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MASTER SYLLABUS |
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LAW 2110 |
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| Class Hours: 3.0 | Credit Hours: 3.0 | ||||||||
| Laboratory Hours: 0.0 | Date Revised: Fall 00 | ||||||||
| Catalog Course Description: | |||||||||
| A study of substantive and procedural law relating to divorce, custody, support and adoption and the assistant's role in domestic cases. | |||||||||
| Entry Level Standards: | |||||||||
| College-level competencies in logic, reading, and English are required. | |||||||||
| Prerequisites: | |||||||||
| LAW 1000, LAW 1005 | |||||||||
| Corequisite: | |||||||||
| LAW 1060 | |||||||||
| Textbook(s) and Other Reference Materials Basic to the Course: | |||||||||
| Solis, Teris &
Patricia A. Williams, Family Law, Pearson Publishing, 1996
Tennessee Code Annotated, Vol. 6A and 1999 Supplement Michie/Lexis-Nexis, 1999 |
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| I. Week/Unit/Topic Basis: | |||||||||
| Week | Topic | ||||||||
| 1 | Introduction to Family Law: Formation of Family - Statutory Requirements for Marriage | ||||||||
| 2 | Formation of Family - Antenuptial Agreements; Paternity | ||||||||
| 3 | Formation of Family - Termination of Parental Rights; Adoption | ||||||||
| 4 | Breakdown of the Family - Divorce; Jurisdiction and Venue | ||||||||
| 5 | Breakdown of the Family - Divorce Procedures | ||||||||
| 6 | Breakdown of the Family - Property: Mine, Yours, Ours | ||||||||
| 7 | Formation of New Family - Children: Mine, Yours, Ours; Support | ||||||||
| 8 | Formation of New Family - Modification and Enforcement; Final Exam | ||||||||
| II. Course Objectives*: | |||||||||
| A. | Demonstrate a complete and thorough understanding of legal ethics. I, III, V | ||||||||
| B. | Identify and become familiar with the basic terminology of domestic law. I, II, IV | ||||||||
| C. | Understand the nature of the role and responsibilities of legal assistants within the area of domestic law. I, II, III, IV, V | ||||||||
| D. | Demonstrate a complete and thorough understanding of marriage prerequisites. I, II | ||||||||
| E. | Demonstrate an adequate understanding of the basic concepts of adoption. I, II, III | ||||||||
| F. | Demonstrate an adequate understanding of the basic concepts of child custody decisions. I, II, III | ||||||||
| G. | Demonstrate an adequate understanding of the differences between irreconcilable differences divorce and divorce on grounds. I, II, III, IV, V | ||||||||
| H. | Understand how to compute child support. I, II, III, IV | ||||||||
| I. | Demonstrate an adequate understanding of the basic concepts of antenuptial agreements. I, II, III | ||||||||
| J. | Demonstrate an adequate understanding of child support enforcement. I, II, III, IV | ||||||||
| K. | Understand the difference between annulment and divorce. I, II, III, IV | ||||||||
| *Roman numerals after course objectives reference goals of the Paralegal Studies program. | |||||||||
| III. Instructional Processes*: | |||||||||
| Students will: | |||||||||
| 1. | Practice elements of the work ethic such as professionalism, preparedness, punctuality, honesty, cooperation, dependability, contribution, effectiveness, good manners, etc. Personal Development Outcome, Transitional Strategy | ||||||||
| 2. | Refine reading skills and expand legal vocabulary through completion of weekly guided reading exercises that allows more effective communication with lawyers and legal professionals. Communication Outcome, Transitional Strategy | ||||||||
| 3. | Strengthen analytical skills by locating court cases and statutes in the Educational Resources Center and on Westlaw to determine the application of the rules of law to specific facts. Information Literacy Outcome, Problem Solving and Decision Making Outcome, Technological Literacy Outcome, Transitional Strategy | ||||||||
| 4. | Examine ethical issues related to legal representation, unauthorized practice of law, confidentiality, duty of legal professional to provide legal services, etc. Personal Development Outcome, Cultural Diversity and Social Adaptation Outcome, Transitional Strategy | ||||||||
| 5. | Listen to guest speakers from the legal community to learn the demands for law office computer software skills in the work world. Personal Development Outcome, Transitional Strategy | ||||||||
| 6. | Develop investigative skills using the Internet, library, and governmental agency resources to find relevant information. Problem Solving and Decision Making Outcome, Information Literacy Outcome, Technological Literacy Outcome, Active Learning Strategy | ||||||||
| *Strategies and outcomes listed after instructional processes reference Pellissippi State’s goals for strengthening general education knowledge and skills, connecting coursework to experiences beyond the classroom, and encouraging students to take active and responsible roles in the educational process. | |||||||||
| IV. Expectations for Student Performance*: | |||||||||
