DAILY ASSIGNMENTS: (major/longer-term assignments are way down below)

TH MAY 18: FINAL EXAM!!  Study!!  Here are some study suggestions.  Bring a writing instrument, and your big, smart BRAINS!!  You MAY bring paper copies of the court charts and maps you were provided!  (but you probably won’t need them)

PAST ASSIGNMENTS:

ASAP: Please send me an email (kcoughlin@citytech.cuny.edu) from your City Tech account with (a) three time slots, in order of preference, when you’re available to meet with me for about 1/2 hour on campus or Zoom and (b) if you feel comfortable, your phone number and an email address you check frequently (gmail or whatever), for emergencies only, I promise!

DUE TU JAN 31: (1) Read the whole syllabus, bring questions to class!  (2) Read textbook ch. 1, pp. 2-6!  (3) Confirm access to Blackboard and City Tech email! (4) Please send me an email (kcoughlin@citytech.cuny.edu) from your City Tech account with (a) three time slots, in order of preference, when you’re available to meet with me for about 1/2 hour on campus or Zoom (you can include my office hours, Tues. & Thurs. 12:45am-1pm) and (b) if you feel comfortable, your phone number and an email address you check frequently (gmail or whatever), for emergencies only, I promise!

DUE TH FEB 2: (1) Read textbook ch. 1, pp. 6-17! (2) Join OpenLab and our course site! (If you’re reading this, you’ve done that!  Great work! 🙂 )

DUE TU FEB 14: (1) Write a post here on OpenLab titled “Who I Am” (or another title) describing (a) why you are in the Law and Paralegal Studies program (such as goals, interests, plans, etc.), and (b) something(s) else about you, as a person, that you want your classmates to know!  Anything at all!  Here are instructions on how to post.   Choose “Who I Am” as the category!  See my sample on the “home” page here.  (2) Read ch. 2 pp. 20-31 & (especially) 38-52. (3) By 8am, write a post here on OL describing a NYC law office where you might like to work!  Read details in this assignment.  (4) Read these sample resumes and be ready to share your opinions on them during class! (a) S Student  (b) Y Suarez  (c)  K Peters   (d) C Kent

DUE TH FEB 16: (1) First draft resume due by email 8am!  If possible, PLEASE send an attached Word document — NOT a link to Google docs, nor a PDF!  Details in this assignment. (2) Study for quiz #1!  Paralegal roles & skills, and career opportunities (chs. 1&2) at the start of class — arrive on time!  (3) Post “Law in Culture” source by end of day!  Details in this assignment.  (4) Reply to a classmate’s “Who I Am” post! Ideally, someone who has not yet received a reply.  Instructions to reply are here (at the bottom of the page).

DUE TH FEB 23: (1) Email revised resume to me before class! (2) Review ch. 2 pp. 41-44 (on cover letters) and these sample student cover letters:   B Wayne; Y Suarez; E Eggwhite; D Prince.  Be ready to share your compliments and suggestions on them during class!  (3) If you didn’t yet, reply to a classmate’s “Who I Am” post! Ideally, someone who has not yet received a reply.  Instructions to reply are here (at the bottom of the page).

DUE TU FEB 28: Email draft cover letter to me by 8am!

DUE WED MARCH 1: Read these two articles and respond to one suggestion from either of them as a “REPLY” to my post about them on the “Home” page!  “How to Write a Cover Letter People Will Actually Read” and “Resume Do’s & Don’ts 2023 Edition”

DUE TH MAR 2: (1) Read ch. 6 pp. 145-158 on court systems! Book on reserve in college library! (2) Review the charts & maps of the court system linked below!  You’ll get paper copies in class!  (3) Email final resume & cover letter to me by end of day!

• Federal court system charts: C&W chart and color chart!
• Federal court system map of districts and circuits!

DUE TU MAR 7: (1) Read textbook ch. 6 pp. 155-158 & 169-170.  (2) Review these court charts & maps:

• Generic court structure chart! (3 tiers)
• Federal court system charts: C&W chart and color chart!
• Federal court system map of districts and circuits!

