Course Syllabus

PLS 60,  Legal Calendaring
Section 8252 - Course Syllabus

Course Description

This course provides a comprehensive overview of calendaring for the law office.  State and local rules are emphasized.  Risk management, statutes of limitation, guidelines and techniques for effective calendaring are also discussed.  Students will resolve calendaring situations triggered by various events common in law firms.  Focus is on calendaring deadlines for pleadings, discovery, and motions. 

Student Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the course, students will be able to:

1.   Create and maintain an accurate calendaring system.
2.   Develop a system for calendaring coordination and calendaring checks.
3.   Maintain a tickler system.
4.   Utilize an electronic calendaring system. 

Student Learning Objectives

Upon completion of the course, students will be able to:
1.  Apply state and local calendaring rules for accurate and effective calendar maintenance.
2.  Recognize which events require calendaring.
3.  Protect clients' interests by calendaring to avoid statutes of limitations issues.
4.  Identify and correct deficiencies in a calendaring system.
5.  Recognize and avoid common calendaring errors.
6.  Recognize the consequences of improper or incorrect calendaring practices.

Class Meetings:  Asynchronous and Online

All course material and activities will be offered strictly asynchronously and online, meaning that students may access new course materials on Canvas anytime after a new module is posted.  Each Monday, typically by noon, a new course module will be posted.  Students will have a full week (typically until the following Sunday evening at midnight) to complete weekly assignments.  

Instructor Contact

Laura Pedicini 

Email: lpedicini@santarosa.edu

Phone: 415-854-1423 (texting is acceptable) -  Please text me or email in advance to request a call.  

Office Hours: Arranged as needed and requested.  I am happy to arrange time for a telephone or video call as needed and requested.  

I typically respond to emails within 24 hours on weekdays and 48 hours on weekends.  

Course Web Site

Students will use the Canvas course web site for assignment instructions, submitting assignments, viewing classmate's work, sharing resources, and viewing grades.

Textbook

We will be using the January 2021 edition of LITIGATION BY THE NUMBERS®
by Julie A. Goren, Esq.; Lawdable Press
818.787.9799
info@litigationbythenumbers.com

***Specific details regarding how to purchase the textbook will be provided to students via email.  Please wait until you receive the email from me before purchasing the material.  

You will be able to purchase and download the textbook online, for immediate review.  In addition, you will be provided with a link to download a course video.  The total cost for course materials is $98.00.  The same materials are typically used in SRJC's Civil LItigationclass. Note that there is not a used option, or a rental option, available, and students must purchase the 2021 edition.  Thank you.  

Required Software

You will need the following software for this course.

  • Adobe Reader
  • Word
  • VLC Media Player (to play the Litigation by the Numbers Video)  Details for how to download the video are provided at the time of purchase.  

Important Dates

Day Class Begins: June 14, 2021

Day Class Ends: July 11, 2021

Last Day to Drop with a 'W' symbol: 6/27/21

Dropping the Class

If you decide to discontinue this course, it is your responsibility to officially drop it to avoid getting no refund (after 10% of course length), a W symbol (after 20%), or a grade (after 60%). Also, for several consecutive, unexplained absences, the instructor may drop a student.

Instructor Announcements and Q&A Forum

The instructor will post announcements on the “Instructor Announcements” page in Canvas throughout the semester. Canvas notifies students according to their preferred Notification Preferences as soon as the instructor creates an Announcement. A “Q&A Forum” is also on Canvas to ask for assistance of your classmates, or to engage classmates in discussions that extend beyond the course content. 

To ask questions of your instructor, please email your instructor directly.  Please do not post instructor questions on the Q&A Forum; this Forum is for student discussions only.  You are encouraged to post questions and develop your own community that serves as a place to discuss questions about paralegal practice and the legal world more generally.  

Attendance

Students who do not log-in to an online class after the second day of the semester will be dropped from the class. It is strongly advised that if you need to miss more than one class/homework deadline in a row that you contact your instructor directly to avoid being dropped from the class.

Late Policy

All assignments are due at midnight PST on the due date. A late submission will receive a 20% penalty. Submissions more than one week late are not accepted without prior arrangement. Late work will not be graded unless student sends instructor an email with URL for late work.

There will be at least two quizzes and a final exam.  There will not be a midterm. The material comes from the textbook, online class discussions, and supplemental materials. If any quiz or exam is missed, and communication with the instructor regarding the absence did not occur in advance of the exam, a zero will be recorded as the score. It is your responsibility to take the online exams by the due date.

Grading Policy

Visit the “Grades” in Canvas to keep track of your grades. 

Grades will be assigned as follows:

A

90%

90 points or more

B

80%

80 - 89 points

C

70%

70-79 points

D

60%

60-69 points

If taking Pass/No Pass you need at least 70% of the total class points and complete the midterm exam and the final exam to pass the class.

Standards of Conduct

Students who register in SRJC classes are required to abide by the SRJC Student Conduct Standards. Violation of the Standards is basis for referral to the Vice President of Student Services or dismissal from class or from the College. See the Student Code of Conduct page.

Collaborating on or copying of tests or homework in whole or in part will be considered an act of academic dishonesty and result in a grade of 0 for that test or assignment. I encourage students to share information and ideas, but not their work. See these links on Plagiarism:
SRJC Writing Center Lessons on avoiding plagiarism
SRJC's policy on Academic Integrity

Other Important Policies and Practices

Avoid Plagiarism Like the, er, Plague

Although most students have likely heard about plagiarism during their years of schooling, it still is prevalent-even in higher education.

The video below reviews what plagiarism is and how not to do it.

Plagiarism: How to avoid it

Netiquette, or Why Is It Harder to Be Polite Online?

Netiquette refers to using common courtesy in online communication. All members of the class are expected to follow netiquette in all course communications. Use these guidelines:

  • Use capital letters sparingly. THEY LOOK LIKE SHOUTING.
  • Forward emails only with a writer's permission.
  • Be considerate of others' feelings and use language carefully.
  • Cite all quotations, references, and sources (otherwise, it is plagiarism).
  • Use humor carefully. It is hard to "read" tone; sometimes humor can be misread as criticism or personal attack. Feel free to use emoticons like :) for a smiley face to let others know you are being humorous.
  • Use complete sentences and standard English grammar to compose posts. Write in proper paragraphs. Review work before submitting it.
  • Text speak, such as "ur" for "your" or "ru" for "are you" etc., is only acceptable when texting.

Special Needs

Students with disabilities who believe they need accommodations in this class are encouraged to contact Disability Resources (527-4278), as soon as possible to better ensure such accommodations are implemented in a timely fashion.