PLEASE NOTE! THE COLLEGE IS GOING THROUGH ITS REACCREDIDATION PROCESS AND THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE COLLEGE HAS ASKED THAT I POST THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION TO ALL OF MY COURSES:

Higher Learning Commission Site Visit
February 2-4, 2009

The mission of the South Suburban College is to Serve our Students and the Community Through lifelong learning.

PATRICK T. DEANE, ATTORNEY AT LAW
PLA 204/206 ONLINE
SPRING, 2009

WELCOME! I HAVE FINISHED PUTTING THIS COURSE TOGETHER FOR THE SPRING 2009 SEMESTER.

YOU CAN NOW PROCEED TO REVIEW THE ENTIRE COURSE AND CONTACT ME WITH ANY QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE.

I suggest you print this HOME PAGE and the Bulletin Board messages I have posted. Also, you should mark the relevant due dates for assignments and course materials in your calendar.

MAKE SURE YOU READ AND UNDERSTAND EACH AND EVERY DETAIL OF THIS COURSE HOME PAGE/OUTLINE. IF YOU DO NOT, YOU NEED TO CONTACT ME VIA PRIVATE MAIL OR ON MY COLLEGE EXTENSION.

LIKE THE OLD SAYING GOES, "IF YOU CAN'T GET OUT OF IT, GET INTO IT" SO LET'S GET INTO IT AND HAVE A GREAT SEMESTER.

POSTED AT 02:10 P.M. ON 01/14/2009

MANDATORY MEETINGS FOR ALL INTERNS
UNIVERSITY & COLLEGE CENTER (UCC)
ROOM TBA -- WE'LL MEET IN ONE OF THE COMPUTER LABS

NOTE: PLEASE MARK YOUR CALENDARS NOW FOR THE FOLLOWING 3 MEETINGS:

TUESDAY 01/20/2009 @ 6:00 P.M.

MONDAY 03/16/2009 @ 6:00 P.M.

MONDAY 05/12/2009 @ 6:00 P.M.

YOUR ATTENDANCE IS MANDATORY AT EACH OF THESE MEETINGS.

AT THE FIRST MEETING (01/20/2009) YOU WILL TURN IN YOUR INTERNSHIP APPLICATION (W/ TRANSCRIPT ATTACHED) AND YOUR SIGNED SITE AGREEMENT. In the past, I have required 3 signed copies of the Site Agreement. That is no longer the case -- you simply need to have your Mentor sign 1 copy ofthe Site Agreement. You must turn in the original signed Site Agreement (I cannot accept a copy).

AT THE SECOND MEETING (03/16/2009) YOU WILL TURN IN YOUR COMPLETED MID-TERM SITE EVALUATION.

AT THE THIRD MEETING (05/12/2009) YOU WILL TURN IN YOUR COMPLETED FINAL SITE EVALUATION.

NOTE: YOUR MENTOR MUST DO THE FOLLOWING ON BOTH YOUR MID-TERM AND FINAL SITE EVALUATIONS:

1. GIVE YOU A NUMERICAL GRADE;

2. CERTIFY YOUR HOURS BY FILLING IN THE BLANK ON THE FINAL PAGE OF THE EVALUATION; AND

3. SIGN THE EVALUATION.

AS YOU KNOW, LAW IS A BUSINESS OF DEADLINES AMD COMPLIANCE WITH ORDERS. AS TO THE ABOVE MEETINGS, THE WORD "MANDATORY" MEANS JUST THAT -- YOU MUST BE AT THE MEETING.

THE ONLY EXCEPTION TO THIS POLICY IS IF YOU HAVE MY PERMISSION PRIOR TO THE MEETING TO BE EXCUSED. I WILL ONLY GRANT SUCH PERMISSION IN EXTRAORDINARY CIRCUMSTANCES AND FOR GOOD CAUSE. ALSO, IN FAIRNESS TO YOUR CLASSMATES WHO ATTEND THE MEETING, I RESERVED THE RIGHT TO REQUIRE AN ADDITIONAL OUTSIDE RESEARCH PROJECT FROM YOU TO COMPENSATE FOR YOUR ABSENCE FROM THE MANDATORY MEETING.