| Upon successful completion of this course, the student should be able to: | |||||||||
| 1. | Recognize and avoid acts that constitute the unauthorized practice of law. A | ||||||||
| 2. | Recognize and avoid acts that constitute the breach of client confidentiality. A | ||||||||
| 3. | Recognize potential and actual conflict of interest situations. A | ||||||||
| 4. | Identify basic terminology of domestic law. B, C, D | ||||||||
| 5. | Recognize and explain the function and purpose of antenuptial agreements. B,F | ||||||||
| 6. | Identify examples of instances where a person may not need an antenuptial agreement. B,D,E,F | ||||||||
| 7. | Identify and classify the various kinds of property the domestic client and spouse have acquired. B,D,E,F | ||||||||
| 8. | Distinguish an irreconcilable difference divorce from a divorce on grounds. B,D,E,F | ||||||||
| 9. | Identify the proper courts that have jurisdiction over domestic matters. B,E | ||||||||
| 10. | Recognize the appropriate procedure for obtaining personal jurisdiction over a nonresident defendant. B,C,E | ||||||||
| 11. | Recognize, understand and use the basic terms associated with paternity and legitimation. B,C,D,E,F | ||||||||
| 12. | Read domestic statutes and understand terminology. B | ||||||||
| 13. | Interpret state domestic law statutes and determine who may marry. B,C,D,E,F | ||||||||
| 14. | Interpret state statutes on divorce and determine grounds for divorce. B,C,D,E,F | ||||||||
| 15. | Interpret state child support guidelines and compute child support. B,C,D,E,F | ||||||||
| 16. | Know the difference between marital and nonmarital property. B,C,D,E,F | ||||||||
| 17. | Understand the difference between the rights of custodial and noncustodial parents. B,C,D,E,F | ||||||||
| 18. | Understand the process of appeal. B,D,E,F | ||||||||
| 19. | Recognize the formal requirements for a valid marriage. B | ||||||||
| 20. | Develop and use checklists to elicit the information necessary for the preliminary draft of a divorce complaint. B | ||||||||
| 21. | Develop and use checklists to elicit the information necessary for the preliminary draft of a custody modification petition. B | ||||||||
| 22. | Develop and use checklists to elicit the information necessary for the preliminary draft of a child support modification petition. B | ||||||||
| 23. | Understand the role of a guardian ad litem in custody proceedings. B,E | ||||||||
| 24. | Recognize the paralegal's role in assisting the attorney in performing the required duties of a domestic practice. B,C,E | ||||||||
| 25. | Recognize and define the techniques for child support enforcement. B,C,E | ||||||||
| *Letters after performance expectations reference the course objectives listed above. | |||||||||
| V. Evaluation: | |||||||||
| A. Testing Procedures: | |||||||||
| Students are evaluated primarily on the basis of tests. | |||||||||
| B. Laboratory Expectations: | |||||||||
| N/A | |||||||||
| C. Field Work: | |||||||||
| Students
will be assigned a mock client for whom he or she will complete several
out-of-class skills projects. These may include:
Legal writing exercises Drafting a complaint for divorce Drafting a marital dissolution agreement Drafting an answer Drafting a petition to modify support Preparing an antenuptial agreement Drafting correspondence to client Preparing a checklist for divorce, custody, child support Drafting a property settlement agreement Drafting an adoption petition |
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| D. Other Evaluation Methods: | |||||||||
| Class participation, group work, and homework will also comprise the final grade for the course. The instructor will provide full details the first week of class via a syllabus supplement. All tests and papers will be graded for spelling and English usage in addition to content and format. Any student encountering academic difficulty during the term is strongly encouraged to meet with the instructor to discuss options and solutions. | |||||||||
| E. Grading Scale: | |||||||||
| A
93-100
B+ 88- 92 B 83- 87 C+ 78- 82 C 73- 77 D 65- 72 F 64 and below |
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| VI. Policies: | |||||||||
| A. Attendance Policy: | |||||||||
| Pellissippi State Technical Community College expects students to attend all scheduled instructional activities. As a minimum, students in all courses must be present for at least 75 percent of their scheduled class and laboratory meetings in order to receive credit for the course. Attendance is absolutely essential to perform well in this course. Absenteeism is recorded, not excused. Twelve (12) hours of absences will result in an automatic F for the course. | |||||||||
| B. Academic Dishonesty: | |||||||||
| Cheating of any type will not be tolerated and will become an automatic zero on that paper or test. Repetition of cheating will result in an F for the final grade. | |||||||||
| C. Other Policies: | |||||||||
| Late papers will not be accepted nor will make-up tests will be given without specific approval of the instructor. | |||||||||