1. 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, 2007-2008 Education: JD, University of Idaho BA, Brigham Young University (UT) Personal: Married with two boys (ages 7 and 5) Hobbies: playing piano, reading, visiting waterfalls/national parks

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 Action Item

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 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

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. If you arrive late or need to leave early, you will still earn the full 5 points (no alternative assignment required) Seminar grades will usually be posted within 24 hours.

8. Alternative Assignment for Missed Seminar If you are unable to attend the seminar, you can still learn the information that was provided and also earn the seminar points. In order to earn the seminar points, you must complete an alternative assignment and submit it as a Word document attached to an email (Do not Submit via the Dropbox). The alternative assignment must provide at least a clear synopsis of the material covered at the seminar along with your analysis of that material. It should be no less than two pages and no longer than three pages and must be submitted within 7 days of the missed seminar. Write a summary of the seminar and send the summary to the instructor via email.

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 See announcement for due dates and graded items

12. 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

13. Online Office Hours Monday, 1-3 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

14. Doc Sharing Course Text Rules for Writers Grading Rubrics Additional Resources/Forms for Assignments

15. 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.

16. 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

17. 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)

18. 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

19. Writing Assignments Unit 1 Action Item (85 points) Unit 2 Action Item (85 points) Unit 3 Action Item (85 points) Unit 4 Action Item (85 points) Unit 5 Drafting the Answer (205 points) Unit 6 Action Item (85 points) Unit 7 Action Item (85 points) Unit 9 Action Item (85 points)

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

21. 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 See also steps in a civil case at the link below (also in webliography): http://www.abanet.org/publiced/courts/cases.html

22. Unit 1 Graded Items Unit 1 Discussion Unit 1 Action Item Unit 1 Seminar Deadline: 11:59 PM ET, Tuesday, Nov. 15 Note: The terms “action item” and “assignment” are synonymous

23. Unit 1 Action Item 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 (form in Unit 1 or revised form in Doc Sharing) Submit the completed Initial Interview and Investigation Sheet via the Dropbox Deadline: 11:59 PM ET, Tuesday, Nov. 15

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

25. Unit 1 Action Item 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

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

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

28. Unit 1 Action Item 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”

29. Unit 1 Action Item Section G. Additional Research/Discovery Needed Potential witnesses Documents Tangible Items Legal research