IF YOU FAIL TO ATTEND ANY OF THE MANDATORY MEETINGS LISTED ABOVE, FOR EACH MEETING WHERE YOUR ABSENCE IS UNEXCUSED, I WILL DEDUCT A LETTER GRADE FROM YOUR FINAL GRADE FOR THIS COURSE. THIS POLICY WILL BE STRICTLY ENFORCED!

DETAILS FOR THE MEETINGS FOLLOW BELOW.

FOLLOWING DIRECTIONS

I believe that one of the most important tasks a paralegal can perform is to EXPLICITLY follow directions. I cannot tell you how many times an intern has failed to follow my directions. This bothers me to no end because, if he or she is not following my directions, I am very concerned that he or she is doing the same thing at their site.

Can you imagine a nurse in the medical community not following a doctor's instructions? That nurse could kill a patient by administering the wrong dosage of medication.

I like to think that a paralegal is to a lawyer what is nurse is to a doctor. Therefore, you must explicitly follow my directions and any directions your mentor gives to you during the course of the internship. FAILURE TO DO SO COULD RESULT IN A FAILING GRADE FOR THIS COURSE.

INTERNSHIP FORMS

All of the necessary forms for the internship are provided at http://learn.southsuburbancollege.edu/pdeane/204main.html in an Adobe format.

To view/print the forms you must use Adobe Acrobat Reader (if you do not have Adobe Acrobat Reader, you can download it for free at www.adobe.com

YOU SHOULD IMMEDIATELY OPEN AND PRINT ALL OF THE COURSE DOCUMENTS AVAILABLE AT THE ABOVE WEB SITE.

SITE INFORMATION

I HAVE SENT YOU EACH A PRIVATE MAIL ASKING THAT YOU GIVE ME YOUR SITE INFORMATION. Please send me a Private Mail in WebCT giving me all of your site information including:

The name of your mentor
The name of the site
The address of the site
and the phone numbers you and your mentor can be reached during the semester

YOU MUST SEND ME YOUR SITE INFORMATION BY THE DEADLINE I PREVIOUSLY POSTED TO THE COURSE. OTHERWISE, I AM GOING TO CONSIDER REMOVING YOU FROM THE CLASS TO OPEN UP SPACE FOR OTHER STUDENTS.

IF YOU NEED MY HELP SECURING A SITE, MAKE SURE YOU VISIT MY LISTING OF AVAILABLE INTERNSHIP SITES FOUND ON MY SSC WEB SITE. ALSO, I HAVE PROVIDED EXTENSIVE INTERNSHIP INSTRUCTIONS AND SUGGESTIONS ON THAT SITE. THEREAFTER, IF YOU STILL HAVE NOT HAD ANY SUCCESS IN SECURING A SITE, PLEASE SEND ME A PRIVATE MAIL (LOOK FOR THE LINK AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS PAGE) AND I'LL DO MY BEST TO PLACE YOU.

You should know that most of the sites I will help to place you in are non-paying sites (such as the courthouse or the Legal Assistance Foundation).

Also, I have been receiving a number of student inquiries regarding evening or weekend internships. I do not have access to such sites. In fact, finding such a site is nearly impossible. It is important to recognize that the vast majority of my interns serve their internships Monday through Friday during the day and during normal business hours.

INTERNSHIP APPLICATION
AND SITE AGREEMENTS

As to the above forms, please make sure that you have your mentor sign 1 copy of the Site Agreement.

Afterwards, you will turn in the signed original of the Site Agreement to me during our off-line meeting at 6:00 p.m. on 01/20/2009 at the UCC (see the above message).

Note, regarding my private law office, please be aware that I will not accept your phone calls, course documents, or visits at my private law office.

The only ways I will respond to your private inquiries to me is either private mail in WebCT, my phone at the college (708-596-2000 x2538), or in person at my SSC office.

I check WebCT and my SSC phone voice mail all the time and will try to get back to you ASAP (Private Mail in WebCT is the fastest way to get a response from me).

