Unit 1 Seminar Instructor: Brian Craig PA110 Civil Litigation I Unit 1 Seminar Instructor: Brian Craig

Instructor Profile Brian Craig Instructor at Kaplan University since 2007 Experience: Attorney since 2002 (admitted in CA and MN) Adjunct professor at the University of Minnesota Law School Education: JD, University of Idaho BA, Brigham Young University (UT) Personal: Married with two boys (ages 8 and 6) Hobbies: playing piano, reading, hiking

Introductions Discussion Unit 1 - Introductions Please introduce yourself to your instructor and classmates. Take this opportunity to get to know the people you will be learning and interacting with over the next 10 weeks.

Unit 1 Seminar Overview In the unit 1 seminar, we will cover the following: Syllabus Seminars and Alternative Assignment for Missed Seminar Discussion Board Expectations Due Dates and Late Policy Class Communication Course Text Academic Honesty Major Writing Assignments Civil Litigation Overview Unit 1 Assignment

Syllabus Please read and refer to the Syllabus! Many common questions can be answered from consulting the syllabus Example: What is reading assignment for unit 2? Accessing the Syllabus: 1. Syllabus sent via email to all students OR 2. Syllabus also available on course main page Items in the Syllabus: Seminar Times Reading assignments for each unit Policy on Late Work Grading rubric for discussion boards Plagiarism Policy Late Work Policy

Seminars Participation in the Seminar is a very important part of this course! Moderated Chat: Student responses will be approved by the instructor to keep on topic

Seminars Students can see old seminars the day after the seminar Each seminar is worth 5 points. Students will receive full points for attending seminar and zero points for non-attendance. Seminar grades will usually be posted within 24 hours. Seminars will be held in units 1-4 and 6-9 Not seminar in Unit 5 or Unit 10

Alternative Assignment for Missed Seminar The alternative assignment must provide at least a clear synopsis of the material covered at the seminar along with your analysis of that material. Submit as attached Word document via email Length: 2-3 pages (double-spaced lines) Must be submitted within 7 days of the lecture Note: If you attend any part of the seminar (even if you arrive late or leave early), you will be marked as present. No alternative assignment is required and you do not need to notify the instructor.

Discussion Boards Number of Posts: Students should have at least one initial response per topic and also respond to at least two other students for each discussion board topic. Frequency of Posts: Post on more than one day during unit.

Discussion Board Grading Use proper punctuation, grammar, and spelling Use spell checker or use spell checker in Word and then copy and paste post Make sure to post in all appropriate discussion board topics See grading rubric in the syllabus

Due Dates All discussion board postings, assignments, quizzes, and tests are due 11:59 pm (ET), Tuesday

Contacting the Instructor: Email Using the Email link in the course Instructor will answer emails within 24 hours Mon-Fri or 48 hours during the weekend Use Kaplan Email Only

Online Office Hours Monday, 3 PM - 5 PM (ET) For online office hours, I will use the AIM instant message system. My AIM sign-in is “bjcmnus” If you are not an AIM member, you can download the free service at http://www.aim.com

Academic Honesty Kaplan University considers academic honesty to be one of its highest values. Students are expected to be the sole authors of their work. Use of another person’s work or ideas must be accompanied by specific citations and references. See information in the syllabus on academic honesty.

Course Outcomes As a result of completing this course, students will be able to: PA110-1 Apply ethical guidelines to the civil litigation process PA110-2 Investigate civil disputes PA110-3 Draft legal correspondence to a client PA110-4 Draft initial pleadings in civil lawsuits PA110-5 Draft a pre-trial discovery document in a civil lawsuit  PA110-6 Draft a document associated with trial practice GEL-6.5 Use electronic libraries/databases for research purposes

Course Overview (Units 1-5) Unit 1: Justin King Case Unit 2: Pre-Complaint Investigation Unit 3: Drafting the Complaint Unit 4: Pre-Answer Investigation Unit 5: Answer (No midterm exam)

Course Overview (Units 6-10) Unit 6: Discovery I Unit 7: Discovery II Unit 8: Pre-Trial Motions and Settlement Unit 9: Getting Ready for Trial Unit 10: Course Reflection

Writing Assignments Unit 1 Assignment: Initial Client Interview Unit 2 Assignment: Correspondence to Client Unit 3 Assignment: Complaint Unit 4 Assignment: Research Affirmative Defenses Unit 5 Assignment: Answer Unit 6 Assignment: Interrogatories Unit 7 Assignment: Requests for Production Unit 8 Assignment: Motion to Compel Unit 9 Assignment: Ethical Decision

Quizzes/Exams Quizzes in Units 1-4; 6-8 (20 points each) 45 minute time limit 10 questions each worth 2 points Final Exam in Unit 9 (100 points) 2 hour time limit 20 questions each worth 5 points Objective true/false and multiple choice questions based on reading in course text/seminars

Quizzes/Exams You will NOT be able to view the questions with the correct answers for quizzes/exams. Reason: Maintain academic honesty and integrity You will see your score ONLY starting on Wednesday following the conclusion of the unit.

Introduction to Civil Litigation Civil litigation vs. criminal procedure Focus in this course is on civil litigation

Overview of Civil Litigation Process Step 1: Client Intake Step 2: Complaint Step 3: Service Step 4: Defendant’s Answer Step 5: Discovery Step 6: Trial Step 7: Appeal Step 8: Collection

Unit 1 Graded Items Unit 1 Discussion Unit 1 Assignment Unit 1 Seminar Unit 1 Quiz Deadline: 11:59 PM ET, Tuesday, Sep. 25

Unit 1 Assignment First: Listen to the Justin King video (and/or read the transcript) Suggestion: Print out the Interview Fact Sheet found in the Client Folder and take notes with a pencil or pen while you are watching the video. Second: Complete the Initial Interview and Investigation Sheet Submit the completed Initial Interview and Investigation Sheet via the Dropbox

Grading Rubric Full grading rubric in Doc Sharing Content (70%) Grammar and Spelling (5%) Format (5%) Style and Coherence (10%) Organization (10%) Total: 100%

Unit 1 Assignment Complete: Section D. Client’s Facts/Story Section E. Potential Defendants Section F. Follow Up Questions Section G. Additional Research/Investigation Needed (include preliminary legal research and factual research) Do not complete sections A-C or section H See additional instructions and revised form in Doc Sharing

Unit 1 Assignment Section D: Facts Section Organize facts in chronological order Write in complete sentences Include damages DO NOT copy and paste transcript!

Unit 1 Assignment Section E: Potential Defendants Identify 3+ potential defendants Concept of “deep pockets” for defendants

Unit 1 Assignment Section F. Follow Up Questions Discuss follow up questions in “Section F. Follow Up Questions.” You should list at least five (5) potential follow up questions. Avoid questions with “yes” or “no” response Start with “who, what, where, when, why, and how”

Unit 1 Assignment Section G. Additional Research/Discovery Needed Potential witnesses Documents Tangible Items Preliminary Legal research Write in complete sentences Explain the relevance