GRADING INFORMATION - Levin College of Law



SYLLABUSLaw Firm EconomicsJanuary 6th to January 9th, 2020This compressed course will introduce students to the economics of running successful law firms, with a particular focus on medium to large firms that operate on a state-wide, national, and/or international level. Particular topics will include an overview of different legal markets, how the practice of law is evolving in light of new technologies and client demands, law firm expenses, law firm growth, business development, cross-selling, client billing practices, lawyer compensation, lawyer development, and the value of junior lawyers to law firms.INSTRUCTORS:Bill Perry, CEO of the Gunster Law FirmE-mail: hperry@CLASSROOM: Holland Hall 345 CLASS TIME: Monday, Jan. 6th:10am to noon, 2pm to 4pmTuesday, Jan. 7th:10am to noon, 2pm to 4pm Wednesday, Jan. 8th10am to noon, 2pm to 4pmThursday, Jan. 9th:10am to noonOFFICE HOURS: 1:00 – 2:00 pm on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday; 12:00 – 1:00 pm on ThursdayFINAL EXAM: January 24, 2020 (2 Hours)? WORKLOAD AND CLASS PREPARATIONThis class moves fast. It is anticipated that you will spend at least two hours out of class reading and/or preparing for assignments for every hour you spend in class.?STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES After completing this course, students will:1.?Understand basic law firm economics 2. Understand the realities of working in a medium to large law firm3. Understand how lawyers can add value to their clients, law firms and society4. Understand differenct law firm strategies5. Understand the challenges facing Am Law 50, 100 and 200 firms ?COURSE GRADINGYour grade will be based on a combination of group exercises, class participaption, and a final exam. The components of the final grade will be: (1) group project - 25%; (2) class participation/attendance – 25% and (3) final exam - 50%. The final exam will be an in-class exam. All grades are final. There will be no regrading or revisions except to correct any mathematical or clerical errors in computing the final score. ?The final exam will be mostly problem-based questions requiring multiple choice selection or short answers. The exam will not have the typical law school issue-spotting essay question. ?GRADING INFORMATION The Levin College of Law’s mean and mandatory distributions are posted on the College’s website and this class adheres to that posted grading policy. The following chart describes the letter grade/grade point equivalent in place:?Letter GradePoint EquivalentA (Excellent)4.00A-3.67B+3.33B3.00B-2.67C+2.33C (Satisfactory)2.00C-1.67D+1.33D (Poor)1.00D-0.67E (Failure)0.00?The law school grading policy is available at: ? Per ABA requirements, please attend all class meetings unless you e-mail the instructors in advance with a legitimate excuse. Requirements for class attendance and make-up exams, assignments, and other work in this course are consistent with university policies that may be found at: . ?Many students find that this course is challenging since it is more of a business course than a traditional law school course. Many students may not have substantial knowledge in business, economics, finance, or accounting. These concepts will be explained and discussed in class. Class attendance and preparation will be important to doing well in the course. The single best thing that a student can do to maximize the possibility of doing well in the course in terms of a grade is to keep up with the class reading assignments and to attend class regularly. The final exam will draw from the work done during class, including class discussions. ?ACCOMMODATIONSStudents requesting accommodation for disabilities must first register with the Disability Resource Center? (). Once registered, students will receive an accommodation letter which must be presented to the Assistant Dean for Student Affairs (Dean Mitchell) when requesting accommodation. Students with disabilities should follow this procedure as early as possible.?Also, with prior notification to the professor, students are entitled to be excused from class or other scheduled academic activity to observe a religious holiday of their faith. Students are entitled to have a reasonable amount of time to make up the material or activities covered in their absence. Students will not be penalized due to absence from class or other scheduled academic activity because of religious observances.?ACADEMIC HONESTY Academic honesty and integrity are fundamental values of the University community. Students should be sure that they understand the UF Student Honor Code at . ?COURSE EVALUATIONSStudents are expected to provide professional and respectful feedback on the quality of instruction in this course by completing course evaluations online via GatorEvals. Guidance on how to give feedback in a professional and respectful manner is available at?. Students will be notified when the evaluation period opens, and may complete evaluations through the email they receive from GatorEvals, in their Canvas course menu under GatorEvals, or via?. Summaries of course evaluation results are available to students at? ASSIGNMENTSBeaton and Kaschner, Remaking Law Firms, ABA Publishing, 2016. Shakespeare, Henry VI, Part 2, Act 4 Scene 2Micheal Lewis, The Big Short (movie or novel)“Competition and Evolution of Large Law Firms”, Depaul Law Review, Volume 63, Issue 2, Winter 2014“Collaborating for Growth: Duane Morris in a Turbulent Legal Sector”, Harvard Business School“Growth is Dead: Now What?”, Bruce MacEwen 2013“Model Behavior”, The American Lawyer, May 2019 (about Wachtell and Cravath) “When does Big Law work” 102 Marquette L. Rev. 875, Spring 2019 “Are Law Firms Sustainable?”, Mark A. Cohen, Forbes, January 9, 2019 “Tipping the Scales”, American Lawyer, December 2019“The Art of the Law Firm Merger”, Jeff Gillingham “Greenberg Chair Takes aim at What Makes a Truly National Firm” , October 15, 2019 “Denton’s Leader Fires Back at Greenberg’s ‘Parochial and Condescending’ Criticisms”, The American Lawyer, October 17, 2019 “What are Dentons and Greenburg Traurig Arguing About, Anyway?”, The American Lawyer, October 18, 2019Florida Rules of Professional Conduct (or ABA Model Rules) Annual Am Law Rankings ................
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