IF YOU ATTEMPT TO PHONE ME OR VISIT ME AT MY PRIVATE LAW OFFICE, I WILL DEDUCT A LETTER GRADE FROM YOUR FINAL GRADE FOR THIS COURSE.

Also, you must complete the Internship Application with all relevant information and DELIVER it to me at the above listed Mandatory Meeting with a copy of your transcript attached (an unofficial copy is available from the college and is acceptable with your application). NOTE: If you are a PLA 206 student, you must still comply with this course requirement. Make sure you have attached a current transcript to your Internship Application.

Please contact me if you are unclear about any of the course requirements.

Your Mid-Term Site Evaluation must certify no less than 105 hours; your mentor must give you a NUMERICAL GRADE based on the grading scale provided; and your mentor must sign the Mid-Term Site Evaluation.

THE DUE DATE ON THIS IS LISTED ABOVE. No extensions of time will be granted!

You must deliver your completed Mid-Term Site Evaluation to me at the Mandatory Mid-Term Meeting.

PLEASE DO NOT DELIVER YOUR MID-TERM SITE EVALUATION TO MY MAIN CAMPUS OR UCC OFFICE!

Your Final Site Evaluation must certify no less than 210 hours; your mentor must give you a NUMERICAL GRADE based on the grading scale provided; and your mentor must sign the Final Site Evaluation.

THE DUE DATE ON THIS IS LISTED ABOVE. No extensions of time will be granted!

PLEASE NOTE THAT I CANNOT GIVE YOU A PASSING GRADE IN THIS COURSE IF YOUR MENTOR DOES NOT DO THE FOLLOWING:

1. GIVE YOU A NUMERICAL GRADE;

2. CERTIFY YOU HOURS BY FILLING IN THE BLANK ON THE FINAL PAGE OF THE EVALUATION; AND

3. SIGN THE EVALUATION.

IMPORTANT COURSE INFORMATION

MAKE SURE YOU READ AND UNDERSTAND EVERY DETAIL OF THIS COURSE HOME PAGE

I DO NOT REQUIRE OR USE A TEXT FOR THIS COURSE

PLEASE KEEP TRACK OF THE DATE AND TIME OF MY BULLETIN BOARD MESSAGES SO THAT YOU KNOW IF YOU ARE LOOKING AT THE MOST RECENT MATERIAL/NOTICES

I WORK ON THE COURSE ALMOST EVERY DAY. THEREFORE, YOU SHOULD MAKE IT YOUR HABIT TO CONSTANTLY CHECK THE COURSE THE COURSE (INCLUDING THE BULLETIN BOARD AND PRIVATE MAIL) FOR ANY SCHEDULING OR OTHER CHANGES TO THE COURSE. I RESERVE THE RIGHT TO MAKE ANY AND ALL COURSE CHANGES I DEEM NECESSARY AS THE SEMESTER PROGRESSES.

ALSO, NOTE THE PACE OF THIS COURSE. IF YOU ALLOW YOURSELF TO FALL BEHIND, YOU WILL NOT DO WELL IN THIS COURSE.

IN THE PAST, SOME OF MY ONLINE STUDENTS HAVE NOT CHECKED THE COURSE OFTEN ENOUGH AND HAVE MISSED ASSIGNMENTS, DUE DATE CHANGES, ETC.

AGAIN, I WORK ON THE COURSE ON AN ALMOST DAILY BASIS -- YOU SHOULD MAKE SURE YOU DO THE SAME.

FAIR WARNING! I WILL NOT ALLOW YOU TO MAKE-UP MISSED ASSIGNMENTS OR DUE DATES SO YOU MUST CONSTANTLY CHECK THE COURSE HOME PAGE (THIS PAGE), THE BULLETIN BOARD, AND YOUR PRIVATE MAIL IN WEBCT.

I WILL BE POSTING THE MOST RELEVANT INFORMATION ON THE BULLETIN BOARD FROM TIME TO TIME.

YOU SHOULD ALSO CONSTANTLY CHECK YOUR PRIVATE MAIL IN WEB CT FOR INFORMATION REGARDING THE COURSE.

