Theodore’s Law in Culture selection

I’m posting this for Theodore because technical difficulties are preventing him from posting.  Feel free to reply, he’ll see it!  – Prof. C.

I would like to do mine on the 1997 movie “Liar Liar” starring Jim carrey who plays a lawyer whose career is fast tracked because of his great ability to lie. However, He prioritizes his career over his family life which results in his son wishing that his father was unable to lie. This affects Jim’s ability to perform in the courtroom which puts him in a precarious situation.

Who Theodore Is

I’m posting this for Theodore because he’s having technical difficulties.  Feel free to reply, I’ll make sure he sees it!  — Prof. C.

My name is Theodore Bouzalas, I am in the Law and Paralegal program to earn a second degree and become more desirable in a dwindling job market. I also hope it will help me look appealing should I pursue law school. I have a plethora of interests from video games to movies to anime of all genres.

EXTENSION to Monday!! for Amy Tan assignment

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I’m SO sorry!  Thanks to Mian, I realized that I posted the WRONG version of the Amy Tan assignment!  It’s from last year and it’s not that different from the new one, but it is somewhat different.  I’ve now posted the the correct version right here, and under “Assignments.”  IF you didn’t already complete this assignment, please do so by 11am Monday, and it will be considered on time!!  If you already posted a response, no need to re-post, you’re all set.  🙂  I’m sorry for confusion!!

Amy Tan response by Theodore

(This is Theodore’s response but he’s having technical difficulties so I’m posting it for him!  ~KC)

In “Mother tongue” by Amy tan, there are a number of legal issues that can be seen. While the social racism towards Amy’s mother because of her language barrier is clearly evident. The issue I find more disturbing is the instance of the hospital losing her mother’s CAT scan. Benign tumors or not, a hospital losing medical information and causing their patient distress can clearly be seen as a gross form of medical malpractice, especially given the hospitals blasé attitude toward losing it. It was only until Amy voiced her mother’s concerns in a “socially accepted” english that the hospital took her mother seriously. I took this issue rather personally because my own father was hospitalized for a year of his life and reading things of this nature upsets me.

Court tour videos posted!

HELLO Ladies and Gentlemen!

I hope you enjoyed the lovely, cool weekend.  I also hope you saw the GOOD NEWS I posted yesterday, immediately below this post, that I postponed some assignments due tomorrow (Monday) to Wednesday.  Hooray!

I’ve now posted a series of videos that reenact the walking tour of the courts several of us took Friday afternoon (but without the snacks :(). They are posted in the “Class notes & materials” tab under Friday, September 11.  Each one is only a few minutes long.  If someone could please watch some of them and email me to let me know if you’re able to access them, I’ll really appreciate it.  I’m not sure if I did it right!  I hope everyone will watch them–we’ll cover the information in class but it will be helpful to see the actual courts.  And you can laugh at my pathetic videography skills.  Also in “Class notes & materials” I’ve posted the notes and other items we’ll discuss in tomorrow’s class, in case you want a preview.

Have a pleasant evening, see you tomorrow 11:30am!

Cheers,

Prof. C.

 

GOOD NEWS!! Assignments postponed!! :)

Ladies and Gentlemen,

GOOD NEWS!  You do NOT need to answer the C&W ch. 6 DYGI questions OR read the excerpt from M&M ch. 2 for Monday’s class!!  Hooray!  For Monday, you DO need to review our Peer Mentor’s postings and Amy Tan’s “Mother Tongue” from English class, details in “Assignments” tab.  And you’re not off the hook with C&W or M&M–you’ll need to answer C&W ch. 6 questions (for 1103 credit) and read M&M ch. 2 excerpt for Wed. Sept. 16 class, in addition to the Amy Tan assignment now posted under “Assignments.”  As always, you are most welcome to submit assignments early, so if you already answered the C&W questions or would like to get them out of the way, that’s absolutely fine, send them to me anytime before Wednesday (in accordance with instructions stated in “Assignments” tab).

Enjoy the rest of this beautiful day!

Cheers,

Prof. C.

Introducing your Peer Mentor!

Hello!

On Monday, Sept. 14, in Intro class, we’ll be visited by your FYLC Peer Mentor, Ngozi Okonkwo!  Here’s a message from Ngozi, and your can read Ngozi’s other posts by clicking the “Peer Mentor” category:

“A Peer Mentor is a fellow student at City Tech who serves as an extra resource and guide for new students on how to navigate through college. Sometimes it’s easier and more beneficial to ask certain questions to a student who has been in your shoes rather than a professor, and that’s what I’m here for! You can come to me with any and all questions (ex: how to set up your email, Blackboard, financial aid and scholarships, activities and events, clubs, etc.) and I can help to point you in the right direction. The one thing that I am not is a tutor/ TA. I can point you to different tutoring resources or advise you on how to set up office hours with your professor if you need extra help in your courses, but I personally won’t be able to answer specific class questions (especially considering I’m a mechanical engineering technology major whose main exposure to Law comes from Law and Order and How to Get Away with Murder).”

