Department of Legal Assistant Education THE SOONER DOCKET. Enroll Now for Spring 2015 Courses! American Bar Association Approved

Transcription

1 Department of Legal Assistant Education THE SOONER DOCKET Enroll Now for Spring 2015 Courses! American Bar Association Approved Vol. 37, No. 2 Oct. 2014

2 Legal Assistant Education Schedule SPRING 2015 Courses meet from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the Saturdays listed unless otherwise specified. Course Title Course Dates Tuition Orientation Jan. 10 Free Civil Procedure II Jan. 10, Jan. 24, Feb. 7 $270 Evidence Jan. 10, Jan. 24, Feb. 7 $270 Legal Writing Jan. 17, Jan. 31, Feb. 14 $270 Introduction to Law Jan. 24, Feb. 7, Feb. 21 $270 Legal Analysis Feb. 14, Feb. 28, March 14 $270 Contracts Feb. 28, March 14 and Online* $270 Computerized Feb. 21, March 7 $180 Domestic Relations March 28, April 11, April 25 $270 March 28, April 11, April 25 $270 Resume Writing and Interviewing Seminar April 18 $90 Internship I, II, III Arranged $180 * Contracts is being offered as a three-unit course, but will meet two Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., with a one-hour break for lunch. The additional 9.5 hours of instruction will be met online. Enroll by Dec. 12! Payments for courses do not have to be made at the time of enrollment. Please refer to the payment deadlines on the enrollment form. Proposed Summer 2015 Courses Introduction to Law Evidence Legal Analysis Oil and Gas Law Trusts/Wills Seminar TBA Internship I, II, III Proposed Fall 2015 Courses Introduction to Law Legal Analysis Civil Procedure I Law Practice Management Professional Ethics Alternative Dispute Resolution Employment Law Seminar TBA Internship I, II, III This publication is issued by the University of Oklahoma. 1,200 copies have been prepared and distributed at a cost of $1,040 to the tax payers of the state of Oklahoma. For accommodations on the basis of disability, please contact the Department of Legal Assistant Education at (405) The University of Oklahoma is an equal opportunity institution.

3 Department of Legal Assistant Education 1 From the Director s Desk: EXCITING CHANGES COMING TO OU LAE Since its inception by the OU Law Center in 1968, the Department of Legal Assistant Education has worked to provide students with the knowledge, skills, values, and attitudes they need to become competent and ethical professional legal assistants. contact LAE Department of Legal Assistant Education University of Oklahoma Law Center 300 Timberdell Road, Room 3014 Norman, OK phone (405) lae@law.ou.edu The program has a tradition of excellence, and as director, I look forward to improving on the long history of excellence of the Department of Legal Assistant Education. We are currently researching ways to implement online enrollment and payment options. Stay tuned to law.ou.edu/lae for updates. Please send your name, student ID, and address to lae@law.ou.edu, so we can communicate exciting changes by in real time as they are implemented. You can also find us on Facebook by searching for the University of Oklahoma Law Center Legal Assistant Education. In spring 2015, I am teaching Contracts partially online. This is the first time the program has offered a hybrid course. The course will meet in the Law Center, and additional instructional activities will be completed online, thereby reducing the need for you to be present at the Law Center by one Saturday. I hope you will consider taking this course. We hope to offer more hybrid and completely online courses in the future. The new program coordinator, Stacey Reynolds, and I look forward to getting to know all of you as you complete the program. Please send course ideas or other suggestions you may have to lae@law.ou.edu. Brian M. McCall, Director

