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

2. 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

3. 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.

4. 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

5. 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 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

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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
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.

9. 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.

10. 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

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

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

13. 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

14. 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.

15. 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

16. 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)

17. 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

18. 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

19. 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

20. 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.

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

22. 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

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

24. 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

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

26. 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

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

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

29. 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”

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