Introduction to Law
77350/01 Spring 2005
Course Information

This course is an introduction to the law of the United States with a special emphasis on legal reasoning. You will read, study, and discuss court opinions. These opinions are examples of legal reasoning that illustrate how judges apply the law to specific cases.

Text.
Frank A. Schubert, Introduction to Law and the Legal System, 8th edition. You can purchase this book in the College Book Store.

Attendance.
I will conduct much of each class as a discussion. These discussions will be opportunities for you to build and validate your understanding of the material. Therefore, your attendance and participation are major determinants of what you will learn from the course.

I will assume from your presence that you have constructed some useful understandings from the discussions. Conversely, I will infer from your absence that you have not. Accordingly, I will deduct one-half point from your course average for each absence beyond three. (I will compute your course average on a twelve-point scale on which A = 12, A- = 11, etc.) This deduction is not a penalty; I assume all absences are necessary. It is a method of quantifying and reporting an estimate of what you have learned from the course.

Class preparation.
For most classes I will assign readings from the text, from additional material that I will supply, or from material in the library. I will expect you to study and extract certain information and generalize from these readings. Plan to spend at least three hours preparing for each of class.

During the class discussions, I will expect people to participate voluntarily, but I will also call upon people by name. Be ready to participate.

Written assignments.
I will give written assignments that I will evaluate by their content, organization, and compliance with scholarly standards of English usage. Please submit your written work on 8½ x 11 inch paper, double-spaced, printed on one side only, with one inch margins. I do not accept-hand written work. I not accept late work.

Examinations.
During the semester I will give two in-class exams on dates that I will announce in advance.

The time for the final exam is Monday, May 16, 8:30 - 10:30 A.M.

I do not give make-up exams for missed in-class exams. I will excuse you from an in-class or final exam only if you present substantial documentation of a serious illness or personal emergency that prevented attendance.

Grades.
I will compute your grade from a course average with the following weights:
Two in-class exams - 20% each.
Written assignments - 20%.
Final exam - 40%.
I will adjust this average according to the attendance policy. I will also adjust this average upwards if your are consistently prepared when I call on you during the class.

Additional class material.
At the first class meeting I am giving you a copy of this document and some additional material. As the semester progresses, I will post assignments and additional material on Blackboard.

Notice.
I do not permit my classes to be recorded.
I enforce the College policies that prohibit eating and drinking in classrooms. Please cooperate by respecting these regulations.