J.O. Johnson High School

Syllabus2016-2017

Law & Society I: Introduction to the Legal System

Teacher:Dennis

Location:Room 1192

Period:3rd Block (Blue) / 4th Block (Gold)

I. Course Description and Rationale

This course is designed to introduce students to the legal system of the United States and of the State of Alabama. Students will study, research, write, critique, and analyze the various topics to be found within the legal system. This course will enable the students to be able to more effectively understand and participate in the legal systems in place in this country. Speakers from within the local legal community, to include Federal and State judges, attorneys and court officials, will be brought in to give further in-depth looks at variousreal-world facets of the law.

II. Course Topics

This is a survey course and serves as the entry course for new students in the Johnson Law Academy.This course will show the difference between the common law and the statutory law, and their interrelationship within the American legal system. It will also cover all of the primary, and even a few more esoteric, areas of the law, which includes subjects like (in no particular order): contract law, tort law (including mass torts), real property, civil and criminal procedure, court roles and jurisdiction, bankruptcy, commercial transactions, criminal law, family law and juvenile law.

III. Course Objectives

  • Students will be able to extract the pertinent law from appellate court decisions as well as analyze and critique those decisions.
  • Students will be able to identify, compare and contrast the varying roles and jurisdictions of all of the courts in the federal and Alabama legal system.
  • Students will be able to take a set of facts (a hypothetical) and determine which area(s) of the law are involved and describe a course of action based on the facts at hand as well as the pertinent legal precedent.
  • Students will be able to identify the essential components of legal matter in the different fields of law and how they overlap and/or exclude each other.
  • Students will be able to prepare appropriate filing documents to begin a lawsuit based on a hypothetical.
  • Students will understand the roles of all of the people involved in a court case and who are present in a courtroom.

IV. Textbooks and Materials

  1. Textbook (subject to change): Understanding Business and Personal Law, 11th Edition
  2. Materials: 3 ring notebook, wide-ruledpaper, pen, pencil, and laptop

IV. Evaluation and Grade Assignment

A test will be given for each unit of study, with the exception of the Introduction. This test will be a written exam. The final exam for this course will be cumulative over the entire year’s work. This final exam is worth 20% of your course grade. Eachsemester grade will be made up of the following:

Classwork30%

Homework10%

Tests60%

You will also have the chance to earn bonus points throughout the year for extra work, bonus questions, etc.

V. Rules

  1. BE READY. The student will be:
  2. On-time (before the tardy bell rings)
  3. On task
  4. Use SLANT

Sit up

Listen

Ask questions

Note key information

Track the speaker

  1. BE RESPONSIBLE. The student will have everything he or she needs for class – Charged Laptop, Laptop Charger, Pen/Pencil, Paper Text(s), and a Binder.
  2. BE RESPECTFUL.The student will respect themselves, the instructor, guests, and fellow students as well as the property of others. Just THINK before you speak:

Is it True

Helpful

Inspiring

Necessary

Kind

  1. BE RESILLIANT – Have some GRIT!

Growth

Relying on

Intentional

Tenacity

That is it!! You only have 4 rules to remember. I expect you to respect each other, respect me, and respect yourself. All school rules will apply in my classroom and will be strictly enforced.

VI. Classroom Policies/Procedures

1. Tardy Policy:

At the bell for class to begin, all students should be in the classroom in their seats and should already be working on the DO NOW for the day. I will shut and lock the door as soon as the tardy bell rings. Students who are late to class for 1st period must have a pass from the office. On the 4th and subsequent tardies, a referral will be sent to the office. If you are more than 10 minutes late, you will be considered skipping and will be required to go t0 the office.

2. Hall Pass Policy:

You will be given 2 “Taking Care of Business” hall passes per nine weeks, for a total of 4 for the semester. These are for bathroom trips, trips to guidance, stepping out to text home, etc.

3. Makeup Work Procedure:

Attendance is required. If you must be absent, please follow this procedure.

It is your responsibility to check with me regarding make-up work. YOURS….not mine!!! I abhor makeup work. This semester I will enforce a 5-schoolday limit for completing makeup work. The exception to this procedure was noted above in the grading section regarding missing your designated presentation day.

