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University of Baltimore School of LawSPRING 2020INTRODUCTION TO ADVOCACY COURSE POLICIES Course DescriptionIntroduction to the art of persuasive legal writing and oral advocacy developed through a moot court experience and other exercises. Students are familiarized with pleadings and other aspects of the pretrial process, preliminary and dispositive motions, and, ultimately, the appellate brief and oral argument.Course MaterialsThere is no assigned textbook for this course. Weekly reading for this course is available via hyperlinks on your syllabi. You may also access each reading assignment on your small section TWEN page. The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation (20th ed). Other recommended texts on legal writing and advocacy to consider:Richard C. Wydick & Amy E. Sloan, Plain English for Lawyers (6th ed. 2019).Antonin Scalia & Bryan A. Garner, Making Your Case, The Art of Persuading Judges (2008).Learning OutcomesAt the end of this course, students will:Have completed a memo in support or opposition to a legal issue before a state and federal court.Understand the difference between predictive and persuasive writing.Demonstrate the use of precedent to craft effective legal arguments and organize argument using the “CREAC” analytical structure.Use persuasive writing techniques demonstrated by students through word choice, placement of facts and arguments, logic and argument.Understand the importance of revision in legal writing and practice self-editing.Use correct legal citation as set forth in the Bluebook including Rules 1 (structure and use of citations), 4 (short citation forms), 5 (formatting of quotations); 6-8 (Abbreviations, numerals, symbols, italicization, and capitalization), 10-12 (cases, statutes and constitutions). Students should also be able to use the index and table of contents in the Bluebook to locate answers to other citation questions. Recognize and use primary and secondary legal authority in researching the fictional legal problem in the court and cite and write about primary authority. Orally advocate on behalf of their client in a moot court setting. GradesThe following assignments will be graded with the maximum amount of points indicated:Research email: 5 pointsMotion to Dismiss Memorandum: 25 pointsExpedited Hearing Argument: 5 points Summary Judgment Memorandum: 40 pointsFinal Moot Argument: 15 pointsClass Participation (includes actively participating in class, turning in annotated outlines, statement of fact drafts, argument drafts, practicing argument, etc.): 10 points The above assignments will be submitted using blind grading numbers. They will be graded with numerical grades and the numerical totals will be converted into final letter grades at the end of the semester for each separate ITA section. All writing professors use the same grading criteria to assess work. Consistent with law school policy, once a grade on an individual assignment has been determined, that grade is final. Any concerns about grading should be brought to the attention of Dean Diamond (cdiamond@ubalt.edu). Late Submissions or Failure to AppearAll papers must be submitted by the deadline using blind grading, and you may only submit your paper one time. Failure to appear for your final moot argument will result in 0 points being awarded for the assignment. Effective use of time is an important skill to develop while you’re in law school; as lawyers, you will often be faced with filing deadlines. If a serious illness or emergency prevents timely submission of your work, notify your professor before the assignment is due. Technical difficulties (i.e., computer problems) are not acceptable excuses; plan ahead and keep backup copies. Unexcused lateness of assignments will have a significant negative impact on one’s grade: ITA faculty have agreed to a 10% grade reduction for each 24 hour period, up to 72 hours, that an assignment is late. To maintain grading anonymity, if an emergency arises and you are unable to submit a paper via TWEN, please email the paper to Dean Diamond (cdiamond@ubalt.edu). Papers turned in 72 hours after a deadline will receive a grade of 0 points. COURSE EXPECTATIONSGenerallyThe American Bar Association Accreditation Standards establish guidelines for the amount of work students should expect to complete for each credit earned. Students should expect approximately one hour of classroom instruction and two hours of out-of-class work per week for each credit earned in a class, or an equivalent amount of work for other academic activities, such as simulations, externships, clinical supervision, co-curricular activities, and other academic work leading to the award of credit hours.You are expected to complete all reading assignments and to consistently participate in class discussion in order to demonstrate that you have read and reflected on the issues raised in the assignment. Attendance Class attendance is a primary obligation of each student whose right to continued enrollment in the course and to take the examination is conditioned upon a record of attendance satisfactory to the professor.? A student who exceeds the maximum allowed absences (generally 20% of class sessions) as illustrated below may be compelled to withdraw from the course, or may be barred from sitting for the final exam.? Students who are forced to withdraw for exceeding the allowed