4 2 The University of Oklahoma News in the Department of Legal Assistant Education CHANGE IS COMING! Online Enrollment and Payments Stay tuned to law.ou.edu/lae for information regarding online payment and enrollment options! Online Booklists Textbooks for the spring 2015 semester will be posted as they are received under Course Materials at law.ou.edu/lae. Electronic Communications Please send your name, student ID number and address to We will send your course syllabi, job announcements and scholarship opportunities to your preferred address. Job Placement Assistance Are you a current student or graduate seeking paralegal or legal assistant employment? lae@law.ou.edu to let us know you are interested in receiving job announcements. Social Media Like us on Facebook to see the latest news in the Department of Legal Assistant Education. CLASS OF 2014 GRADUATES On Aug. 2, certificates were conferred on 15 graduates of the Class of 2014 during a ceremony in the Dick Bell Courtroom. Graduating were Toni A. Caruso, Fontasia Eunique Dean, Lynn F. Garst, Kate Janke, Sherri R. Luckowski, Johana Lynne Mendez, Sheila Ann Miller, Vicki L. Mitchell, Nga Tuyet Thi Nguyen, Jenifer M. Pritchard, Ashley Marie Roever, Scott Allen Sexton, Brianna Suzan Stuckey, Ashley Nicole Underwood, and Lyndsay A. Yates. Scott A. Sexton was named 2013 Honor Graduate. The graduation speaker was Lynn M. Havrilla, president of the Oklahoma Paralegal Association. Including the Class of 2014, the department has conferred certificates on 709 graduates. OU STUDENT AWARDED SCHOLARSHIP Margaret L. Fensterer was awarded a $500 scholarship from the Central Oklahoma Association of Legal Assistants. She received the scholarship at COALA s annual paralegal recognition luncheon in May at the Beacon Club in Oklahoma City.

5 Department of Legal Assistant Education 3 Spring 2015 COURSE DESCRIPTIONS Civil Procedure II Jan. 10, Jan. 24, Feb 7 3 Units, $270 Course Objective: As a continuation of Civil Procedure I, students will learn about the documents necessary for a case to proceed through the civil courts, as well as documents used in the discovery phase of a case. Through homework assignments and class presentations, students will be provided drafting techniques and pretrial strategy for use in civil litigation. Instructor Profile: Whitney A. Drake practices law in Norman. Computerized Feb. 21, March 7 2 Units, $180 Course Objective: (Prerequisite: ) Computer-assisted legal research. An introductory course to familiarize students with the computerized legal research systems. Students will receive training in the effective use of search strategies to enhance their legal research capabilities. Instructor Profile: David W. Dye is associate director of the John B. Turner LL.M Program and adjunct professor in the OU College of Law. He previously served as a paralegal in the U.S. Attorney s office and in the U.S. Army National Guard. He is a graduate of the OU College of Law. Contracts Feb. 28, March 14 and Partially Online 3 Units, $270 Course Objective: Contracts is the law of binding agreements. In this course, students will learn the components of an enforceable contract, exceptions to the enforcement of contracts, and remedies available upon the breach of an enforceable contract. Each class will include opportunities for students to gain practical skills in the areas of client counseling, negotiation, drafting, and interpretation of contracts. Students will learn about specific types of contracts, such as lease agreements, employment contracts, secured credit agreements, and the additional rules and laws that may apply to them. Students will apply the principles learned to a simulated fact pattern during open class discussions. Instructor Profile: Brian McCall joined the University of Oklahoma after nine years of private practice in an international law firm. He currently is the director of the Legal Assistant Education Program, associate director of the Law Center and associate dean for Academic Affairs for the College of Law. In 2013 he was named the Orpha and Maurice Merrill Professor in Law and has taught classes in the area of contracts, business, and commercial law. Domestic Relations March 28, April 11, April 25 3 Units, $270 Course Objective: This course provides the student with a practical skills working knowledge of such aspects of domestic law as premarital contracts, marriage, annulment, divorce, separate maintenance, custody, paternity, adoption, wage assignments, citations for contempt of court, preparation of trial exhibits, computations of child support, decrees, and motions to modify divorce decrees. Instructor Profile: Sharon Wigdor Byers is a lawyer in private practice and the owner of Byers & Associates in Oklahoma City, handling all aspects of domestic-relations cases.