I WILL NOT GRANT EXTENSIONS OF TIME TO TURN IN DOCUMENTATION, SITE EVALUATIONS, OR POST REPORTS ON MATTERS LEARNED AS DESCRIBED BELOW.

IF YOU MISS A DEADLINE ON ANY OF THE REQUIRED ASSIGNMENTS OR DOCUMENTATION, YOU WILL NOT DO WELL IN THIS COURSE.

IF YOU HAVE ANY NON-TECHNICAL PROBLEMS, YOU NEED TO SEND ME A PRIVATE MAIL VIA WEBCT OR CALL ME ON 708-596-2000 X2538

IF YOU HAVE TECHNICAL PROBLEMS, YOU NEED TO CONTACT TECH SUPPORT AT THE MAIN CAMPUS.

IMPORTANT NOTICE REGARDING PRIVATE MAIL IN WEBCT

MAKE SURE YOU CONTACT ME THROUGH THE PRIVATE MAIL FEATURE IN WEBCT IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.

I WILL NOT ANSWER E-MAILS SENT TO ANY ADDRESS OTHER THAN THROUGH THE PRIVATE MAIL FEATURE IN WEBCT.

ALSO, PLEASE USE THE BULLETIN BOARD TO ASK EACH OTHER QUESTIONS AND/OR ASK ME QUESTIONS THAT I CAN RESPOND TO IN A PUBLIC MANNER.

If you have any questions feel free to contact me online USING PRIVATE MAIL IN WEBCT, the Bulletin Board or on my college extension.

OFFICE -- Room 3427 -- Phone (708) 596-2000 X2538

GRADING: The breakdown of your final grade is as follows:

Midterm Paralegal Internship Evaluation = 30% of final grade (30 POSSIBLE POINTS)

Final Paralegal Internship Evaluation = 40% of final grade (40 POSSIBLE POINTS)

Reports of Matters Learned = 15% of final grade (15 POSSIBLE POINTS)

Bulletin Board Activity = 15% of final grade (15 POSSIBLE POINTS)

The grading scale used to determine your final grade is:

90 TO 100 TOTAL POINTS = A
80 TO 89 TOTAL POINTS = B
70 TO 79 TOTAL POINTS = C
60 TO 69 TOTAL POINTS = D
0 TO 59 TOTAL POINTS = F

STUDENT CONDUCT -- The terms and provisions of the current South Suburban College Catalog are hereby incorporated by reference into this course outline and made a part of this document. Specifically, the terms and provisions of the Student Codes of Conduct contained in the current South Suburban College Catalog are hereby incorporated by reference into this course outline and made a part of this document. Please familiarize yourself with the Student Codes of Conduct and adhere to them at all times.

REPORTS OF MATTERS LEARNED

You must submit a total of TEN (10) Reports of Matters Learned during the course of the semester. Each of your Reports on Matters Learned is worth 1.5 points towards your final course grade.

Also, your follow-up/bulletin board activity per Report is worth an additional 1.5 points per Report towards your final grade.

Therefore, you can earn up to 3 points per Report towards your final course grade.

FAIR WARNING -- some students in the past have failed to submit some or all of their Reports on time. They have also failed to get active on the Bulletin Board discussing other students Reports and answer questions regarding their own postings.

Scoring well on the Mid-Term Site Evaluation and Final Site Evaluation is not enough to do well in this course. In the past, I have had many interns score a 100 on each Site Evaluation and still end up with a "B" or "C" in the course. This was the direct result of the intern not fulfilling his or her course obligations on the Bulletin Board.

As you can see, the Reports and Bulletin Board activity are worth 30% of you final grade (10 Reports x 3 points per Report = 30 points). 30% of your final grade is a large percentage and can move you more than a letter grade for the course. THEREFORE, you must not allow yourself to fall into the trap of falling behind on the Reports or not getting involved in a significant way on the Bulletin Board.

Your Reports will be posted by you on the Bulletin Board using the following procedures:

1. When you are posting a new Report on Matters Learned or any other new item (such as a general question for the class to see and respond to), click on "Compose Message" on the Bulletin Board page.

