COURSE SYLLABUS PLAW 225 TORT LAW

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1 Note: Course content may be changed, term to term, without notice. The information below is provided as a guide for course selection and is not binding in any form, and should not be used to purchase course materials.

2 COURSE SYLLABUS PLAW 225 TORT LAW COURSE DESCRIPTION The course is a study of the system for compensating persons injured by others and includes principles of intentional torts and privileges thereto, and principles of negligence. RATIONALE The purpose of this course is to impart to students the historic foundations and contemporary common and statutory law principles applicable to tort injuries and their redress so that students can understand and evaluate factual scenarios to identify tort issues and correctly apply pertinent law. I. PREREQUISITES For information regarding prerequisites for this course, please refer to the Academic Course Catalog. II. III. IV. REQUIRED RESOURCE PURCHASES Click on the following link to view the required resource(s) for the term in which you are registered: ADDITIONAL MATERIALS FOR LEARNING A. Computer with basic audio/video output equipment B. Internet access (broadband recommended) C. Microsoft Word (Microsoft Office is available at a special discount to Liberty University students.) D. The Bluebook: Uniform System of Citation MEASURABLE LEARNING OUTCOMES Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to: A. Identify and explain the elements of tort law. B. Read and analyze legal materials related to intentional torts, negligence, and strict liability. C. Understand the significance of the law and articulate this understanding in writing. D. Demonstrate an understanding of biblical and historical foundations of tort law. E. Identify legal issues in factual scenarios and accurately state and apply rules of tort law. Page 1 of 3

3 F. Differentiate between the various types of intentional torts. G. Differentiate between the various types of strict liability tort actions. H. Distinguish between the various types of damages and when they apply. V. COURSE REQUIREMENTS AND ASSIGNMENTS A. Textbook readings, Bible readings and lecture presentations. B. Course Requirements Checklist After reading the Syllabus and Student Expectations, the student will complete the related checklist found in Module/Week 1. C. Discussion Board forums (6) Students will complete Discussion Board forums in Modules/Weeks 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, and 8. Each week a Discussion Board forum is due, students will be presented with a thought-provoking prompt to which they will post a 300-word response in a new thread. The initial thread should include at least 2 references to the textbook. This thread is due by 11:59 p.m. (ET) on Friday. Then students will read their classmates threads and post a 100-word reply to at least 2 of them by 11:59 p.m. (ET) on Monday, except for DB Forum 6, in which replies will be due by 11:59 p.m. (ET) on Friday of Module/Week 8. D. News Article Review (2) In Modules/Weeks 4 and 7, the student should a submit brief essay, discussing current news articles related to court cases or other actions that directly relate to the subject matter of tort law. News articles used for this assignment should come from the newspaper, a news program, or some other reputable news source (either traditional such as a newspaper or news magazine, or from a reputable online source). Each essay should be no less than half a page and no more than two full pages double-spaced, 12-point font, with one-inch margins. Full citations for the articles should be provided as endnotes, and, if possible, the article itself should be included with the submission. Submissions over two-pages will receive a reduction in points. Each News Article Review is due by 11:59 p.m. (ET) on Monday of the module/week assigned. E. Quizzes (8) There will be an open-note, open-book quiz due by the end of each module/week of the course. Each quiz will be timed at 60 minutes and composed of 25 true/false and multiple-choice questions. The students will need to carefully review all the reading to answer all 30 questions successfully. VI. COURSE GRADING AND POLICIES A. Points Course Requirements Checklist 10 Discussion Board forums (6 at points each) 300 News Article Reviews (2 at points each) 100 Page 2 of 3

4 B. Scale Quizzes (8 at pts each) 600 Total 1010 A = B = C = D = F = C. Late Assignment Policy If the student is unable to complete an assignment on time, then he or she must contact the instructor immediately by . Assignments that are submitted after the due date without prior approval from the instructor will receive the following deductions: 1. Late assignments submitted within one week of the due date will receive a 10% deduction. 2. Assignments submitted more than one week late will receive a 20% deduction. 3. Assignments submitted two weeks late or after the final date of the class will not be accepted. 4. Late Discussion Board threads or replies will not be accepted. Special circumstances (e.g. death in the family, personal health issues) will be reviewed by the instructor on a case-by-case basis. D. Disability Assistance Students with a documented disability may contact Liberty University Online s Office of Disability Academic Support (ODAS) at LUOODAS@liberty.edu to make arrangements for academic accommodations. Further information can be found at VII. BIBLIOGRAPHY Abraham, Kenneth S. The Forms and Functions of Tort Law. 3d ed. New York, New York: Foundation Press, ISBN: Bevans, Neal R. Tort Law for Paralegals. 3r ed. New York, New York: Aspen Publishers, ISBN: Guay, III, George E., and Robert Cummins. Tort Law for Paralegals. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson/Prentice Hall, ISBN: Michaud, Hillary J. Tort Law: Concepts and Applications. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson/Prentice Hall, ISBN: Okrent, Cathy J. Torts and Personal Injury Law. 4 th ed. Clifton Park, New York: Delmar Cengage Learning, ISBN: Schaffer, Lisa, and Andrew Wietecki. McGraw-Hill s Torts for Paralegals. New York, New York: McGraw-Hill Higher Education, ISBN: Page 3 of 3

5 COUR ### Course Schedule COURSE SCHEDULE PLAW 225 Textbooks: Bevans, Tort Law for Paralegals (2013). WEEK/ MODULE READING & STUDY ASSIGNMENTS POINTS 1 Bevans: ch. 1 4 presentations Course Requirements Checklist Class Introductions DB Forum 1 Quiz Bevans: chs. 2 & 3 DB Forum 2 Quiz 2 3 Bevans: chs. 4 & 5 DB Forum 3 Quiz 3 4 Bevans: chs. 6 & 7 News Article Review 1 Quiz 4 5 Bevans: chs. 8 & 9 DB Forum 4 Quiz 5 6 Bevans: chs. 10 & 11 DB Forum 5 Quiz 6 7 Bevans: chs. 12 & 13 News Article Review 2 Quiz 7 8 Bevans: ch presentation DB Forum 6 Quiz 8 TOTAL 1010 DB = Discussion Board NOTE: Each course week (except Module/Week 1) begins on Tuesday morning at 12:00 a.m. (ET) and ends on Monday night at 11:59 p.m. (ET). The final week ends at 11:59 p.m. (ET) on Friday.