TH MAR 9:  Walking tour of Brooklyn courts!  Meet 10am SHARP at 300 Jay Street entrance to the college! If you are under 18, please have your parent or guardian complete this form and bring it to the trip!

TU MAR 14: NO CLASS MEETING!  You’ll complete Quiz #2 on Blackboard during any one hour between 10am-5pm. Review everything since Quiz #1, particularly ch. 6 and information on the court systems, including posted class notes and materials, your own notes, and readings from the textbook.  During the quiz, please call me with any questions or technical problems (don’t email or text): 917.363.0063!

DUE TH MAR 16: (1) By 8am, please post a question for our guest speaker, professional recruiter Kate Dove, as a “reply” to my post about her on the “home” page here! (2) Read textbook ch. 3, Workings of a Law Office!  On reserve in the college library!

DUE TU MAR 21: (1) Complete this Timekeeping assignment, due here on OpenLab by 8am Tuesday!  (2) Review notes, quizzes, readings, etc. in prep for midterm exam review!  See these Study Suggestions!! Bring questions!

TH MAR 23: MIDTERM EXAM!!   STUDY!! See these Study Suggestions!!  Review all of your notes, quizzes, the “class notes” here on OL, assigned readings, etc. You may bring your paper copies of these federal court system charts & maps that were distributed in class: chart from your Civil Lit textbook chart ; color chart ; map of federal judicial districts and circuits.  **I will NOT bring paper copies to the exam, and you will NOT be permitted to access electronic copies!!  Please also bring a writing instrument, and your big, smart BRAINS!!

DUE TU MAR 28: Review “advisement & registration materials & resources” on “class notes & materials” page!

DUE TH MAR 30: Read textbook ch. 4, pp. 85-99, on legal ethics!

DUE TU APR 4 by 8am: (1) Read textbook ch. 4, pp. 100-118, also on legal ethics!  (2) Choose ONE of these questions on p. 117 and answer it in in a “reply” to my post about that chapter on the Home page here on OL: Ethics Question 1 OR 2, OR Practice Question 4 OR 5!  Be sure to state what question you are answering!

DUE TU APR 18: Read textbook ch. 5, Sources of American Law, pp. 119-122 (up to “Remedies at Law…”) and pp. 126-129 (from “The Common Law Today” to “Constitutional Law”).

DUE TH APR 20: (1) Read textbook ch. 5, Sources of American Law, pp. 129 to end.

DUE TU APR 25: NO CLASS MEETING!  You’ll complete Quiz #3, on Blackboard, during any one hour between 10am-5pm. Review posted class notes and materials, your own notes, and assigned textbook chapters.  Call me with any questions or technical problems during that time (don’t email or text): 917.363.0063!

TH APR 27: Court visit!  Meet in N622 at 10am sharp, bring this signed permission form if you’re under 18!

DUE MON MAY 1 at 2pm: Post a question for Tuesday’s guest speaker, City Tech Law and Paralegal Studies grad and current CUNY Law School student Joseph Bernard, as a reply to my post on the home page here!

DUE TU MAY 2: Read textbook ch. 7, pp. 175-201 (legal research) — on reserve in library!  Please also read this Court Observation Assignment that we’ll discuss in class!

DUE TH MAY 4: Post Law in Culture review here on OL by end of day!  Review this assignment for requirements!

DUE TU MAY 9:  If you didn’t yet, post a summary of your court observation on OL!

DUE TH MAY 11: If you didn’t yet, (1) give your oral reflection on your court observation in class (see this assignment for requirements), and (2) post Law in Culture review here on OL by end of day (see this assignment for requirements)!!

DUE TU MAY 16: (1) Study for quiz #4 (everything since Quiz #3 — legal research & writing, chs. 7 & 9)!  (2) Review everything for final exam — bring questions!  Here are some study suggestions.   Come to class to win prizes!!  🙂

MAJOR / LONGER-TERM ASSIGNMENTS:

“Law in Culture Review” assignment! (first post due Sept. 15, final review due Dec. 1)

Resume & Cover Letter assignment! (multiple drafts due starting Th. Sept. 15, final versions due Fri. Sept. 23)