absences may receive a grade of FA (failure due to excessive absence).? This policy is consistent with American Bar Association Standards for Law Schools.Regular Semester HoursCredit HoursMeetings Per Week1222 absences5 absences32 absences5 absences4--5 absencesAttendance at all classes, including large group lectures, practice and final oral arguments, writing conferences, is required. According to the law school’s policy, missing more than two (2) classes during the semester may result in your withdrawal from the class with a grade of FA. A student who arrives late or leaves early must notify his or her professor and get permission; otherwise, the professor may count the student as absent. When a student signs the attendance sheet at large group meetings, the student is making a representation that the student attended the full class period. (See The Law School’s Honor Code.)TWENEach ITA professor/ITA section has a TWEN page that links to this document, the syllabus, announcements, the class assignments, course materials, sign up sheets, etc. You are responsible for self-enrolling in your ITA professor’s TWEN page and for checking it regularly for course putersStudents may use laptop computers for class-related purposes. Class CancellationIf the instructor must cancel a class, notices will be sent to students via email and posted on the classroom door. If there is inclement weather, students should visit the University of Baltimore web site or call the University's Snow Closing Line at (410) 837-4201. If the University is open, students should presume that classes are running on the normal schedule. Formatting Written WorkAll written work will be submitted using 12 point Times New Roman or Times Roman font and will be double spaced (headings will be single-spaced). Number all pages consecutively (the first page need not be numbered with the “1”). Margins must be at least 1 inch at the top and bottom and at least 1inch on the right and left. Any document submitted in hard copy must be printed on only one side and stapled on the top left-hand corner. (Additional guidelines regarding formatting papers, including page length, will be provided to you by your professor.)Turning in Written WorkElectronic submissions: You will turn in your Research email, Motion to Dismiss and Memorandum, and Summary Judgment Memorandum electronically via your professor’s TWEN site using blind grading. For documents submitted electronically, only MS Word documents are acceptable. (Note: Weather closings will not affect electronic assignment deadlines.) Paper submissions: You will turn in homework assignments (e.g., statement of facts, outlines, argument drafts) per instruction from your professor. In some instances, you may be advised to print and bring copies to class. Your professor will advise you. If you are unsure about the method for turning in an assignment, please contact your professor or Dean Diamond (cdiamond@ubalt.edu). Use of the Legal Writing CenterYou may use the services of the Legal Writing Center in connection with any of your writing in this class. To make an appointment with a Legal Writing Fellow, please visit law.ubalt.edu/legalwriting (there is a link to the university’s appointment calendaring system). You should indicate that you are taking ITA and also specify the name of your ITA professor.ACADEMIC INTEGRITYStudents are obligated to refrain from acts that they know or, under the circumstances, have reason to know will impair the academic integrity of the University and/or the School of Law. Violations of academic integrity include, but are not limited to: cheating; plagiarism; misuse of library materials; use of another’s book or study materials without consent; unapproved multiple submissions; material misrepresentation of one’s academic history or standing; misrepresentation of any academic matter; intentionally giving another student false or inaccurate information about class requirements; inappropriate discussion of exams; and misrepresenting or falsifying class attendance reports. If you have any doubts about discussing cases or analysis of the ITA problem with your peers, please consult with your ITA professor for guidance.COURSE EVALUTIONSIt is a requirement of this course that students complete a course evaluation. The evaluation will be available later in the semester and is entirely anonymous. Faculty members will not have access to the feedback provided on course evaluations until after all grades are submitted. TITLE IX SEXUAL HARASSMENT AND SEXUAL MISCONDUCT POLICY The University of Baltimore’s Sexual Harassment and Sexual Misconduct policies are compliant with federal laws prohibiting discrimination. Title IX requires that faculty, student employees and staff members report to the University any known, learned or rumored incidents of sex discrimination, including sexual harassment, sexual misconduct, stalking on the basis of sex, dating/intimate partner violence or sexual exploitation and/or related experiences or incidents. Policies and procedures related to Title IX and UB’s nondiscrimination policies can be found at: POLICY If you are a student with a documented disability who requires an accommodation for academic programs, exams, or access to the University’s facilities, please contact the Office of Academic Affairs, at ublawacadaff@ubalt.edu or (410) 837-4468. ................
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