Paralegal Professional: Unit 3 Project Essay on the US Court Systems DUE: Nov. 8 th, 2011 PA 101 A Term

What are we doing? We are writing a short essay describing the United States Court systems. This includes both the federal court system and a little on your own state court. The Essay is due at the close of unit 3.

Formatting Use Font size 12 Double space the Essay throughout ▫This makes it easier to read Label each section with a clear heading ▫See my notes in the “Body of the Essay” slide DO NOT USE ANY QUOTATIONS over 4 words! This writing should be completely in your own words. (Clearly, no cut & pasting) CITATIONS must be used when you reference your source materials. ▫H. R. Cheeseman & Thomas Goldman, The Paralegal Professional Essentials, 3d (Pearson Prentice Hall 2010)(2007). ▫Additional sources you might use are the Federal Courts web site and your own state court web site

▫Additional criteria (as listed in the assignment)  Paper should be 2-4 pages, excluding cover or reference page.  Viewpoint and purpose should be clearly established and sustained.  Assignment should follow the conventions of Standard American English (correct grammar, punctuation, etc.).  In-text citations should be included per APA and/or BlueBook standard.  Assignment should be well ordered, logical and unified, as well as original and insightful.  Your work should display superior content, organization, style, and mechanics and appropriate citation should be used.

▫Additional criteria (translated into normal)  Paper should be 2-4 pages, excluding cover or reference page.  Keep your focus clear.  Write in complete sentences.  Use spell check.  In-text citations should be included per APA and/or BlueBook standard. Put a citation at the end of the sentence where the source material is used.  All writing should be YOUR OWN work in your own words.

Title Page Title of the project centered on the page. Student’s name just below the title University Name just below the student name You can include the assignment title and unit number if you prefer below as well.

United States Court Systems Steward Dent Kaplan University PA 101 Unit 3

INTRODUCTION ( 1 paragraph) Give a short introductory paragraph Can be 2-5 sentences Explain what you are going to talk about in the essay Foreshadow the content areas you are going to discuss in the essay ▫The Federal Courts ▫Federal Court jurisdiction. ▫Comparison between federal and your state courts Transition into the body of the paper where you will begin to discuss the topics.

BODY of the Essay This is the area where you include all the content information for the paper. This section answers the questions posed in the assignment objective Headings can be a great way to divide this section This Body can be divided into three sections ▫The Federal Courts ▫Federal Jurisdiction ▫Comparison of Federal & my state courts

The Federal Courts (3-6 paragraphs) Describe each of the three main tiers in the federal system (one paragraph each) ▫Trial Courts ▫Intermediate Appellate Courts ▫Highest Courts Be sure to give the specific name of each court Given general information on each court including the kinds of cases they hear, what sorts of procedure is required to get into that court, the number of judges on the bench and locations.

Federal Jurisdiction ( 1-2 paragraphs) To hear the case, the court must have jurisdiction. The federal courts are limited in their jurisdiction in that they can only hear cases where there is ▫a Federal Question ▫Diversity of Citizenship Explain in one or two sentences the requirements needed for federal question jurisdiction Explain in one or two sentences the requirements for a diversity of citizenship case.

Comparison with My State (1-3 paragraphs)  Use your own state as a comparison to the federal courts.  Examine what aspects your state has in common with the federal courts (one paragraph)  Examine what your state does differently than the federal courts (one paragraph)  -or-Bring these conclusions together into a paragraph showcasing the similarities and/or differences between your state and the federal courts.

Possible Comparison Points Federal CourtsYour State Court Describe the structure Jurisdictionally restricted Has many lower courts with specific limited jurisdictions How many judges sit on each case? How are judges selected for the federal bench? Does your state court have three tiers? What kinds of jurisdiction does a state court assert? What kinds of limited jurisdiction courts does your state have? Judges, selection and numbers

Example of a comparison/contrast My home state of Florida closely parallels the federal court system. Florida has a three tier system like the federal system. However, Florida has a very complex trial court level including many different divisions. The Florida Supreme court is the highest court in the state, just like the Supreme Court in the federal court system.

Example of a comparison/contrast My home state of Florida closely parallels the federal court system. Florida has a three tier system like the federal system. However, Florida has a very complex trial court level including many different divisions. The Florida Supreme court is the highest court in the state just like the Supreme Court in the federal court system.

CONCLUSION Give a short summary paragraph to wrap up your essay. Showcase the key points from the essay sections. ▫One introductionory / transitional sentence into the concluding remarks ▫One short sentence summarizing each of the areas of content discussed (Federal Courts, Federal Jurisdiction, State Courts contrast) ▫One summary closing statement

Possible Essay Outline Introduction The Federal Courts ▫Trial Courts ▫Intermediate Courts ▫Highest Court Federal Court Jurisdiction ▫Federal Question ▫Diversity of Citizenship State Court Comparison ▫Similarities between state and federal courts ▫Differences between state and federal courts Conclusion

Things to remember Spell check is great, but doesn’t catch wrong word issues. Be sure to write in complete sentences throughout! Watch the wrong words (Trail/Trial, Statue/Statute). These are only caught by physically proof reading. Don’t rely on Wikipedia or Answers.com for your information. Use the primary and secondary sources. Don’t wait until the last minute. Check out the KU Writing Center for further resources and guidance. Please do ask your group Professor for further clarifications on the project!

GOT QUESTIONS? Contact your group Professors with any questions! Remember they hold office hours each week and would be trilled to field your questions! Prof. Julie Dennis Prof. Traci Diggs Prof. Dianna Noyes Prof. Heather Valdes