FLORIDA A & M UNIVERSITY
College of Law
ICN Syllabus Spring 2015
Course 6388 Class 3494 Sec. 302
Room 382, M 6:00 pm - 7:40 pm
Instructor: S. N. Persaud, Esq.
Email:
Text: Legal Counseling and Negotiating, A Practical Approach Herman, Cary & Kennedy, LexisNexis, ISBN: 9781422422625
Objective: The objective of this course is to learn and apply the processes and techniques that effective lawyers use in obtaining information, advising clients, implementing decisions, and negotiating a satisfactory resolution to legal problems or disputes. The course is taught with the assumption that you will actively utilize the intellectual skills acquired from other substantive courses. In this way, the educational emphasis is to provide you with a practical application of these skills.
Attendance: Class attendance is mandatory. You are allowed the maximum number of administrative absences in order to qualify for a final grade. Being late to class may result in an unexcused absence. Leaving class while it is in session is not permissible. Such a practice would be considered and designated as an absence. When you are assigned to participate as a witness, you must make every attempt to attend class or provide reasonable notice of your expected non-attendance. Please be considerate to your fellow students and attend class during the graded exercises. You are solely responsible for ensuring that you have received credit for your attendance by signing the roll. It is presumed that you are absent if you fail to sign the roll. Any issue with regard to a failure to sign the roll may result in a 10 point deduction from your final grade. You are not allowed to make-up a graded exercise absent prior permission and only due to an emergency. An incident or situation may not constitute an emergency unless we have discussed prior approval at a reasonable time during or after the emergency. This means that you must attend your scheduled graded exercise. Any scheduling conflicts must be resolved in favor of attendance. If you are in a student organization such as mock trial in which you may be absent from class, you must notify me when the exercise is distributed to the class or at least two weeks prior to the scheduled graded exercise, whichever is the earliest.
Deductions: You are required to actively listen to your fellow student performances and to give constructive feedback. Preparation, participation and professionalism in course activities is a mandatory requirement in order to receive a final grade. There may be a direct consideration of participation, preparation and professionalism points during the graded exercises. Nonetheless, five (5) points per instance may be deducted from your final grade at any time for being unprepared, due to a failure to participate, or a lack of professionalism.
Recording: Taping of the class is not permitted, including audio, digital, or through the use of a computer or device.
Laptop/ Net: Use of the Internet or a cell phone is not permitted during class at any time. Use of a laptop during student presentations or class activities is not permitted. Either practice will be designated as an absence.
Journal: You are required to keep a weekly journal, with weekly written entries of at least 250 words. This shall include issues you have explored during class, things you have learned about yourself in developing your professional persona, and an evaluation of your own performance, including areas which may need improving. You are also responsible for ensuring that the entries are in a ring-binder or some other mechanism which holds the pages together. You are not required for a journal entry in the event that you are absent. Journals will be collected on 3/30, with no exceptions. As such, if you are absent on the day of collection, you are solely responsible for turning in your journal beforehand. Journals by email will not be accepted. Journals turned in after the due date will receive an automatic deduction of 5 points prior to grading, and will not be accepted after the last day of classes.
Dress: There is no general dress requirement other than as required by the administration during regular classes. However, during graded exercises, you are required to dress in business casual attire, such as you would wear to a Florida Bar function. Males must wear a tie and jacket. Full formal business attire is required during the Final Negotiation during your grading week.
Policy Statement on Non-Discrimination
It is the policy of Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University to assure that each member of the University community be permitted to work or attend classes in an environment free from any form of discrimination including race, religion, color, age, disability, sex, marital status, national origin, veteran status and sexual harassment as prohibited by state and federal statutes. This shall include applicants for admission to the University and employment.
Academic Honor Policy
The University’s Academic Honor Policy is located in the FANG Student Handbook, under the Student Code of Conduct- Regulation 2.012 section, beginning on page 55-56.
ADA Compliance
To comply with the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), please advise the instructor of any accommodations required to insure participation in this course. Documentation of disability is required and should be submitted to the Learning Development and Evaluation Center (LDEC). For additional information please contact the LDEC at (850) 599-3180.
Grading: The course will be graded according to performance in the Interview, Counseling and Negotiation Graded Assignments, participation and journal entries. The grading for the exercises are determined under various factors, including but not limited to Introduction, Obtaining Information, Presentation of Questions, Quality of Follow-up, Closing Remarks, Conveying Legal Information, Argument, Overview of Dispute, Quality of Responses, Professionalism, Presentation, Persuasion, Advocacy, and Use of Course Standards.
You are responsible for reading the chapters in the book, whether or not an assignment is specifically given. This book is relatively easy to read, and certain concepts will be discussed in class. As this is a practical course, the focus will be on the application of the concepts discussed during the practical exercises. Below is an outline and grade distribution, which may be revised as the course progresses:
WEEK 1 (1/5) Introduction
WEEK 2 (1/12) Interviewing Study Chs. 1, 3, 4
WEEK 3 (1/26) Interview Practice
WEEK 4 (2/2) Counseling Study Chs. 2, 5
WEEK 5 (2/9) Counseling Practice
WEEK 6 (2/16) Interview & Counseling Grading
WEEK 7 (2/23) Interview & Counseling Grading
WEEK 8 (3/2) Interview & Counseling Grading
WEEK 9 (3/16) Negotiation Study Chs. 6 – 19
WEEK 10 (3/23) Negotiation Practice
WEEK 11 (3/30) Negotiation Practice/ Grading
WEEK 12 (4/6) Negotiation Grading
WEEK 13 (4/13) Negotiation Grading
WEEK 14 (4/20) Negotiation Grading
ICN – Persaud