6 4 The University of Oklahoma Evidence Jan. 10, Jan. 24, Feb. 7 3 Units, $270 Course Objective: Oklahoma and federal Rules of Evidence will be surveyed to familiarize students with the types of evidence that will and will not be admissible in court and objections which may be made during discovery and in pretrial orders to proposed evidence. Instructor Profile: J. Dee Graves is an attorney at the Graves Law Firm and practices both civil and criminal law. Internship Arranged 2 Units, $180 Course Objective: The goal of Internship is to (1) assist paralegal students in going from the classroom to the world of law firms, corporations, public agencies, and organizations; (2) provide students with a meaningful, practical experience in a professional setting; (3) assist students in clarifying career goals and to assess readiness to enter the legal profession; and (4) provide students an opportunity to refine professional skills. Instructor Profile: Brian M. McCall is the director of the Department of Legal Assistant Education and supervises all Internship students. Introduction to Law Jan. 24, Feb. 7, Feb Units, $270 Course Objective: Introduction to Law will provide an overview of the American legal system. Topics will include the development of the common law, the current prominence of statutory law, ethical considerations important to the legal assistant, and the state and federal court systems. The course also provides an introduction to substantive areas of the law. Instructor Profile: J. Lynn McKay is a certified paralegal with LexisNexis and president of the Oklahoma Paralegal Association. She has worked in the legal field for more than 18 years. She received the National Association of Legal Assistants/Paralegals 2014 Affiliated Associations Outstanding Contribution Award in recognition of volunteer service to the paralegal profession and the 2014 Affiliates Award for outstanding contribution and dedication to the advancement of the paralegal profession through volunteer service to NALA affiliated associations. Legal Analysis Feb. 14, Feb. 28, March 14 3 Units, $270 Course Objective: This course is an introduction to legal writing and legal analysis. Any legal research necessary to prepare the writing assignments in this course will be provided by the instructor. Students will be introduced to different types of legal writing used by legal assistants. Instructor Profile: S. Elaine Haack is a paralegal at Hall, Estill, Hardwick, Gable, Golden & Nelson in Oklahoma City, and is a former officer and member of the Board of Directors of the Central Oklahoma Association of Legal Assistants. March 28, April 11, April 25 3 Units, $270 Course Objective: This course will familiarize the student with the common hard-copy legal research materials and the ways in which they are used, together and separately. Students will be taught research method, the methodology of analyzing a legal problem, finding the applicable law, and reaching a probable solution. Special emphasis will be placed on bringing research up-to-date. Through homework problems and practical exercises, to solve simple research problems and to critique the solutions. Instructor Profile: J. Dee Graves is an attorney at the Graves Law Firm and practices both civil and criminal law.

7 Department of Legal Assistant Education 5 Legal Writing Jan. 17, Jan. 31, Feb Units, $270 Course Objective: (Prerequisites: Legal Analysis, ) An advanced legalwriting course designed to strengthen and sharpen existing legal-writing skills. Students will draft various documents, such as legal memoranda, briefs, discovery documents, motions, and correspondence, with an emphasis on federal and state civil procedure, proper citation form, and legal analysis, as well as the practical applications for a legal assistant involved in preparing and using these documents. Instructor Profile: Greg Kennedy is a legal assistant at Echols & Associates in Oklahoma City. He is former president and first vice president of the Central Oklahoma Association of Legal Assistants. Orientation Jan. 10, No Charge Course Objective: This free seminar gives those who may be interested in a career as a legal assistant/paralegal information about the profession, opportunities in the field, and the OU legal assistant education program. This orientation is for beginning legal assistant/paralegal students and others interested in the paralegal profession. Resume Writing and Interviewing Seminar April 18 1 Unit, $90 Course Objective: This seminar will provide participants with basic information about the jobsearch process, including interviewing and resume writing. Exercises will include a mock interview and resume writing. The seminar covers job-search resources, such as Martindale-Hubbell directories, employment agencies, associations, and networking. Plan to bring a resume with you or basic information that should be included in a resume. Instructor Profile: Casey Delaney is the assistant dean for external affairs in the OU College of Law. In this role, she oversees the Career Services, Marketing and Development departments. SEMINARS Seminars are offered on a variety of topics. Students may apply a maximum of 2 units of seminar credit toward the legal-specialty course requirement. Seminars are graded pass/fail, and attendance is required in order to receive a passing grade. (Schedule Subject to Change Without Notice)

