Esteemed Students!!

I have entered your final course grades on CUNYfirst, and your final exam grades and final course grades in the GradeBook here on OL!!  (linked at bottom right corner of home page)  Your final exam grades in the GradeBook include any extra credit points for posts, briefs, and participation in the final exam review session–you should see a list of them if you click the “comment bubble” next to the final exam grade.  Of course, if you have questions about your grades, or anything at all, please let me know.

THANK YOU, to each and every one of you, for a wonderful semester!   We continue to live in extremely challenging circumstances, and in my view, the fact that you are even attempting to continue your education in these conditions makes each of you a Rock Star.  And your achievement of such knowledge and success in the process makes you Super Duper Rock Stars!  (or whatever the best kind of Rock Star is)  I truly enjoyed working with, and getting to know, each of you, and I hope to work with you again in some way.  I will be happy to provide academic advisement, or a reference, or discuss future plans, or anything at all that might be useful.  PLEASE do not hesitate to contact me anytime!  I’ll generally be available during the summer, and always.  And please just keep in touch!  I want to hear all about your achievements and successes (and challenges if you’d like to share them).

Thank you again.  Have a terrific summer!!  🙂

Cheers,

Prof. C.

Good morning!

Your final exam is now available for you to take on Blackboard!   It’s the first item on the “Content” page.  Please complete the exam today (Thursday, May 20, 2021), during any two-hour period before 5pm, in one sitting.  During the exam, you may, and should, refer to your Bluebook and the maps and charts of the court system posted on Blackboard (in “Content,” right under the exam) and on our course OpenLab site (on the “Class notes & materials” page, near the top, listed under “Court System Resources”).  If you have any questions or technical problems during the exam, including if you need additional time, please call me at 718.260.4939 or join the class Zoom link.  (I do not recommend emailing me because I may not see your email in a timely manner.)  **PLEASE NOTE: I will not be available to answer questions after 4:15pm today, so if any issues arise after that time, please email me and I’ll address them on Friday.

We will not meet for class today.  Your completion of the exam is your attendance for today’s class.

Good luck!  I’ll post information here on OL soon about final grades and other issues.

Cheers,

Prof. C.

Esteemed students!

GREAT WORK from those of you who participated in our final exam review today!  I hope you found it useful, and at least a little bit fun.  As we discussed in prior classes, each participant earned two bonus points on the final exam!  Woo hoo!

I have graded Quiz #4 and entered the grades in the “Gradebook” here on OL.  PLEASE review your quiz on Blackboard, even if you got a perfect or otherwise high score!  I provided comments on everyone’s federal statute citations, and the proper format.  Nearly no one got it completely correct!  But I gave you full credit if you came close enough.  On the final exam, you’ll need to be completely correct to earn full credit!  So please review my comments.

Speaking of Bluebook citation: We didn’t get to review that today, just because those questions weren’t among the numbers you chose!  Weird luck.  However, if you review the citation questions (and answers) on quizzes 3 and 4, and make sure you understand any errors you made, AND if you have your Bluebook handy during the exam, you’ll be well-prepared for the citation questions.

Just a reminder, the final exam will be available on Blackboard this Thursday, May 20, by 10am, to be completed during any two-hour period until 5pm.  Please note, I will not be available to answer questions after 4:15pm, so I strongly suggest you complete, or nearly complete, the exam before that time.  If any problems occur after 4:15pm on Thursday, you can email me and I’ll respond on Friday.  If this schedule, or anything regarding the timing of the exam, creates a problem for you, please contact me and we’ll work it out!  It’s best to contact me before the exam, but we can address timing, and any other issues, on the day of the exam if needed.  Before the exam, you can reach me by email.  During the exam, it’s best to call me at 718.260.4939 or join the class Zoom link, until 4:15pm as noted above.

Study hard, and good luck!!  (not that you need it)   I’ll be in touch after the exam about grades and other stuff!

Cheers,

Prof. C.

Esteemed Students!

In prep for our overview of secondary sources in Thursday’s class (May 13), please choose any one (or more!) of the articles linked below, read it, then reply to this post with a response, like something(s) you found interesting, and why; and/or question(s) you have; or anything else you’d like to say about this topic!  To reply to this post, click “leave a reply” or “[#] Replies” below, or click the “comment” bubble in the upper right corner.  Please post your reply by 9am Thursday morning!