2. ONCE THERE, YOU WILL SEE A BOX THAT STATES "COMPOSE MESSAGE." CLICK ON THAT BOX AND YOU WILL BE TAKEN TO A SCREEN ALLOWING YOU TO COMPOSE YOUR MESSAGE. ALWAYS MAKE SURE THAT YOU ARE COMPOSING IN THE PROPER TOPIC. GENERAL DISCUSSIONS OR QUESTIONS GO IN THE "MAIN" AREA OF THE BULLETIN BOARD.

EACH REPORT WILL HAVE ITS OWN "TOPIC" SECTION OF THE BULLETIN BOARD -- MAKE SURE YOU ARE POSTING YOUR REPORTS TO THE PROPER TOPIC SECTION OF THE BULLETIN BOARD. IF YOU DO NOT, I WILL NEVER SEE YOUR POSTING WHEN I AM GRADING THE BULLETIN BOARD.

3. For each of your Reports on Matters Learned place the following description in the subject line:

YOUR NAME, REPORT NUMBER __

For any other new discussion posting, make sure you put an adequate description in the Subject line so that we all know which aspect of the course is related to your posting.

4. Please note that if you are replying to a post which has been put up by me or another classmate, simply click on the "reply" link on the post and then type in your response.

By following the above procedures, "threads" will be created for each Report on Matters Learned that each of you post and for any other discussion topic posted by me or one of your classmates. This will make it easier for everyone to follow along and easier for me to grade.

Additionally, on the Bulletin Board main page you can change your view between "all" and "unread" by simply clicking on the link that is opposite from what is presently shown on your computer. This is also true for showing "threaded" or "unthreaded" messages. By doing this you can manage your review of the bulletin board.

FAIR WARNING! If you do not follow the above procedures, I will not grade your postings.

Again, each Report of Matters Learned is worth up to one (1.5) points and is due as indicated on the schedule provided below. Your follow-up Bulletin Board activity is worth an additional one (1.5) points per Report.

NOTE: Regarding your follow-up activity, you must post some kind of substantial response to any particular Report. Short statements such as "nice report" or "good report" will not be graded. In short, post something that has enough substance to show me that you have given the Report careful thought and indicates to me that you have learned something from the Report.

Also, Reports which you attempt to post late will not be accepted and there will be no make-up allowed.

However, if you obtain the instructor's prior approval, you may be allowed to post a particular Report late if the instructor, in his sole discretion, believes your situation warrants the allowance of a late Report or research project.

Please note that there will be no acceptance of a Report posted late without the instructor's prior approval and no opportunity to recover the points lost due to a late Report.

As to the Reports, each Report of Matters Learned must labeled with the appropriate Report number and posted in the proper TOPIC area of the Bulletin Board. For example, Report number 3 must be posted to the REPORT 3 TOPIC area of the Bulletin Board and labeled as such and will only count for the points available for that Report -- (there will be no substituting of points from one Report to another).

The form of the report MUST be in Memo format (as indicated below). Each Report shall become the sole and exclusive property of the instructor to do with as he will including, but not limited to, republishing the Report at a later time.

The heading of the report shall include, in the following order:

1. The student's name, section number, the number of that particular Report, and the due date of that particular Report.

2. The name and address of the student's internship site (include department if applicable).

3. The name of the student's mentor.

The substance of each Report shall include, in the following order:

1. The Matter Learned: A brief statement of the item learned.

2. Explanation of Learning Process: A written explanation, in paragraph style, of what the student learned. Include explanation of how and why accumulating this knowledge helps an intern in your position perform one's duties. If the matter learned includes several steps, then explain each step in a separate paragraph with appropriate headings.

3. Tips and Helpful Hints: If you were to repeat this activity again, what would you do differently? How would you improve your performance? What advice would you give to other interns in a position similar to yours?

IF THE REPORT OR ANY PART THEREOF IS NOT IN THE POSTED PROPERLY IN THE FORM DESCRIBED ABOVE IT WILL RECEIVE A GRADE OF ZERO POINTS WITH ABSOLUTELY NO OPPORTUNITY TO BE CORRECTED AND TURNED IN AT A LATER TIME.

