ETHICS & PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITY: PARA 121

 

SYLLABUS

 

 

Course No.:                        PARA 121-68041

Course Name:                        Ethics & Professional Responsibility

Semester:                        Spring Intercession

Time:                                    Tuesdays & Thursdays 6-10:15 p.m.

Room:                                    A-226 (Cesar Chavez Building)

Final Exam:                        January 31, 2019 @ 6 p.m.

Office Hours:                        TBD (Separate announcement will be made if/when dates/hours set)

Instructor:                        David Sauber

E-Mail:                        David_Sauber@sac.edu

 

Text:

This class will be taught without the use of a particular text book. Students will be required to access particular ethical statutes and rules of professional conduct from the State Bar of California’s website. We will be using these rules and statutes as the foundation for our discussions of legal ethics.

 

Although no text book is required for this class during the intercession, the following text books are suggested as references should you be looking for additional materials to supplement your studies:

 

Ethics and Professional Responsibility for Paralegals, by Therese Canon, Aspen Publishers (any edition from the Sixth Edition through the Eighth Edition are suitable).

 

Top Ten Rules of Ethics for Paralegals, Second Edition, Deborah K. Orlik, Pearson publishing

 

Course Description:

This course is a study of the major areas of legal ethics and rules of professional responsibility as they affect paralegals/legal assistants. The course also focuses on legal ethics as they apply to attorneys. The course will cover the substantive rules regarding the regulation of lawyers/paralegals, the unauthorized practice of law, issues of confidentiality and conflicts of interest, advertising and solicitation, fees and client funds, competence, and professionalism.

 

Learning Outcome:

Students will be able to do the following in a given factual scenario:

1. Understand the ethical guidelines for the regulation of paralegals and the sanctions for violations thereof;
2. Identify issues regarding the unauthorized practice of law;
3. Apply the principles of confidentiality;
4. Recognize any issues involving unauthorized advertising and solicitation;
5. Determine whether or not there is an issue involving a conflict of interest.

 

 

Course Objectives:

Students will understand the ethical regulations for attorneys and paralegals, in particular recognizing the unauthorized practice of law, understanding the duty of maintaining client confidences, learning the standards for advertising and solicitation, recognizing the importance of screening prospective clients for conflicts of interest and avoiding adverse interests.

 

References:

State Bar of California- http://www.calbar.ca.gov

American Bar Association- http://www.abanet.org

 

Course Methods:

All material required for exams will be covered during course lectures and/or in assigned reading material. Other materials, printed or digital (statutes, court decisions, newspaper articles, etc.) will be distributed to supplement lessons.

 

Exams:

There will be three exams given during the semester. The final exam is NOT cumulative. A SCAN-TRON form and number two pencils must be supplied by the student for each exam.

 

Without a valid written medical excuse from a physician, a student who does not take an exam on the scheduled date will be permitted to make-up the exam at the next class session and will receive a ten percent (10%) reduction in points on the exam. No make-up exam will be permitted more than one class session after the originally scheduled exam date. A student may make up no more than one exam per semester without a valid written medical excuse from a physician.

 

Homework/Projects/Participation:

Students are expected to have read the assigned material as indicated on the course schedule prior to each class session. Students may be called upon randomly to answer questions about the assigned reading during class.

 

One assessment project will be assigned. The assessment project must be typed. NO handwritten work will be accepted. Each student is responsible for obtaining and submitting assigned project, even in the case of absences. The assessment project will due at the beginning of class on the assigned date, unless otherwise indicated by the instructor. Without a valid written medical excuse from a physician, a project that is turned in late will be subject to a ten percent (10%) reduction in points for the project. A late submission must be accompanied with a written explanation for the late submission. No project will be accepted more than one class session after the due date.

 

 

On a regular basis, students will perform in-class assignments. These assignments will cover material we have gone over in previous classes or the material we are studying that class session. Each assignment will be worth one point. There will be NO MAKE-UPS for these in-class assignments without a doctor’s written note. The in-class assignments may be a mix of solo work and group work. These in-class assignments may account for up to a total of five (5) points towards your total score for the class.

 

 

Extra Credit:

Extra credit may be assigned during the semester, but there is no assurance that such extra credit will be offered. We will revisit this subject after the first exam.

 

Attendance:

Class attendance is expected, but is not a formal part of a student’s final grade. Prior to two or more consecutive absences, it is imperative that you contact me to avoid being dropped. Please reference the Santa Ana College attendance policy for specific attendance requirements.

 

Mobile Technology:

All phones must be placed on silent mode or turned off prior to the commencement of class. Vibrate mode is NOT an acceptable phone setting. All other mobile technology devices that are not being used specifically to take notes (tablets, gaming units, etc.) during class lectures are to be turned off.

 

Disabled Student Programs and Services:

 

Santa Ana College has a department which offers services and instruction to individuals with educational limitations due to a disability. This department is known as Disabled Student Programs and Services or DSPS. To arrange for accommodations, contact DSPS by phone 714-564-6260 or 714-564-6384 (TDD for students that are deaf) or stop by the DSPS Center

 

Students with verifiable disabilities who want to request academic accommodations are responsible for notifying their instructor and DSPS as early as possible in the semester.

 

Student Conduct:

 

This campus does not tolerate harassing or discriminatory behavior based on national origin, religion, age, gender, gender identity, gender expression, race or ethnicity, color, medical condition, genetic information, ancestry, sexual orientation, marital status, physical or mental disability, pregnancy, or because the individual is perceived to have one or more of the foregoing characteristics. For more information on this anti- discrimination policy please consult the Student Policies and Services section of the Class Catalog.

 

Further, any conduct within the classroom which is disruptive to student learning and/or the instructor teaching could lead to removal from the classroom and/or contacting Campus Police.

 

 

Grading:

90-100%            =            A

80-89%            =            B

70-79%            =            C

60-69%            =            D

0 -59%            =            F

Total test points                        =            150 (approximately)

Total project points                        =            50 (approximately)

In-Class Assignments             =            5 (approximately)

Total class points                        =            205 (approximately)

 

CLASS SCHEDULE SAC Intercession S19 LEGAL ETHICS.pdf