Happy reading and replying!

Prof. C.

Articles:

• Daemen College, Paralegal Studies, “Secondary Legal Sources” (for paralegal studies students): https://libguides.daemen.edu/Paralegal/secondary-sources
• Yale Law School, “Secondary Sources” (for law school students, but you’ll do fine with it) https://library.law.yale.edu/secondary-sources
• Jeremy Byellin, “The basics of secondary sources – what, why, how” (for new attorneys, but you’ll do fine with this too!)  https://legal.thomsonreuters.com/en/insights/articles/the-basics-of-secondary-sources-what-why-how

Esteemed Students!

So you can earn 2 bonus points on quiz #4 this coming Thursday May 13, please locate the Student Evaluation of Teaching (SET) Survey for this course in your City Tech email!  The sender is “NYC College of Technology Course Evaluations,” address is SPSSurveys@scantron.com.  Examples of what it looks like are on the second page of this document.  Check your spam folder if you can’t find it!  If you need further help, please contact air@citytech.cuny.edu.

Thanks!

Prof. C.

Come cheer them on in the Honors Scholars Program Student Academic Conference,    Panel 2, “Critical Student Perspectives on the United States Legal System,” which runs 9:25-9:50am TODAY!  Here is the Zoom link.  Check out this flyer for more information and links for the rest of the conference, including poster presentations and a keynote speaker (whose talk conflicts with our class but if you really want to attend, you may!).

Hope to see you there!

Prof. C.

Esteemed Students!

Come cheer on your classmates at this Thursday’s Honors Scholars Program Student Academic Conference!  Yaire Castillo and Nasser Amadou are STARRING in Panel 2, “Critical Student Perspectives on the United States Legal System,” which runs 9:25-9:50am–right before our class!  Here is the Zoom link.  Check out this flyer for more information and links for the rest of the conference, including another student panel, poster presentations, and a keynote speaker (whose talk conflicts with our class but if you really want to attend, you may!).

Hope to see you there!

Prof. C.

Esteemed Students!

Choose ONE of the statutory compilations linked below, locate the statute described, read it, then reply to this post by 9am Thursday, May 6, with a sentence or two explaining what it means, as best you understand it, in your own words.  These are tough!  Don’t be discouraged, just do your best.  You may need to look up some words in a dictionary, I did.  🙂

• In the U.S. Code: Title 42, Chapter 21, Subchapter I, Section 1983.
• In the Consolidated Laws of New York: Civil Rights Law, Article 7, Section 70.

Have fun!

Prof. C.

Esteemed Students!

In Thursday’s class (April 29), we’ll learn about validating case law!  That means: determining whether a case is still “good law,” such that it has not been overruled or otherwise undermined by another court’s decision, or by enactment of a statute or regulation or constitutional amendment.  In prep for that discussion, please choose any one (or more!) of the three resources on validating linked below, read it, then write a reply to this post responding to what you read in some way.  For example, you can identify something(s) you found interesting about it, and explain why; and/or ask question(s) about it, and note why you think it’s important to know those things; and/or write something else about the readings that you’d like to write!  To reply, click “leave a reply” or “[#] Replies” below, or click the “comment” bubble in the upper right corner.  Please post your reply by 9am Thursday morning!

Happy reading, see you Thursday!  Prof. C.

Resources:

• Excerpts from textbook ch. 5, “Validation”
• UCLA School of Law, “Legal Research: An Overview: Validating Your Research”
• Paralegal.laws.com, “Legal Research Validation Shows Credibility”

Happy Monday!!

Just a reminder, we will NOT meet on Zoom for class tomorrow!! (Tues. April 27)  Instead, I’ll meet individually this week with anyone who would like to discuss your Trivino v. Jamesway briefs that everyone is required to submit by email at 12 noon tomorrow (Tues.).  See “Assignments” tab for the citation and other details.  If you’d like to meet with me to discuss your Trivino brief, please email me ASAP with times you’re available in the afternoons tomorrow (Tuesday), Wednesday or Thursday, April 27-29.  I will also not be available tomorrow during my regular office hours (11:15am-1pm).  If you’d like to talk, let me know other times this week you’re available.

We WILL meet for class Thursday, April 29!  You have a short assignment due before that class–I’ll post details tomorrow (Tues.).

Have a great day, see you Thursday!

Prof. C.