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Legal Terminology Syllabus for 2013-2014
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Instructor Information

Instructor

Deborah Bailey (Curriculum Vitae)

E-Mail

Phone

Phone number not available

Office Location

Office Hours

Course Information

Recording Policy

Disability Statement

Any student who, because of a disabling condition, may require some special arrangements in order to meet course requirements should contact disAbility Services (Student Service Center room 119, phone 371-5436) as soon as possible.

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As a student you may experience a range of issues that can cause barriers to learning, such as strained relationships, increased anxiety, alcohol/drug problems, feeling down, difficulty concentrating and/or lack of motivation. These mental health concerns or stressful events may lead to diminished academic performance or reduce a student's ability to participate in daily activities. Amarillo College offers services to assist you with addressing these and other concerns you may be experiencing. If you or someone you know are suffering from any of the aforementioned conditions, you can learn more about the broad range of confidential mental health services available on campus by calling the AC Counseling Center at 806-371-5900. The AC Counseling Center website is https://www.actx.edu/counseling/ . Also, if you are in need of social services (affordable housing, utilities, transportation, food, clothing, childcare, medical/dental/vision, legal), please call the AC Advocacy & Resource Center at 806-371-5439. The AC Advocacy & Resource Center website is https://www.actx.edu/arc

Amarillo College Tutoring for Success Policy:

Administrative Drop Policy

N/A

Student Withdrawal Procedures

N/A

Privacy Statement

The Amarillo College Privacy Policy is found at https://www.actx.edu/-amarillo-college-privacy-notice , and applies to all Amarillo College students.  If you have questions about this privacy statement or you believe that your personal information has been released without your consent, send email to humanresources@actx.edu .

Course

POFL-1305-002 Legal Terminology

Prerequisites

Course Description

This course presents an overview of legal terminology and how these terms are used in legal documents.

Student Resources Student Resources Website

Department Expectations

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Hours

(3 sem hrs; 3 lec)

Class Type

Online Course

Syllabus Information

Textbooks

\ Legal Terminology With Flash Cards by Cathy J. Okrent; Fourth Edition; Delmar/Cengage Learning;
\ ISBN 978-1-1111-3679-6
\ Optional:  Black's Law Dictionary. 4th Pocket Ed., by West, 2012
\ ISBN 978-0-314-27544-8

Supplies

    \
  1. \ Textbook - Legal Terminology With Flash Cards by Cathy J. Okrent; Fourth Edition; Delmar/Cengage Learning;
    \ ISBN# 978-1-1111-3679-6
    2. \
  2. \ Textbook - Optional:  Black's Law Dictionary.  4th P

    Student Performance

    \
      \
    1. \ Pronounce, define, and use in correct legal context at least 500 commonly used legal terms (F1, F2, F5, F7, F8, F12, F13, C5, C11, F17).
      2. \
    2. \ Identify and recognize at least 100 Latin and Greek prefixes, roots, and suffixes (F1, F2, F5, F6, C13).
      3. \
    3. \ Apply legal terminology usage:  single, plural, and corporate acknowledgements; plaintiff's original complaint; affidavit, jurat, and acknowledgement; defendant's original answer; last will and testament; deed; lease; and divorce petition (F1, F2, F5, F6, C13).
      4. \
    4. \ Describe the city, county, and state court system in Texas (F1, F5, C11, C12, C13, C15).
      5. \
    5. \ Describe the federal court system in the United States (C15, F1, F5, C13, F17)
      6. \
    \
    \

    \ The student will develop a legal vocabulary and explain fundamental legal concepts, procedures, terminology, and current issues in law.

    \

    \ By the end of the semester, the student will be able to complete satisfactorily all of the Learning Outcomes (Minimum Competencies) with a competency level based on the completion of required examinations administered under the supervision of the instructor and evaluated according to the instructor's grading scale in the Office Administration Department.

    \

    \
    \ END-OF-COURSE OUTCOMES:  Apply legal terminology in documents.

    Students Rights and Responsibilities

    Student Rights and Responsibilities

    Log in using the AC Connect Portal

    In order to receive your AC Connect Email, you must log in through AC Connect at https://acconnect.actx.edu .

    If you are an active staff or faculty member according to Human Resources, use "Exchange". All other students, use "AC Connect (Google) Email".

    Expected Student Behavior

    Plagiarism, Cheating and Individual Work Ethic:  The Amarillo College policies and Code of Student Conduct is strictly adhered to when dealing with plagiarism, cheating and duplication of work product. Any evidence of plagiarism, cheating or duplication of work product (whether from this semester’s students or a prior semester’s students) will result in a zero on the entire project or test in question.
    \ Plagiarism is considered serious academic misconduct. “Plagiarism” shall be defined as the appropriating, buying, receiving as a gift, or obtaining by any means another’s work and the unacknowledged submission or incorporation of it in one’s own written work. All assignments presented in this class must be the work of the student submitting the assignment. No form of scholastic dishonesty will be tolerated. Scholastic dishonesty shall include, but not be limited to, cheating on a test, plagiarism, and collusion.
    \ “Cheating on a test” shall include:

