Legal Research & Writing II

1. Welcome! Legal Research & Writing II PAR 112 - Introduction Mike Brigner, J.D.

2. Why Are We Here? Unsolicited comment from a recent Sinclair Paralegal Program graduate: [I recently prepared a research memo for my boss on a housing case], “and I wanted to let you know that the prosecutor said it was excellent research, analysis of the cases, and writing. I wanted to tell you thank you for helping me learn how to write such nice research memos. I really appreciate it! Thank you again!”

3. Advice from Your Classmates • I would advise students who take this course in the future that: • Attendance is very, very important. • Be prepared to work. This is not a course for anyone not prepared to constantly keep on track. • Be prepared to work at your own pace but be aware the professor will always be available.

4. Advice from Your Classmates • They should make sure that they read the assigned text material before going to class. It will definitely help them to better understand the class topic for that day. • It’s challenging but you learn a lot and when you find the hard ones it feels great. And you have to enjoy writing to enjoy the class.

5. Advice from Your Classmates • Be ready for an upgrade to “fun work” that makes you be independent and accountable for your assignments and actions. • You are handed your assignments and told to go to work, which I enjoyed because we could work at our own pace and ask questions as needed.

6. Advice from Your Classmates • They should not have a lot of outside obligations during the quarter they take this course. This course is time consuming. • Get started on the long memo sooner! • Start early in outlining cases for the information memo. • Work hard to have the rough draft done!

7. Your Professor for This Course • Mike Brigner • Teaching at SCC since late ’70’s • Former News Reporter, Judge • National Domestic Violence Consultant & Trainer • Author of 100+ Legal Articles • Would Rather be on a Bicycle

8. Reaching Me • Office: Room 5348 • PAR Office: 5141 • Mailbox: 5141 (NOT under door of office!) • ADVICE: Appointment is recommended, usually in CIL instead of office

9. Reaching Me • Voice Mail: 512-2950 (leave date & time!) • Discussion Board • E-mail through ANGEL Website • ADVICE: E-mail is recommended over phone call

10. Lexis ID Number URGENT! • By the end of first week of class • If you do not already have a Lexis ID# for this school year (through next August 31) • You must go to Sinclair Tartan Bookstore to purchase ID ($44) • Lexis ID is mandatory If no Lexis ID, you will be administratively withdrawn from all PAR classes

11. GO TO Syllabus in ANGEL • PRINT COPY if you want one • Contact Info • Key Dates • Websites, & Other Resources • Grading & Expectations • Course Outline • Changes will be in Announcements

12. More Syllabus • Text • Other Resources • Website Resources • Grading • Class Procedures & Policies • ALL DUE DATES are in Master Calendar

13. Class Procedures & Policies

14. Useful Info (Rules) • NO handwritten assignments • NO FAX, E-MAIL, OR DROP-OFF assignments will be accepted! • Completed Cover Pages required on all projects & exams • No need to retype Questions, BUT answers must be correctly #’d • For EVERY answer on EVERY library research question, you MUST put the page number of volume/supplement where you found answer

15. More Syllabus • For Internship Portfolio: Save your Memos! • Course Outline • Note Reading Assignments • Do Reading BECAUSE IT WILL HELP YOU • All Due Dates will be on Master Calendar • ALL RESEARCH MUST BE DONE AT LAW LIBRARY, NOT ONLINE, except • Project #F (Lexis & Online Research) • Limited exceptions in writing within other Projects

16. Basis of Grade • Six Projects (#A - #F) at 50 points each • = 300 points • Trial Brief – 50 points * • Information Memorandum – 100 points * • * 20% of these are for Rough Draft • Notebook with corrected projects – 20 pts • Amicus (3) & Timeslips (3) – 60 pts

17. Projects, Memos & Exams • GOOD News: No exams or quizzes! • BAD News: That is due to BIG work load • GOOD News: Class time is for work load! • 2 Memos + 6 Projects • Advocacy Memo early, writing only • Project #F, internet research only • Info Memo + Projects #A-E require library research, with about a dozen library sessions to complete that research

18. Calendar • First 3 Weeks: Instruction on Legal Writing, Citations, Library Research, & Lexis • PLUS: You read cases, write Advocacy Memo • Weeks 4-10: Seven weeks in Law Library, to: • Complete 5 Library Research Projects • Complete Research for Info Memo • At home: Complete all Reading, Do Lexis Project • Week 10: Rough Draft Meetings, Info Memo

19. Dayton Law Library http://www.daylawlib.org/ • 5th Floor Montg Co Courthouse, Perry St. • Walk across 3rd St. from Sinclair campus • Metal Detectors • Closes 4:30pm • 2 LAP Grads: Linda Borgert, Susan Stephens QUIET! Lawyers at Work

20. U.D. Law Library http://law.udayton.edu/home • UD Campus near Stewart & Brown Sts. • Parking rules strictly enforced • Need parking pass $11/car/month, DUE NEXT CLASS • Carpooling is wise • Can use 7 days QUIET! Law Students at Work

21. You get credit for same work 3 times! Must include CORRECTED versions of Projects #A - #F Will be graded while you wait at last class Worth 20 points Requirements of Notebook: a) separate binder b) includes ONLY corrected versions (no correction marks) c) of all of your graded Projects d) tabbed in correct order Class Notebooks

