise – Reporters #1

 

10/15:  The Reporter System, continued

 

Week 7:          10/20:  Review for Midterm

Due:  2nd Exercise – Reporters #1

Assigned: 3rd Exercise – Reporters #2

 

10/22:  Midterm

 

Week 8:          10/27:  Case Briefing

                                    Reading: Ch. 18(p. 369-387)

 

10/29:  Digests  

                        Reading: Ch. 4 

                        Due:  3rd Exercise – Reporters #2

Assigned: Case Brief

 

Week 9:          11/3:  Digests, continued  

 

11/5:  Weight of Authority 

                        Reading:  Ch. 2 (p. 21-25)

                                                Due:  Case Brief

Assign:  4th Exercise – Digests

 

Week 10:        11/10:  Weight of Authority/Statutes 

Reading: Ch. 7 (p. 190-216)

 

11/12:  Statutes, continued

                                                Due:  4th Exercise - Digests

Assigned:  Final Project

                                               

Week 11:        11/17: Statutes, continued

Assigned: 5th Exercise  - Statutes

 

11/19:  Shepard®’s 

                        Reading: Ch. 5 (p. 115-132)

 

Week 12:        11/24:  Shepard®’s, continued

                                    Due:  5th Exercise - Statutes

Assigned: 6th Exercise  - Shepard®'s

NO CLASS THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 26 – HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

 

 

Week 13:        12/1:  Writing a Memorandum  

                        Reading: Ch. 19-21

 

12/3:  Writing a Memorandum, continued 

                                                Reading: Ch. 22 & 23

                                                Due:  6th Exercise - Shepard®'s

 

Week 14:        12/8:  Other sources and Introduction to Lexis

                                    Reading: Ch. 6 (p. 172-178), 8 – 10, 13 & Appendix p. 222

12/10:  Editing your Memorandum

                                    DUE:  Research Journal and completed draft of memorandum

                                   

Week 15:  Tuesday, 12/15 at 11:00 a.m.

Due:  Final Memorandum and list of sources - 

 

                                   

Happy Holidays!!!