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SYLLABUS
PROFESSIONALISM AND THE WORK OF LAWYERS COURSE No. 6158-11; 6158-21
SPRING 2019
Professor Kelly Terry Assistant Dean Diana Snyder
CONTACT INFORMATION
Assistant Dean Snyder Room 116C 501-324-9934 [email protected] Office Hours: Monday-Friday: 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.; 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Or by appointment
Professor Terry Legal Clinic, Room 105L 501-324-9946 [email protected] Office Hours: Mondays: 10:00 a.m. to noon Wednesdays: 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Or by appointment
COURSE OVERVIEW AND LEARNING OUTCOMES
“Professionalism and the Work of Lawyers” is a one-unit required course that is
designed to facilitate the transition from student to lawyer and develop students’ skills in a range of areas relating to the day-to-day practice of law, including professionalism, the formation of professional identity, interpersonal communication, finding and succeeding in legal jobs, cross-cultural awareness, and working with mentors. Practicing lawyers have identified these skill sets as critical to law practice in Arkansas and throughout the United States. The course is integrated with the Professional Mentor Program that is part of the first-year curriculum.
At the end of this two-semester course, students will be able to:
1. Identify core competencies, skills, and values of the legal profession, including integrity, honesty, emotional intelligence, effective time management, cultural awareness, and access to justice, and apply those competencies, skills, and values in their work in law school and in the legal profession.
2. Identify and apply best practices for finding meaningful employment in the legal profession, including taking personal responsibility for one’s career planning and professional development; identifying interests, strengths, and weaknesses; writing
2
effective résumés and cover letters; developing interview skills; and using social media appropriately for professional purposes.
3. Explain the benefits of having a mentor in the legal profession and work effectively with a mentor.
COURSE POLICIES
OUR TEACHING PHILOSOPHY As teachers, our goal is to foster students’ development into responsible, ethical, and humane attorneys. We hope to help students become “good” lawyers, in both the moral and professional sense of the word. To that end, we will challenge students to work hard, strive for excellence, and act with integrity, and we will expect the same of ourselves. We will treat our students with respect, compassion, and professionalism, and we will urge students to exhibit these qualities in their own personal interactions. We will convey our enthusiasm and passion for our students’ learning, and we will encourage our students to discover and pursue their own passions in their professional endeavors. PROFESSIONALISM EXPECTATIONS FOR THE COURSE
1. Classroom Environment and Efforts
This course focuses on the professional standards that practicing attorneys and judges are expected to meet. To help you learn those standards, our expectations for your conduct and work in this course will mirror the expectations that supervising attorneys have for junior attorneys who work for them. Professionalism standards for attorneys include expectations that they arrive on time (ideally early), always are prepared for meetings, and actively and respectfully participate in meetings. Accordingly, we will always arrive to class on time and prepared, and we expect each student to come to class on time and be prepared to discuss the readings and participate actively and respectfully in class discussions and exercises.
As a law student, you are already developing your professional reputation as an
attorney. A good reputation takes time and hard work to earn, but it can be damaged in an instant. Your professors, other members of the law school staff, and fellow students will be observing you over the next few years. The manner in which you approach your interactions with them and manage your law school responsibilities will become a part of how those people view you. Therefore, we recommend approaching each class like an important job—one in which you want to do your very best and put forth strong effort.
The class sessions in this course will consist of interactive discussions and exercises.
Your participation in the discussions and exercises is an essential part of your learning, and we expect everyone to actively contribute to the learning in the class. We also expect students to be respectful of the views and comments of their fellow students. Recognizing that students
3
learn differently and process their thoughts in different ways, we will allow sufficient “wait time” for students to gather and articulate their thoughts during class discussions.
This course is not like your other courses. It will require you to be attentive to deadlines
that will occur prior to final exams and a schedule that is not the same every week. In those senses, it is closer to the experience you will have as practicing lawyers than it is to the typical law school experience. 2. Attendance Policy for Class Meetings
This class will meet a total of nine times over the course of the fall and spring semesters. (One class during First Week, two classes during the regular fall semester, and six classes during the spring semester). We have fewer classes during the fall semester so you can focus on the mentoring program. Achieving the course objectives is possible only to the extent that you are physically present in class. Accordingly, we require attendance, and we will take attendance by passing around a sign-in sheet during each class. It is your responsibility to ensure that you sign the sign-in sheet for each class that you attend.
We recognize that unexpected circumstances may arise, so each student is allowed one
absence, regardless of the reason for the absence. All absences are treated in the same manner, and there are no “excused” or “unexcused” absences. We will give you one “free pass,” but more than one absence will prevent you from passing the class. If you encounter extraordinary circumstances that result in multiple absences, you should discuss those circumstances individually with Professor Terry or Dean Snyder so we may assess the impact of your absences.