BULLETIN BOARD ACTIVITY

Also, in addition to posting your Reports on Matters Learned, you must become active on the Bulletin Board by discussing relevant legal issues from other classmates Reports on Matters Learned or by responding to other classmates inquiries regarding any of your Reports on Matters Learned postings. Please note that in addition to the possible 1.5 points available per Report for Bulletin Board activity, this is a course requirement. You must correspond on the Bulletin Board with each other and answer any reasonable inquiries asked of you by me or any of your classmates regarding any of your Bulletin Board postings.

THE REASON I HAVE TO MAKE YOUR INTERACTION ON THE BULLETIN BOARD A COURSE REQUIREMENT IS BECAUSE THIS COURSE IS PART OF OUR ABA APPROVED PROGRAM.

THEREFORE, YOU MUST BE ACTIVE ON THE BULLETIN BOARD DISCUSSING EACH OTHERS REPORTS ON MATTERS LEARNED AND ANY OTHER REASONABLE INQUIRIES ASKED OF YOU.

THIS REQUIREMENT IS IN LIEU OF "CLASSROOM DISCUSSIONS" IN A TRADITIONAL OFF-LINE COURSE. CONSEQUENTLY, IF YOU DO NOT SATISFY THIS REQUIREMENT, I CANNOT GIVE YOU A PASSING GRADE IN THIS COURSE!

Also, you must post your Reports on Matters Learned in the scheduled time frame. Remember, there will be no make-up postings allowed.

However, in the event the instructor allows a late posting, the late posting will only count for up to fifty (50%) percent of the points possible for that posting or assignment.

The other fifty (50%) percent will be based on an additional outside research/case briefing project assigned by the instructor. Additionally, in order to be fair to the students who posted their assignments on time, this policy will apply regardless of the reason for the allowance of a late posting.

REPORTS ON MATTERS LEARNED DUE DATE SCHEDULE

Note the pace of the posting schedule and make sure you pace yourself accordingly.

Reports on Matters Learned number 1 must be posted no later than 11:00 a.m. 02/07/2009.
CLOSING FOR BULLETIN BOARD ACTIVITY FOR Report 1 IS 11:00 a.m. 02/14/2009

Reports on Matters Learned number 2 must be posted no later than 11:00 a.m. 02/14/2009.
CLOSING FOR BULLETIN BOARD ACTIVITY FOR Report 2 IS 11:00 a.m. 02/21/2009

Reports on Matters Learned number 3 must be posted no later than 11:00 a.m. 02/21/2009.
CLOSING FOR BULLETIN BOARD ACTIVITY FOR Report 3 IS 11:00 a.m. 02/28/2009

Reports on Matters Learned number 4 must be posted no later than 11:00 a.m. 03/07/2009.
CLOSING FOR BULLETIN BOARD ACTIVITY FOR Report 4 IS 11:00 a.m. 03/14/2009

Reports on Matters Learned number 5 must be posted no later than 11:00 a.m. 03/28/2009.
CLOSING FOR BULLETIN BOARD ACTIVITY FOR Report 5 IS 11:00 a.m. 04/04/2009

Reports on Matters Learned number 6 must be posted no later than 11:00 a.m. 04/04/09.
CLOSING FOR BULLETIN BOARD ACTIVITY FOR Report 6 IS 11:00 a.m. 04/11/2009

Reports on Matters Learned number 7 must be posted no later than 11:00 a.m. 04/11/09.
CLOSING FOR BULLETIN BOARD ACTIVITY FOR Report 7 IS 11:00 a.m. 04/18/2009

Reports on Matters Learned number 8 must be posted no later than 11:00 a.m. 04/25/09.
CLOSING FOR BULLETIN BOARD ACTIVITY FOR Report 8 IS 11:00 a.m. 05/02/2009

Reports on Matters Learned number 9 must be posted no later than 11:00 a.m. 05/02/2009.
CLOSING FOR BULLETIN BOARD ACTIVITY FOR Report 9 IS 11:00 a.m. 05/09/2009

Reports on Matters Learned number 10 must be posted no later than 11:00 a.m. 05/09/09.
CLOSING FOR BULLETIN BOARD ACTIVITY FOR Report 10 IS 11:00 a.m. 05/11/2009