PARA 101 Law Office Management: Syllabus

Course Description:  A study of the structure and procedures of the law office including filing systems, document management, billing and timekeeping, job search, indexing and calendaring.

Textbook Information:  Fundamentals of Law Office Management: Systems, Procedures, and Ethics, Fourth or Fifth Edition, by Pamela Everett Nollkamper.   The first assignment requires you to locate and have in your possession this text.  THE TEXT IS NOT AVAILABLE IN THE SAC BOOKSTORE.  When procuring the text, keep track of where you looked, various prices you found for use in the textbook acquisition discussion and assignment.

Additional Course Information: 

All assignments for this class are accessible via Canvas (replaces Blackboard) at rsccd.instructure.com .  You will use your webadvisor log in and password. 

Each assignment will be given a numerical value (i.e. 10 points, 20 points and so on.  90% is an A, 80% is a B, 70% is a C, 60% is a D.  Remember all Paralegal classes must be passed with a C or better to count toward your certificate/degree.

Students will be expected to demonstrate the following:

1.  Students will demonstrate the ability to follow instructions and submit work in a professional and timely manner. The class web site is at http://instructure.com.  All assignments are on this web site.  All assignments must be submitted on this web site by the due date.  Do not email assignments.  Due dates are listed on Blackboard.  The assignment is due by 11:59 p.m. You may submit late assignments up until the time it is graded for partial credit.  If you go to submit and there is a 0 in the grade column, the statute of limitations has run.  Do not email and ask if you can submit a late assignment. (See 473.1 C.C.P. declaration).  

2. Students will demonstrate the ability to communicate in a Professional Manner. All class questions must be asked in the class question section of the discussion board.  If you email class questions to Professor Manzano he will not respond.  It will be considered an ex parte communication.  Check the chapter on ethics.  All communications with Professor Manzano must be in a professional format as should be used in a law office.  You must include your name, the class you are in and the subject matter of the correspondence.  Use proper English and grammar.  Use complete sentence, no text short cuts.  

3. Students will demonstrate the ability to work independently and follow complex instructions. The text and materials that will be used are: Fundamentals of Law Office Management: Systems, Procedures, and Ethics, Fourth or Fifth Edition, by Pamela Everett Nollkamper, ISBN: 1-4018-2463-3, or 1-133-28084-6.  The text is not in the book store.  The first assignment will be to procure the text by the deadline in as inexpensive a way as possible.  Check your email for the first assignment. 

4. In addition to the material in the text, you will be expected to demonstrate the following skills:
   1. Self direction: Manage your own time.  Find answers yourself.  When not sure how to do something, try first. 
   2. Deadlines: In a law office, you will be responsible for meeting deadlines.  Just like in the legal profession, missing deadlines has consequences.  Manage your time so you can meet deadlines.
   3. Use of computers: Computer skills in the legal profession are important.  You will need to use computers to access and submit assignments.  If you have problems visit the Business Division Computer labs in the A building.
   4. Interpersonal Skills: You will be graded on how you interact with other students on the discussion board.  Students who are demeaning, rude or abusive will be removed from the class.  Everything you do on Canvas may be monitored and accessed by Professor Manzano who has a 0-tolerance policy.
   5. Law Office decorum: Professor Manzano is your “supervising attorney.”  You should treat him with proper respect and all of his staff (that includes all of my student/paralegals as well as the office staff) with respect.  You need to treat fellow employees and your clients with proper respect.  You expect to advance in your job, you expect to do well in the class, then act accordingly.

Meet Your Instructor: 

Professor Manzano has been a full time instructor at Santa Ana College for over 25 years.  He is presently the Chair of Legal Studies at Santa Ana College.  Professor Manzano has been an active member of the California State Bar since 1982.  Until his retirement from the practice of law in 2016, his area practice consisted of estate planning and business.  He has represented real estate agents, landowners, business owners as well as individuals.  Professor Manzano practice included transaction as well as business litigation.  His final litigation was a trade secrets case wherein the final judgment was in his client's favor for over $3,000,000. 

Professor Manzano will only answer student's questions related to the class.  Professor Manzano will not represent students nor should any answer to a question be relied upon for legal purposes.  You are advised to seek an attorney if you need an answer to a legal question.

Course Syllabus:  [Syllabus PDF Document]

The dates on Course Summary Below is the last day to submit.  You are expected to turn in assignments and to participate in the discussion the entire week.