Here’s Ngozi’s email address if you’d like to reach out: Ngozi.Okonkwo@mail.citytech.cuny.edu

TRIP tomorrow! & info from yesterday’s class

Good afternoon Students!

I’m really looking forward to our walking tour of the courts tomorrow!!  (Friday Sept. 11)  EVERYONE is welcome to attend—even if you did not tell me you plan to attend, or if you didn’t join yesterday’s meeting after class about it.  We’ll meet in the courtyard by the Atrium entrance to the college (Tillary St.) between 2:30-3pm, and we’ll start the tour promptly at 3pm.  If you can’t find us, or you arrive after we’ve left for the tour, please call my cell phone, 917.363.0063, and we’ll find you!  (Don’t text or email, I won’t get it.)  If you did tell me you plan to attend and that changes, please email, call or text me before 3pm so we know not to wait for you.  Please review the additional information about the trip, including maps showing where to meet and updated info on the Everbridge app, in my post below, “INFO for Friday’s court tour!!”  You don’t need to bring anything other than a mask (though I’ll have extras) but I’ll be giving you some maps and other items so you may want to bring a small bag.  Wear comfortable shoes!  Forecast is showing good weather.  🙂

If you don’t attend, which is totally fine, remember there is no Zoom videoconference tomorrow afternoon.  In the next few days, I’ll post a video recording of the tour here on OpenLab, then you can watch it and answer some questions to get the academic material and credit for attending tomorrow’s class.

I’ve posted information from yesterday’s class: Under “Class notes & materials” I’ve posted the notes, charts and maps of the court system, and under “Assignments” I’ve added links to Amy Tan’s “Mother Tongue” and excerpts from C&W ch. 2 including p. 21 and the “DYGI?” questions assigned for homework (due before Monday’s class).  For the M&M ch. 2 excerpts, I’ve included a link to Blackboard, which is where you’ll get most readings from now on.  If you have trouble accessing them, let me know.

Have a pleasant evening, see some of you tomorrow, have a great weekend!

Prof. C.

INFO for Friday’s court tour!! 

Information for optional walking tour of courts on Friday, Sept. 11!!

Meet at the Atrium entrance to City Tech (on Tillary Street) between 2:30-3pm–photo on the right is what it looks like!  We will leave City Tech for the tour promptly at 3pm and return to City Tech by 4:30pm.  If these times are a problem for you, let me know!

This trip is OPTIONAL.  Each student may choose not to attend for any reason at all, which you do not need to tell me.  A video recording of the tour will be made for you to watch, to get the academic benefit of the tour and to earn credit for attending that day’s class.

Here are some helpful resources:

  • Directions to college and campus map
  • Link to campus map on Google maps
  • Coughlin’s marked-up campus map with “Enter Here!” marked
  • Coughlin’s cell number if you can’t find us: 917.363.0063 **Please CALL! Don’t text or email–I won’t see it.
  • Waiver for students under 18 — if you are under 18, please complete and bring to the trip.
  • Everyone must wear masks over nose and mouth, and maintain 6 feet social distance, throughout our time together. I will have extra masks if anyone needs them!
  • Please download the EverBridge app from Apple Store or Google Play and complete the Wellness Check Survey before traveling to City Tech.  The quick survey involves five short questions and is accessible through Everbridge’s health screening app. Please use this Instructional Guide for accessing and using the app.  (For the institution, choose CUNY. Log in, using your CUNY credentials, such as John.Smith22@login.cuny.edu.  Then navigate your way to CUNY Health Screening.  Press the red shield in the lower right hand corner of the screen to get to the series of questions.)  Visitors should use the Visitors’ Guide for instructions.  Based on the answers provided, you will receive confirmation on your phone or email that clears you to enter the college. When you successfully answer the questions (“no” to all of them), you will be pre-approved to enter the College and receive a green check-mark confirmation.  You will show that confirmation to the staff at the entryway to the campus building.  If you are not cleared to enter the college, please refrain from attending the trip and follow the app’s recommendations on next steps. Please review these FAQs if you have a question.

Hope for good weather!!

Prof. C.

Books for Law in Culture review!

Hi all, if you haven’t chosen a cultural source for the review, this link shows some books I’d be happy to lend you.  Inherit the Wind is a play about the Scopes Monkey Trial, which was about teaching evolution in schools (versus creationism), it’s quite short!  A Civil Action is about a real toxic tort case, where a company dumped chemicals that made lots of people sick, I had to read it for my Civil Procedure class in my first year of law school.  The Other Slavery is about the enslavement of Native Americans, and White Trash is a series of essays about different historical figures (Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, Elvis Presley!) and how they and their lives reflected class distinctions and discrimination.  Remember, if you choose to use a book for your review, you only have to read 150 pages of it!

If you’re interested in any of these books, let me know and we’ll figure out a way to get them to you.

Cheers,

Prof. C.