8 6 The University of Oklahoma INSTRUCTIONS AND POLICIES The Department of Legal Assistant Education requires 42 units of legal-specialty courses and a minimum of 40 credit hours of general-education courses to complete the American Bar Association-approved certificate program. WITHDRAWAL FROM CLASS To withdraw from class, students must contact the Department of Legal Assistant Education office. NO CASH REFUNDS ARE GRANTED TO STUDENTS WHO WITHDRAW FROM A CLASS. Students who withdraw on or before the payment deadline for a class will receive 100 percent tuition credit. Students who withdraw after the payment deadline for a class and before 4 p.m. on the Monday preceding the first scheduled class meeting will receive a 60 percent tuition credit. Students who withdraw from a class after the Monday preceding the first scheduled class meeting will receive no tuition credit. Tuition credits must be used within two semesters. After two semesters, the tuition credit will expire, and no cash refund will be made. The department reserves the right to make exceptions. Students may withdraw any time prior to the last day of a class with a grade of Withdrawal/ Passing, with the approval of the instructor. Students withdrawing on or after the date of the last class meeting will receive a Withdrawal/Failing. Enrollment Policy All students must complete an enrollment form at the beginning of each fall, spring, and summer semester, listing all classes they want to take during the semester. To receive credit for classes, the student must be admitted to study in the Department of Legal Assistant Education on or before the enrollment deadline. Classes may be audited, with assignments not being evaluated and no grade recorded. Auditors pay the same tuition as students who take courses for credit. Department of Legal Assistant Education courses may be accepted for credit in some degree programs at the University of Oklahoma and other institutions. Please contact those programs and institutions regarding the transfer of courses. PAYMENT POLICY Students must consult the class schedule to determine the payment deadline for each class. Students have two options to pay for classes: (1) payment may be made for all classes at the time of enrollment or (2) payment may be made before the payment deadline for each class. All checks, money orders, or charges must be made payable to the University of Oklahoma. ENROLLMENT IN A CLASS IS NOT COMPLETE UNTIL TUITION IS PAID. GRADES AND GRADED ASSIGNMENTS Grades are posted on the first floor of the Law Center, by the student ID number. Upon request, grades also will be sent to students once they are posted. Students who wish to receive copies of graded assignments may contact the Department of Legal Assistant Education at lae@law.ou.edu with their name, student ID number, course title and semester. Assignments will be retained in the department office, to be picked up by students, for one semester. Assignments or other materials that are not picked up will be discarded.