Standards for Assignments and Discussions

Standards for Assignments and Discussions

The work you turn in for this class will be held to the same standard as the paralegals who work for me in my law office.  There is a rubric attached to all assignments except quizzes.  Read the rubric so you know how you will be graded.  If you receive less than 100%, review the rubric and or comments attached to the graded item through the grade book.

DISCUSSIONS:

1. Each discussion has a first post due by date.  You are required to post your initial post by that date.  The date in the grade book and syllabus is the date the discussion will close.  You are required to participate the entire discussion period.
2. The discussion is set up so that you have to post prior to seeing other student posts.  This is because students have reviewed other student posts before preparing their summary and answers.  This is plagiarism and will earn a 0.  Canvas gives me a time stamp of your activities.
3. You will include a summary of the reading material.  You may attach your summary as a file.  No other files are to be attached to the discussion.
4. Each discussion has a series of questions based on the reading.  You are to include your response to these questions in your initial post.  If you prepare them ahead of time, copy and paste as a file attachment will receive 0 points for the questions and following instructions.  (see the Rubric.)  These questions are used to assess your knowledge instead of a final exam. Answer the questions as if they were the final exam!
5. You are expected to improve your initial response after participating in the discussion.  Be sure to give credit to the source (student or otherwise) for your improved answer.
6. You will assume the role of the office manager.  In the discussion you are required to respond to a minimum of 5 students.  Three student you will give constructive criticism.  This means in a positive way explain to them what they need to do to improve their performance.  This is a practical exercise in giving and receiving performance evaluations as if you were working in a law office.  You are to explain to 2 students why their posts meet the criteria.  In these posts consider your post a department wide email, where you are using them as an example to encourage lesser mortals.  This means you don't just say great post Rick.  You need to say Rick your post was good because ... then explain.
7. The rubric posted on the discussion is a picture, i.e. not interactive.  The rubric you see on assignments is interactive and you can click on larger description.  The rubric which will attach to a graded assignment will include instructor comments.

VIDEOS:

1. Each module may have 1 or more videos.  Open the video the respond to the short quiz based on the video.

MODULE REVIEW:

Each module review has multiple parts.  Make sure you post a complete review and follow the instructions.

1. The first question requires a 250 word (1/2/) page minimum summary of the subject for the module.  This is the second part of the "final exam", so give a lot of effort to the summary.
2. Starting with module 2, you will need to attach a copy of the draft policy you will include in the final assignments.  See final assignments below.
3. You need to include the student reviews.  If a student receives a number needs improvement reviews a share them anonymously along with my comments.  Students found having peer comments were helpful. 

MODULE 8: FINAL PROJECTS:

1. All of the assignments in Module 8 are 40% of the final grade.
2. There are a number of discussions that are part of the final assignment catagory.
3. The due dates on the assignments vary through the module 8 period.
4. Post the required drafts early, that way you will receive student and Professor Manzano input.  Posts at the end of the discussion may not receive any input.
5. The Policy/plan assignment is a culmination of the work in Modules 2-7.  You are requiured to prepare a policy handbook based on the discussions and assignments.
6. The policies will require citations to California Authority.  The generally means the Business and Professions Code and or The California Rules of Professional Conduct.  Both are heavly referenced on the California State Bar web page (calbar.ca.gov) (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site..  Note The ABA model rules have not been adopted in California.  NALA, OCPA or any other organization is a refrence but not a proper authority.  
7. The presentation assignment requires you to give a summary presentation of the policy manual.  It should include your citations.
8. There is not a module 8 review.

DUE DATES:

 Deadlines: In a law office, you will be responsible for meeting deadlines.  Just like in the legal profession, missing deadlines has consequences.  Manage your time so you can meet deadlines.  Meeting deadlines is a outcome you are graded on for all assignments. 

Discussions have two due dates, the initial post date and the date the discussion will be closed for comment.  All final due dates for assignments, discussions and quizzes are listed on the syllabus, each assignment in the modules and on the calendar.  

GRADES:

Grades are in the grade book.  There are three catagories you can view on the end of the grade page.  All of the assignments in the catagory "assignments" (Quizes, reviews etc.) are 30% of ther final grade.  Discussions are 30 % and all of module 8 falls into the final project catagory and is 40% of the grade.  You can not add up all your points and get the total.  The total is a calculation done by canvas using the formula above.  It tells you, that what % you have of the GRADED assignments and discussions. 90+=A, 80-89 = B, 70-79=C, 60-69 = D, less than 60 = F.

ON GOING SURVEY

This is a voluntary discussion on the format of the class, assignments and the ease of using Canvas.  I will give extra credit at the end of the semester for students who participate in this discussion.