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The Meaning and Application of Legal Terminology

Syllabus/Course Schedule 

Instructor Jane A. Long, M.S., A.B.D.

E-mail: Jane@iimc.com
Phone: (219) 662-8749
Cell Phone: (219) 306-6048

Course Length: Four weeks

Course Credit: 6 hours

Course Goal

To acquaint the Clerk participant with basic law practices and legal terminology to assist them in the facilitation of minor legal matters.

Course Objectives

  • To provide the student with an understanding of basic legal terminology.
  • To acquaint the students with the basics in municipal law.
  • To interact with other Clerks on-line about legal issues within their municipalities and jointly discuss solutions.

Course Requirements

  • Work through the eight learning modules and complete the assignments that are attached to each module.
  • Write a short (50-75-word) response to the discussion postings on the IIMC Discussion Board as instructed in each module to each of the Modules. This “reaction” is your basic appreciation and understanding of the Module’s purpose and meaning, not simply a restatement of the articles.
  • Participate in a dyad or triad discussion of the readings by addressing your reaction message to others in the course but also comment on the messages of others as well when they are sent to you.

Course Assessment

Final exam provided at the conclusion of the course work.

Readings

Textbook: Brown, G. Legal Terminology, 4 th edition. 2004 Pearson Education. New Jersey. ISBN: 0-13-015598-5

Work Plan

Week 1 Learning Modules 1 & 2 – Terms Used in Criminal Law
Week 2 Learning Modules 3 & 4 – Terms Used In Contract Law and Law of Personal Property and Agency
Week 3 Learning Modules 5 & 6 – Terms Used in Practice and Procedure
Week 4 Learning Modules 7 & 8 – Terms Used in Law of Wills and Estates and Law of Real Property

Assignment Deadlines This is truly a FOUR WEEK course that covers a large amount of material. Each assignment will have a specific due date and if the assignment is not received by that date, the student will receive a grade of zero for that assignment. In order to successfully pass this course, you MUST complete all eight learning modules and receive at least a 75% on the final exam. Otherwise, you will not receive any credit or points for this course.

Communication Several methods of communication will be utilized in this course to create a “learning community” in this classroom. These will include:

Discussion postings: Two discussion topics per week will be chosen based on the material being presented in the course and posted by the instructor. All students are required to do the following with ALL discussion postings:

    • Respond to the leader’s posting
    • Respond to the responses of at least one fellow classmates postings

E-Mail: The instructor checks e-mail EVERY DAY as this is my preferred method of communication. In other words, I make myself available for questions, concerns or assistance at any time. It is my goal to answer e-mails within 48 hours so you can successfully continue with your work in this course.

Phone: On occasion, some situations require troubleshooting assistance that is difficult to provide via e-mail. Therefore, students are encouraged to contact me via phone whenever the need arises.

One important point to remember about communication , it is a two-way street! PLEASE, keep me informed of your progress in this class and let me know how I may provide assistance. The only way I can help is if you communicate with me.

Expectations of the Online Learner To ensure a productive learning environment for all students, I ask that you respect the following rules:

  • READ, READ, READ---everything about this course and the expectations of you, the online learner.
  • Read the chapters in your book and complete all required assignments by the due dates.
  • COMMUNICATE!
  • Respect your instructor and fellow classmates by following the rules of Netiquette.
  • Uphold the academic integrity policy.

Academic Integrity

The academic evaluation a student receives for a course becomes a permanent college record and it is critical that such records be accurate and consistent. The integrity students learn and exhibit at the college will be a model for the professional integrity they practice when they complete the college work. Accordingly, IIMC has classified academic dishonesty into the following categories:

• Cheating
• Plagiarism
• Unauthorized Collaboration
• Facilitating Academic Dishonesty
• Interference Or Sabotage
• Fabrication
• Retaliation

Any student found violating any of the above academic dishonesty classifications, will be immediately removed from their course without a refund and not permitted to complete coursework for that class.

Assessment Methods The following will be utilized to assess the student’s understanding of the material presented in this course:

  • Participation in weekly online discussions via the Discussion Board
  • Correct completion of weekly assignments
  • One online objective exam given at the end of the course