COMMUNITY COLLEGE OF SOUTHERN NEVADA BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION DEPARTMENT PARALEGAL STUDIES PROGRAM COURSE SYLLABUS SPRING 2009

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1 COMMUNITY COLLEGE OF SOUTHERN NEVADA BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION DEPARTMENT PARALEGAL STUDIES PROGRAM COURSE SYLLABUS SPRING 2009 COURSE NO: LAW 253, Section COURSE TITLE: Law Office Management Credits: 3 Location: Distance Education Day/Time: Distance Education Prerequisite: LAW 101 Required Text: ISBN: Software: Using Computers in the Law Office, Fifth Edition, Brent Roper. Do not buy a used textbook! The textbook comes with CDs. If the CDs have been previously used, they will not work. Do not open CDs in the back of the textbook! If you already bought a used textbook, you will need to exchange it for a new one X Some legal software is included in the CDs that come with the textbook. Students will need to have Adobe Acrobat; Microsoft Word 2007; Wordperfect X3; and Microsoft Excel 2007 software for this class. Students can get the free downloads off of the software website. Professor: RENÉ L. ROSICH, ESQ. Office: Charleston Campus - C151L Phone: CSN rene.rosich@csn.edu Angel Angel s will be checked by the professor daily between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. except Saturdays and Sundays and holidays. s will be responded to within two business days. Office Hours: By appointment only. COURSE DESCRIPTION: A study of the economical and efficient law office practices and procedures including the proper use of law office technology and computerized data processing. Prerequisite LAW 101. COURSE OUTCOMES - SPECIFIC: 1. Students will be able to list the three main types of law office management software. 2. Students will be able to distinguish between timekeeping and billing software; case management software; and accounting software. 3. Students will be able to demonstrate their ability to use various legal software. Page 1 of 6

2 4. Students will be able to describe how to electronically file documents with the court. COURSE OBJECTIVES: 1. Familiarize students with how computers are being used in law offices. 2. Introduce students to an automated courtroom. 3. Familiarize students with electronic filing in the court. INSTRUCTIONAL METHODS: Distance Education. GRADING POLICY: Each student s grade will be based upon completion of the time slips assignment, computer assignments, and final examination. GRADING STANDARD: A. Time slips assignment 15% B. Detailed chapter outlines 15% C. Computer assignments 20% D. Final examination 50% A = B = C = D = F = 59 - below Total 100% Note: This Professor does not use the plus (+) and minus (-) in the grading scale. PRACTICAL ASSIGNMENTS: The time slips assignment is a practical assignment that simulates paralegal work for having students keep track of time spent for class in tenth of an hour increments. The computer assignments are practical assignments that simulate paralegal work by using software and web sites that are being used by law firms. PROFESSOR POLICIES ON LATE ASSIGNMENTS AND MAKEUP EXAMS: There are none. All assignments are due on the date assigned by midnight. No late assignments will be accepted. The final examination must be accomplished on the Monday of finals week at the Charleston Campus. No makeup final examination will be given unless an emergency, as defined by the Professor, occurred during the day of the exam, and the student has evidence of said emergency. Page 2 of 6

3 COURSE CONTENT WITH TIME ALLOCATION: WEEK 1 Semester Week Course Content Complete the Angel Student Guide assignment - focus on the following: 1) ; 2) assignments; 3) grades; 4) lessons; and 5) course content. Complete the Student Information Form and send it via to the Professor. Read: Chapter #1 - Computers in the Law Office Assignments Due: Chapter #1 Outline; Time Slips WEEK 2 Read: Chapter #2 - Computer Hardware and Software Assignments Due: Chapter #2 Outline; Time Slips; Microsoft Word Software (Chapter #3, page 113) WEEK 3 Read: Chapter #3 - Word Processing, PDF File Creation and Document Assembly Assignments Due: Chapter #3 Outline; Time Slips; Wordperfect Software (Disk 1) WEEK 4 Read: Chapter #4 - Spreadsheet Software Assignments Due: Chapter #4 Outline; Time Slips; Microsoft Excel Software (Chapter #4, page 241) WEEK 5 Read: Chapter #5 - Database Management Systems Assignments Due: Chapter #5 Outline; Time Slips Page 3 of 6

4 WEEK 6 Read: Chapter #6 - Legal Timekeeping and Billing Software Assignments Due: Chapter #6 Outline; Time Slips Computerized Timeslips Software (Internet); PC Law Software (Internet); Tabs 3 Software (Disk 2) WEEK 7 Read: Chapter #7 - Case Management and Docket Control Software Assignments Due: Chapter #7 Outline; Time Slips; Amicus Attorney Software (Internet); Abacus Law Software (Disk 1); Pro Law Software (Internet) WEEK 8 Read: Chapter #8 - Electronic Discovery Assignments Due: Chapter #8 Outline; Time Slips WEEK 9 Read: Chapter #9 - Litigation Support Software Assignments Due: Chapter #9 Outline; Time Slips WEEK 10 Read: Chapter #10 - The Internet and Electronic Mail Assignments Due: Chapter #10 Outline; Time Slips WEEK 11 Read: Chapter #11 Computer-Assisted Legal Research and CD-ROM Legal Databases Assignments Due: Chapter #11 Outline; Time Slips WEEK 12 Read: Chapter #12 - The Electronic Courthouse, Automated Courtroom, and Presentation Graphics Assignments Due: Chapter #12 Outline; Time Slips; Microsoft PowerPoint (Chapter #12, p. 876); SmartDraw Legal (Disk 2) Page 4 of 6

5 WEEK 13 Read: Chapter #13 - Specialized Legal Software Assignments Due: Chapter #13 Outline; Time Slips Best Case Solutions (Internet) WEEK 14 Class: Final Examination Total EXTRA CREDIT: Students may receive a maximum of three percent added to their final grade for extra credit. Students will be given extra credit for voting in a national, state, city or county election if they provide their voter receipt card by scanning it and ing it to the professor. One percent will be added to the student s final grade for the voter receipt card. Other extra credit opportunities may be given by the Professor. TUTORIAL SERVICES: Students can received free tutoring for on-line classes by logging onto Smartconnect. ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: Scholastic dishonesty will not be tolerated and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent. You are expected to have read and understood the current issue of the student handbook (published by Student Services) regarding student responsibilities and rights, and the intellectual property policy, for information about procedures and about what constitutes acceptable on-campus behavior. ADA STATEMENT: If you have a documented disability that may require assistance, you will need to contact the Disability Resource Center (DRC) for coordination of your academic accommodations. The DRC is located in Student Services on each campus. The phone numbers for each DRC office are: West Charleston , Cheyenne , and Henderson For students who would like to perform community service or earn extra money, stop by the DRC to fill out a job interest card. This office hires students as note takers, proctors, scribes, and lab assistants as needed. PARALEGAL STUDIES PROGRAM PORTFOLIO REQUIREMENT: All students in the Paralegal Studies Program will be required to keep all of their completed assignments in a three-ringed binder measuring at least three inches wide, with tab dividers for each class, and on a blank CD or a blank flash drive. The three-ringed binder with all of the Page 5 of 6

6 students work is called the Portfolio. The Portfolio will be turned in for a grade at the end of the Legal Research II class. WRITTEN ASSIGNMENTS: All computer assignments must be typed on a computer in size 12-pitch font with one inch margins. All computer assignments must have a cover sheet with the student s name, the Professor s name, the class name, the name of the assignment, and the turn in date of the assignment. Assignment grades will not be posted until two weeks after the due date of the assignment. EXAMINATIONS: A final examination will be given on the Monday of finals week at the end of the semester. Students are to report at the Testing Center at the Charleston Campus and show picture identification. Students must contact the Testing Center to get information on hours of operation. The final examination is two part: fill in the blank and computer application. Students will be limited to two hours to take the final examination. The final examination is closed book, closed notes, and closed neighbor. Students must bring a black pen and their Angel login information to the final examination. COURSE REQUIREMENTS: All students must activate their CSN and obtain a CSN library card. FINAL REMARKS: Any information contained in this syllabus, other than the Academic Integrity Policy and the ADA Statement, may be subject to change with advance notice, as deemed appropriate by the Professor. Page 6 of 6