9 Department of Legal Assistant Education 7 GRADING POLICY A 12-point grading scale is used, in which an A+ = 12 to F = 0. For certificate candidates, a grade of C- or better in required legal-specialty courses and a passing grade in elective legal-specialty courses must be earned to receive credit for the courses. A student who earns a grade of D+ or below in a required course must repeat the course. To receive a passing grade in any course, the student must satisfactorily complete all assignments and the final examination. Failure to do either of these will result in a failing grade. An I (incomplete) is given when a student is unable to complete certain course requirements for reasons satisfactory to the instructor. If a grade of I is not changed within one year, it will become permanent, and the student will be required to repeat the course in order to receive credit. Students may appeal a final course grade under the department s Grade Appeal Procedure. The appeal must be submitted within 30 days of the date the final grade was posted. GRADUATION Certificates are conferred annually, in August, to students who have completed all requirements. Legal assistants cannot give legal advice, accept cases, set legal fees, represent clients in court, or perform any legal service without the supervision of a licensed lawyer. ENROLLMENT CHECKLIST 1. Check the Suggested Courses of Study, in this Sooner Docket, to determine which classes you should take. For questions about your schedule, advisement or your course of study, contact the Department of Legal Assistant Education office at (405) or lae@law.ou.edu. 2. Complete the enrollment form by Dec. 12. Mark all classes that you want to take. Payments for courses do not have to be made at the time of enrollment. 3. Send the enrollment form to the Department of Legal Assistant Education office. Keep a copy of the enrollment form or note the tuition-payment deadline for each class. 4. Pay tuition by the tuition-payment deadline. You may pay tuition for all classes when you enroll, or you may pay tuition by the tuition-payment deadline for each class. Your enrollment is not final until tuition is paid. 5. Read your instruction letter, syllabus and course outline carefully. About three weeks before the first class session for each course, you will receive an instruction letter containing the instructor s syllabus and course outline. 6. Purchase textbooks and materials and prepare for your first class.

10 8 The University of Oklahoma SUGGESTED COURSES OF STUDY 1st Year Student Entering in Fall Semester 2nd Year Fall Spring Summer Fall Spring Summer Introduction to Law Evidence Elective (3 units) Civil Procedure I Civil Procedure II Elective (2 units) Legal Analysis Legal Writing Elective (3 units) Professional Ethics Elective (3 units) Computerized 1st Year Law Practice Management Student Entering in Spring Semester Elective (3 units) 2nd Year Spring Summer Fall Spring Summer Fall Introduction to Law Evidence or Elective (3 units) Civil Procedure I Civil Procedure II Evidence or Elective (3 units) Elective (3 units) Legal Analysis Elective (3 units) Professional Ethics Legal Writing Elective (2 units) Elective (3 units) 1st Year Law Practice Management Computerized Student Entering in Summer Semester 2nd Year Summer Fall Spring Summer Fall Spring Introduction to Law Evidence Elective (3 units) Civil Procedure I Civil Procedure II Legal Analysis Professional Ethics Legal Writing Elective (2 units) Elective (3 units) Elective (3 units) Law Practice Management Computerized Elective (3 units)

11 SPRING 2015 ENROLLMENT FORM Student Name Last 4 digits of Social Security No. Street Address City, State, ZIP Phone Course # Course Title Enroll Now Pay Later Enroll & Pay Payment Only Audit & Pay Tuition Payment Deadline 1000 Orientation N/A N/A N/A Free N/A 2083 Civil Procedure II $270 Dec Evidence $270 Dec Legal Writing $270 Dec Introduction to Law $270 Jan Legal Analysis $270 Jan Contracts $270 Jan Computerized $180 Jan Domestic Relations $270 March $270 March Resume Writing and Interviewing Seminar $90 April 3 Internship I, II, III $180 Jan. 9 Check Enclosed *Make checks payable to the University of Oklahoma. Credit Card Payment Enclosed Amount to Charge: (American Express, Discover, MasterCard or VISA) * You may make credit card payments by mail or telephone. Do not send credit card information via or fax. No credit card information is stored. Credit Card # Exp Date: CVV # (3 digit code on back of card) Billing Address, City, State, ZIP (if different than above) Send a completed enrollment form to: Financial Services Office phone (405) University of Oklahoma Law Center alternate telephone (405) Timberdell Road, Room 2004 Norman, OK Complete this enrollment form by Dec. 12, 2014, and return to the Department of Legal Assistant Education. Payments for courses do not have to be made at the time of enrollment. Refer to payment policy on page 6. Withdrawal and Refund Policies are stated in the Sooner Docket. Please read carefully.

12 University of Oklahoma Law Center 300 Timberdell Road, Room 3014 Norman, OK NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION U.S. POSTAGE PAID UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA