Section A First Assignments - Fall 2019

Please read these materials in preparation for the Academic Skills classes on Wednesday, August 14th. There are four documents that are part of this first assignment: 1) an introduction to the assignment, 2) study questions to guide you in your reading,3) the Florida statute on burglary, and 4) an appellate opinion from Florida state court called Munoz v. State

Please read the introduction to the reading first. Then review the study questions to help you focus your reading of the statute and the case. As you read the case, try to write down your answers to the study questions. In the academic skills classes, we will review these materials in detail with you, but your reading and thinking through these materials ahead of this class will create a much more meaningful learning experience for you during orientation.  

To prepare for our first class (on Tuesday, August 20), you will need to learn/refresh your recollection of some key and basic facts about the American legal system.

I have posted on our Bridges website a publications called “Excerpts from The Federal Court System in the United States.”  It is designed for foreign court officials visiting the United States, and has an excellent description of the basic premises of the American court system.  To understand civil procedure, you need to start from a solid working understanding of our court system. 

To that end, please carefully read pages 1-17, 20-26, 30-31, and 35-36.  You may also find it useful to read the “frequently asked questions” section on pages 48 to 50 (optional). 

As you read, take notes by hand.  By the first day of class, three weeks from now, you will be expected to understand and be able to explain the following key concepts (these are all directly explained in the assigned reading).  You may find it useful to create flash cards to help you learn/recall these concepts: 

  1. Explain the significance of the United States Constitution to the American legal system
  2. Summarize the constitutional concepts of:
    a. 
    Limited powers (federal government) and
    b.  Reserved powers (state governments)
  3. Explain what is meant by the term “federalism”
  4. Identify the three branches of the federal government established by the U.S. Constitution
  5. Explain the basic functions played by the federal government’s:
    a.  Legislative Branch
    b.  Executive Branch
    c.  Judicial Branch
  6. State two ways the U.S. Constitution promotes judicial independence
  7. Identify the specific provision of the U.S. Constitution that governs the federal courts (HINT:  look at the sidebars)
  8. Summarize the role played by (1) the President and (2) the Congress in determining who sits on the United States Supreme Court
  9. Name two examples of the kinds of cases heard by state courts
  10. Name two examples of the kinds of cases heard by federal courts
  11. What role do the United States District Courts play in the federal system
  12. What role do the United States Courts of Appeals play in the federal system
  13. How does a case get to the United States Supreme Court
  14. Define the meaning of the “adversary system”
  15. Define the meaning of the “common law”
  16. Define the meaning of “precedent”
  17. Define the meaning of “codes” or statutes”
  18. Explain how a federal civil case begins
  19. What is meant by the “discovery” process
  20. By what process can civil cases be resolved by the parties without going to trial

Be sure you can answer these questions without the need to consult your notes, as they will come up again and again during our course. 

Enjoy the last days of summer, and I look forward to meeting you!!

I.  Required Texts:
A.  Dawson, Harvey, Henderson & Baird, Contracts (11th ed.) (Foundation Press); and
B.  Burton & Eisenberg, Contract Law: Selected Source Materials (2019 ed.) (West). 

II.  Recommended Texts:
A.  Marvin A. Chirelstein, Concepts and Case Analysis in the Law of Contracts; and

B.  Lawrence A. Cunningham, Contracts in the Real World:  Stories of Popular Contracts and Why They Matter.

III.  Reading Assignment from the Dawson Casebook:
Introductory Note and Hawkins v. McGee (Pages 1-8).

IV. Additional Information: 
For additional class information, see the Syllabus posted on the Bridges website.

 

Welcome to Criminal Law!

The casebook for this course is Joseph E. Kennedy, Criminal Law: Cases, Controversies and Problems (West Academic Publishing, 1st ed. 2019).

The highly recommended, but optional, supplemental text is Joshua Dressler, Understanding Criminal Law (Carolina Press, 8th ed. 2018).

A partial syllabus will be posted on “Bridges,” the school’s electronic bulletin board, one week prior to the first day of class.

Before our first class:
1. Read pages 7-17 of the casebook. Read up to but not including section H. (These pages provide background about the criminal justice process in the United States).
2. Go online. Go to YouTube. Watch the entire video titled “PBS Frontline The Plea 2004.” The length of the video is 1 hour and 30 minutes. You must watch the entire video prior to the first class.
3. Come to class prepared to discuss the criminal justice process(es) in the United States.

I’m looking forward to our lively discussion!

Dear 1L,

Welcome to the RWU School of Law and Legal Practice I!  Please review the below excerpt from your LP I syllabus, as it lays out the texts and on-line resources you will need and the reading that you must do prior to your Orientation LP I class.  However, do not worry about accessing or obtaining either of the on-line resources mentioned at the top of the syllabus (Core Grammar for Lawyers and Sources of American Law), as your LP Professor will provide you with instructions regarding how to access or obtain  those resources.

We look forward to seeing you later in August!

Your LP I Professor

First Assignment
Course Policies
Hierarchy of Authority

 

Read and be prepared to discuss pages 17-31 in Prosser, Wade, and Schwartz’s TORTS: CASES AND MATERIALS (Foundation Press, 13th ed.)

Close Course Type Descriptions

Course Types

We have classified RWU Law classes under the following headers. One of the following course types will be attached to each course which will allow students to narrow down their search while looking for classes.

Core Course

Students in the first and second year are required to take classes covering the following aspects of the law—contracts, torts, property, criminal law, civil procedure, and constitutional law, evidence, and professional responsibility.  Along with these aspects, the core curriculum will develop legal reasoning skills.

Elective

After finishing the core curriculum the remaining coursework toward the degree is completed through upper level elective courses.  Students can choose courses that peak their interests or courses that go along with the track they are following.

Seminar

Seminars are classes where teachers and small groups of students focus on a specific topic and the students complete a substantial research paper.

Clinics/Externships

Inhouse Clinics and Clinical Externships legal education is law school training in which students participate in client representation under the supervision of a practicing attorney or law professor.  RWU Law's Clinical Programs offer unique and effective learning opportunities and the opportunity for practical experience while still in law school.