22. Amicus/TimeSlips (See Special Assignments Handout) • TRAINING: In PAR 220 or call Marina. • Entries must follow STANDARDS FOR AMICUS • (Standards are handed out in training)

23. Amicus/TimeSlips (See Special Assignments Handout) • Amicus: Record all of your Assignments/Activities as To-Do's – WITH DETAILS • Record all of your class meeting time and other meetings as Appointments – WITH DETAILS • Record all to-dos & calendar items as soon as you get them! • Check off To-Do’s when DONE

24. Amicus/TimeSlips (See Special Assignments Handout) • TimeSlips: Keep time for all of the work you do for this class – WITH DETAILS • Record your time in the TimeSlips program • Record your expenses, too - MANDATORY • Record AS YOU GO – at least WEEKLY • NO advance entry (unethical) • This will be worth up to 30 points • Entries must follow STANDARDS FOR AMICUS (handed out in training)

25. Amicus/TimeSlips (See Special Assignments Handout) • NAMES • Timekeeper Name: Always the same: YOU • Client Name: “Sue Scribe” • NAMING SYSTEM FOR CLIENT • Client First Name = Sue • Middle Name = Your First Initial + Last Name • Client Last Name = Scribe • IF YOU ARE Jane Doe = Sue JDoe Scribe

26. Easiest Ways to Lose Points • No cover page • Incorrect cover page • Not reading instructions • Not checking My.Sinclair • Single spaced • No spel checkkk & proofreading • Late assignments • Missed classes

27. Time Issues: • Studies show: Attendance is key factor in student success • You must SIGN IN for each class or lose points for that class! • No 15 Minute Rule. If Prof is delayed, use time to work on assignments. • Library time is limited, so use ALL available time for research! • SCC CLOSED on Friday, Nov 10

28. One Word Details

29. Protect Your Work • Helping others learn is okay • Doing their work is not • Do not ask for or give copies or disks • Copied work = ? Failure for user AND donor • Protect your paperwork • Protect your disks & thumb drives

30. Care & Feeding of Disks • “TECH HAPPENS” • Label your disks! • BACK UP! BACK UP!! BACK UP!!! BACK UP!!!! • “The computer ate my homework” is not an acceptable excuse • Don’t loan out your disks, or leave them around for others to “borrow”

31. SAVE YOUR WORK • Save ALL graded papers • Save ALL corrected papers for notebook • Save ALL work electronically • Save ALL corrected work electronically • BACK UP all saved work • YOU WILL NEED THESE for Internship Portfolio, which is required for graduation

34. ANGEL • This is your main • Class news source • It is YOUR responsibility to check DAILY • E-MAIL: Personal news to/from Prof • DISCUSSION FORUM: News for class • Updates, corrections, jobs, class cancellations, extra credit, assignment tips • CALENDAR: Partly filled in for you, and available for your use

35. ANGEL • ANNOUNCEMENTS: • From SCC or Prof. • News, alerts appear on your home page • GRADEBOOK: Shows your absences & grades weekly. Check often. Email professor if you catch any errors. • EXTERNAL LINKS: Helpful links for this course • Lexis, Law Libraries, Ohio Supreme Court, Ohio Revised Code, Montgomery County records, & more

36. Communicating on ANGEL • With Professor: • E-mail for private messages (grades, illness) • Use My.Sinclair address only • Discussion Board for EVERYTHING ELSE • Class-related questions go HERE, not in E-mail • ALL Messages Should Begin W/Course # • Example: • Subject: 112.01 Projects, Are You Nuts? • Or: 112.50 Classmates, Are They Nuts?

37. Communicating on ANGEL • With other students: • E-mail for private messages • Discussion Forum for class info • We Are A Learning Community • Without “cheating” (doing each other’s work) we help each other learn. This includes answering each other’s questions on the Discussion Board. If everyone is stumped, I will add suggestions.

39. Sinclair People Website • All course materials here • Projects, Forms, PowerPoints • In-Class Exercises, PAR Newsletter • If you want hard copy, print one • Replaces H Drive for this class • Click Course Materials in ANGEL, or go to: • http://people.sinclair.edu/mikebrigner/

40. Assignment: Learning StylesSinclair Student Services • Go to & explore: http:// • www.sinclair.edu/stservices/sss/index.cfm • Click Study Skills Hints, • Learning Style Inventory • Take the short quiz and score yourself • Answer the LAST QUESTION! • Print out the results & bring to next class

41. SCC Disability Services Notice • Qualified individuals with disabilities who produce required documentation of their disability & self-identify their need for accommodations are eligible for disability services • (Someone with a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities and who, with or without accommodations, can meet the essential requirements for participation in a program) • Students are required to identify their needs & to register with the Sinclair Office of Disability Services in order to be eligible for academic adjustments. All services are based on individual needs. • For more info: http://sinclair.edu/stservices/edu/index.cfm

42. Save This Date • Saturday, October 21 • 9 a.m. to noon • “Make a Difference Day” • Sinclair President, Faculty, Staff, Alumni, Trustees, Students • Will be out giving service at sites around Dayton • Show why “Community” is our middle name!

43. Legal Research & Writing II Concluded Thank you Mike Brigner, J.D. END OF CLASS: (EVERY Class) Clean up classroom; log off computers; check for personal property & computer disks; make sure you have signed in.