    \
      \
    • Copying from another student’s test paper.
      • \
    • Collaborating with or seeking aid from another student during a test.
      • \
    • Knowingly using, buying, selling, stealing, or soliciting, in whole or in part, the contents of an unadministered test.
      • \
    • The unauthorized transporting or removal, in whole or in part, of the contents of the unadministered test.
      • \
    • Substituting for another student, or permitting another student to substitute for one’s self, to take a test.
      • \
    • Bribing another person to obtain an unadministered test or information about an unadministered test.
      • \
    \

    “Collusion” shall be defined as the unauthorized collaboration with another person in preparing written work for fulfillment of course requirements.
    \ A complete statement regarding scholastic dishonesty can be found in the Student Code of Conduct in the Student Rights and Responsibilities Handbook at
    \ http://www.actx.edu/student/responsibilities/

    Grading Criteria

     

    Required Examinations:  Unit Quizzes, Major Exams, and Comprehensive Final.

    Deadlines for Assignments, Quizzes, and Testing:  Students are required to adhere to the course schedule.  All deadlines are posted to the online course calendar and will be strictly adhered to.  No “make up” or “extra credit” opportunities will be allowed.  This policy applies to all course deadlines.

    Quizzes and exams become “unavailable” after the posted deadline.  Always check your online course calendar for weekly assignments and deadlines.  For most of the course, weekly deadlines are on Sunday nights BEFORE 11 p.m.; however, there may be one or two exceptions to this weekly deadline during the semester.  Check your Online Course Calendar on a weekly basis.

    Changes/deviations from the course schedule will be made by e-mail at least one week prior to the scheduled event.  It is the student’s responsibility to stay current, informed, and on time regarding deadlines.

    Your major exams and the final will be taken online.  You will only be able to submit your major exams ONE time.  No requests will be honored for a major exam or the final to be taken early.  No requests will be honored for a major exam or the final to be taken late.  Each major exam and the final exam have 100 multiple-choice questions, and you have 75 minutes to complete the exam.

    Online chapter quizzes must be completed before taking each major exam and the final.  Students may take each online chapter quiz twice; the better of the two grades will be recorded. No quizzes may be taken after the due date.  Remember to consistently consult your online calendar.  The unit quizzes usually have ten questions, and you have ten minutes to complete each quiz.

    With regard to the Online Unit Quizzes and Major Exams and the Final, the instructions will tell you that you cannot skip a question and return to it! Please be aware of how the quizzes and major tests are given before you take the quiz and/or major test.

    You are given TWO attempts on the unit QUIZZES. You will only be given ONE attempt on the MAJOR TESTS and FINAL EXAM!

    Be prepared before you take quizzes and major exams.  Manage your time wisely!!!

    Grading Scale: 

    90 -100 = A
    80 -  89 = B
    70 -  79 = C
    60 -  69 = D
      0 -  59 = F

     10% = Unit Quizzes
     70% = Major Exams
     20% = Comprehensive Final

    100% = Final Grade

    Attendance

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    Calendar

    COURSE SCHEDULE FOR POFL 1305, LEGAL TERMINOLOGY
    Fall 2013

    Week 1:

    Aug. 26 – Sept. 1

    Intro, Unit 14, Ethics _____, Unit 4, Const. _____

    Week 2:
     

    Sept. 2
    Sept. 3 – 8

    Labor Day Holiday
    Unit 5, Admin. _____, Unit 6, Torts _____

    Week 3:

    Sept. 9 – 15

    Unit 1, Civil Lit. I _____

    Week 4:

    Sept. 16 – 22

    Unit 2, Civil Lit. II _____

    Week 5:
     

    Sept. 23 – 29
     

    Major Exam I _____
    (Units 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 14)

    Week 6:

    Sept. 30 – Oct. 6

    Unit 3, Criminal _____, Unit 7, Contracts _____

    Week 7:

    Oct. 7 – 13

    Unit 9, Intellectual _____, Unit 8, Agency _____

    Week 8:

    Oct. 14 – 20

    Unit 12, Real Prop. _____, Unit 15, Insurance _____

    Week 9:
     

    Oct. 21 – 27
     

    Major Exam II _____
    (Units 3, 7, 8, 9, 12, 15)

    Week 10:

    Oct. 28 – Nov. 3

    Unit 13, Family _____, Unit 11, Wills _____

    Week 11:

    Nov. 4 – 10

    Unit 18, Bus. Org. _____, Unit 19, Labor/Employ. _____

    Week 12:

    Nov. 11 – 17

    Unit 16, Commercial _____, Unit 10, Tax _____,

    Week 13:

    Nov. 18 – 24

    Unit 17, Bankruptcy _____

    Week 14:
     

    Nov. 25 – Dec. 1
     

    Major Exam III _____
    (Units 10, 11, 13, 16, 17, 18, 19)

    Weeks 15-16:

    Dec. 2 - 9

    Comprehensive Final Exam (All 19 Units) _____

     

    Additional Information

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    Syllabus Created on:

    11/30/-1 12:00 AM

    Last Edited on:

    11/30/-1 12:00 AM