4. Trash Policy:

I would not come in your room and trash it, so, please, refrain from trashing my room. I do not mind you having food or drinks as long as you CLEAN UP AFTER YOURSELF. Please put your trash in the trash can on your way out of the class. If you leave trash on the floor or on your desk, I will take a picture and you will be disciplined per the discipline policy. If you abuse the food and drink privilege, I WILL TAKE IT AWAY.

5. Turning In/Giving Back Papers:

Turn in papers in your designated class box at the front of the room near my desk. I will ask a volunteer each day to check the basket on my desk and return papers. Please keep all of your papers in your notebook. With hundreds of papers to grade each semester, neither I, nor the computer, are above making mistakes in grading, so please keep everything, plus, this gives you a way to keep track of your grades. By the way, except for EXCUSED absences, I do not accept late homework, so do not ask, and you will lose a letter grade per calendar day a major paper is late.

6. Transitioning to and from Groups:

During this class, we will work in groups! After all, two heads are better than one. Therefore, it is important that you know how to behave when going to and from your group. Please follow the policy below:

  • Wait for my signal-I will hold up my hand and wait for everyone to stop and look at me.
  • I will tell you to head to your group or back to your original seat.
  • At this time you will get up, and have 10 seconds to your destination (group seat or original seat) and get ready to work.

7. Transitioning out of the room

  • When class is over, I will dismiss you, not the bell. Please make sure all of your books and materials are put away before you leave.
  • If you must leave the room to use the restroom or see another teacher, please just raise your hand and wait on me to call on you. Do not walk out of the classroom. Walking out of the classroom warrants discipline issues. Make sure you get a pass and sign out and in.

8. Interruptions

  • If you must speak about something, please A HAND AND A VOICE. I am only one person to many of you and I cannot speak over you all. If you need to say something, please raise your hand and I will let you speak.
  • If you are called to the office, please make sure to get the hall pass and sign out and in.
  • If there is a disaster drill, DO NOT PANIC. Please act like civilized people and conduct ourselves accordingly as we travel to our destination to get safe.
  • If someone walks into the room, please, do not acknowledge them. I know they are coming. You should act as if they are invisible.

9. Seatwork and Teacher-Led Activities

  • Please do NOT speak when another person is up presenting. I know you want to speak your opinion, but there is a time and place for that. Hold all comments until someone is finished. This includes when I am talking. Also, please be respectful and refrain from putting your heads down. If one person does it then we all get to stand up. We are a team.
  • Talking is not allowed unless prompted by the teacher. So, make sure to take care of your personal business before class or after class.
  • If you are finished with your work you may work on another assignment from this or another class if you have the work with you.

PLEASE BE AWARE THAT TALKING, SLEEPING, TEXTING, OR DOODLING IS NOT ON THIS LIST OF THINGS TO DO. THEREFORE….PLEASE DO NOT DO THOSE THINGS.

TOPICS COVERED – INTRODUCTION TO LAW

THE AMERICAN JUDICIAL SYSTEM (Chapters 1 &2) – 4 WEEKS

FEDERAL AND STATE CRIMINAL LAW (Chapter 3) – 4 WEEKS

TORT LAW (Chapter 4) – 4 WEEKS

AGENCY/EMPLOYMENT LAW (Unit 4) – 2 WEEKS

NEGOTIABLE INSTRUMENTS (Unit 5) – 2 WEEKS

CONTRACTS (Unit 2) – 2 WEEKS

CONSUMER LAW (Unit 3 less Ch 16) – 2 WEEKS

INSURANCE (Ch 35) – 2 WEEKS

BUYING/ RENTING A CAR (Ch 16) – 2 WEEKS

BUYING/RENTING A HOUSE (Chs 33 & 34) – 2 WEEKS

BUSINESS LAW (Unit 6) – 4 WEEKS

MARRIAGE & DIVORCE (Chs 31 & 32) – 4 WEEKS

PROBATE LAW (Ch 36) – 2 WEEKS

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