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L.S. Pre-law |
LS:
Pre-Law:
Course
Syllabus POS/PLA 440 Special Topics in Law Jurisprudence in Politics
COURSE SYLLABUS SUMMER M-F 9:30-10:50, K-300 Instructor: Judge Richard Poland, Associate Professor of Law. E-mail: polandrc@flagler.edu Office Hours: 7:30-8:00 A.M. M-F or by appointment in K-309. Telephone: Office: 819-6338. Text: Philosophical Problems in the Law, 4th Ed., David M. Adams, Wadsworth, 2005. Additional resources: www.flagler.edu/academics/prelaw/index.html I have also placed a number of books and articles on reserve at the Proctor Library. These writings will expand on the topics under discussion. Course Objectives: The objective of this course is to teach students the interrelationship between the law and philosophy. The jurisprudence and the politics of the United States legal system will be examined and explored. Course Reqs: Students must master the course materials. The students will demonstrate proficiency by writing and presenting summaries of articles from the textbook for discussion purposes. These are due the class period of the presentation. Each presentation/paper is worth 10% of the student’s grade and the final exam is worth 50% of the student’s grade. Remember that poor grammar and punctuation will result in a lowered grade. College-level writing and analysis are required. Also, keep cell phones off at all times during class discussions, unless you have an emergency situation. Course Outline: I. The
Nature
of
Law
and
Legal
Reasoning Grading: A=90-100; B=80-89; C=70-79; D=60-69; F=0-59. Learning Outcomes: The student will be able to understand the relationship between American law and philosophy as it impacts the American legal and political system. The student will gain an understanding of jurisprudential issues and will learn how to think critically about those issues. Attendance:
All
students
are
required
to
attend
class. More
than
4
absences
will
result
in
a "WP" or "WF," whichever
is
appropriate.
Remember: Eighty
percent
of
life
is
showing
up. Methods of Instruction: The instructor will assist the student to understand the material by using the Socratic method. Class discussions are essential in order to gain a better understanding of the assigned material. Reading before class is required. Disabilities Statement: Special services and accommodations are available to those students who are registered with the Office of Services for Students with Disabilities and who request assistance. Please notify me at the first class meeting about the specific nature of your needs. I will do my best to reasonably accommodate you. COURSE SCHEDULE Remember that this schedule is tentative and may be altered from time to time at the discretion of the professor in order to enhance the classroom experience for everyone. Week One: Review Syllabus. Read, Discuss, and Analyze Course Content. Discuss How to Read and Analyze Judicial Opinions. All legal cases in the text will be an important part of the class dialogue. Week Two: Text Chapter 1. Discuss: The Nature of Law and Legal Reasoning. Brief all the cases. Week Three: Text Chapter 2. Discuss Constitutional Interpretation and the 1st Amendment. Brief all the cases. Week Four: Text Chapter 3. Discuss: Equal Protection of the Law. Brief all the cases. Week Five: Text Chapter 4. Discuss: Criminal Law. Brief all the cases. Week Six: Text Chapter 5. Discuss: Tort Law. Brief all the cases. Week Seven: Review and Final Examination. During the Review Session we will raise a number of hypotheticals which allow us to further integrate all the writings of various Legal and Political Philosophers with the judicial opinions of state and federal jurists. A FEW WORDS OF WISDOM "To listen closely and reply well is the highest perfection we are able to attain in the art of conversation." - Francois de La Rochefoucauld "To laugh often and much; To win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; To earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; To appreciate beauty, to find the best in others; To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded." - Bessie Stanley "My advice to you is not to inquire why or whither, but just enjoy your ice cream while it's on your plate -- that's my philosophy." - Thornton Wilder The difference between the almost right word and the right word is really a large matter—'tis the difference between the lightning-bug and the lightning." - Mark Twain "Out of life's school of war, what does not destroy me makes me stronger." - Friedrich Nietzsche "There are no passengers on spaceship earth. We are all crew." - Marshall McLuhan "You can get help from teachers, but you are going to have to learn a lot by yourself, sitting alone in a room." - Theodore Geisel (Dr Seuss) "The power of accurate observation is commonly called cynicism by those who have not got it." - George Bernard Shaw "Time is the coin of your life. It is the only coin you have, and only you can determine how it will be spent. Be careful lest you let other people spend it for you." - Carl Sandburg Knowing others is intelligence; knowing yourself is true wisdom. Mastering others is strength, mastering yourself is true power." - Lao-Tzu "The trouble with the world is that the stupid are cocksure and the intelligent are full of doubt." - Bertrand Russell "Courage is knowing what not to fear." - Plato "Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors, and the most patient of teachers." - Charles W. Eliot "Knowledge is happiness, because to have knowledge—broad, deep knowledge—is to know true ends from false and lofty things from low. To know the thoughts and deeds that have marked man's progress is to feel the great heart-throbs of humanity through the centuries; and if one does not feel in these pulsations a heavenward striving, one must indeed be deaf to the harmonies of life." - Helen Keller "An education isn't how much you have committed to memory, or even how much you know. It's being able to differentiate between what you do know and what you don't." - Anatole France
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