3. Submission of Written Work Products and Policy Regarding Late Submissions
Practicing attorneys risk malpractice claims or losing clients or their jobs if they do not complete tasks on time. This fact requires lawyers to carefully manage deadlines and their workloads. Consequently, we expect all written work products for this course to be submitted on time, and, in fact, you will be unable to submit your work to our course webpage dropbox if you try to submit it even one minute after the deadline.
Failure to submit a written assignment will result in the following consequence: if a
student fails to submit a work product by the deadline, he or she must write a memo to Professor Terry and Dean Snyder explaining the reason(s) why the student missed the deadline and requesting permission to submit the assignment by email. It is within the sole discretion of Professor Terry and Dean Snyder whether to accept a late assignment.
4. Policy Regarding Use of Computers and Other Electronic Devices During Class
Electronic devices generally will not be necessary for our class discussions and exercises.
Accordingly, the use of computers, cell phones, tablets, and other electronic devices is
4
prohibited unless we specifically authorize the use of such devices during a class. Cell phones, computers, and tablets should be turned off and put away out of sight before class begins. No audio-recording or videotaping of any part of any class session is permitted. Any violations of this policy will be treated as a violation of the UA Little Rock Bowen Code of Student Academic Conduct and will be referred to the Honor Council for investigation.
Because research shows that students learn more when they take notes by hand, any
notes you wish to take during class should be written by hand. Likewise, you should print and bring to class with you any typed notes that you made about the reading assignments if you wish to refer to those notes during class.
5. Academic Integrity Policy All students are presumed to know and understand university and law school policies
and procedures regarding academic conduct, including both the Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities and Behavior, which applies to all UA Little Rock students, and the Code of Academic Student Conduct, which covers academic misconduct such as cheating and plagiarism, among others, and the academic procedures for discipline at the Bowen School of Law. If you do not understand these policies, please speak with Professor Terry or Dean Snyder for clarification.
Violations of these policies that come to our attention will be referred to the Associate
Dean of Academic Affairs and may result in the filing of disciplinary charges against the offending student. Violations also may have ramifications for the Character and Fitness assessment that is required for admission to the bar.
6. Communication Policy
It is a recognized best practice for lawyers to respond to emails, voicemails, and other
messages within 24 hours of receipt. Accordingly, we will respond within 24 hours to emails sent to us during the regular business week, and we expect you to respond within 24 hours to emails sent from us during the regular business week, if a response is requested. If we receive an email during the weekend, we will respond by the end of the next business day; we expect you to respond in the same manner if we send you an email during the weekend that requests a response.
Sometimes, however, an email inquiry does not lend itself to a response by email (for
example, the necessary response would be too lengthy or complicated to provide via email). If this situation occurs, we may suggest that you schedule a time to talk with one of us in person about the issue raised in the email inquiry.
5
STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES
Your success in this class is important to us, and it is the policy and practice of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock to create inclusive learning environments consistent with federal and state law. If you have a documented disability (or need to have a disability documented), and need an accommodation, please contact us privately as soon as possible, so that we can discuss with the Disability Resource Center (DRC) how to meet your specific needs and the requirements of the course. The DRC offers resources and coordinates reasonable accommodations for students with disabilities. Reasonable accommodations are established through an interactive process among you, your instructor(s), and the DRC. Thus, if you have a disability, please contact us and/or the DRC, at 501-569-3143 (V/TTY) or 501-683-7629 (VP). For more information, please visit the DRC website. INCLEMENT WEATHER
This course will follow the University’s policy on inclement weather, which may be found at this link: https://ualr.edu/policy/home/admin/weather/. Any classes in this course that are cancelled due to inclement weather will be made up pursuant to the Bowen policy for make-up classes.
COURSE WEBSITE ON TWEN
We have created a website for this course on TWEN, with the title of “Professionalism
and the Work of Lawyers.” You should register for the TWEN site as soon as possible. There is no required textbook for this course. Unless we notify you otherwise, all of the reading assignments for the class meetings are posted on the TWEN site.
On the TWEN site, we have created an individual dropbox for each assignment in the
course. You should submit all of your assignments for this course by uploading them to the designated dropbox on the TWEN site.
COMPONENTS OF THIS COURSE
This course includes the following required components:
1. Completion of all requirements of the Bowen Professional Mentor Program;
2. Completion of the Pro Bono requirement; 3. Attendance at class meetings for the course; and 4. Completion of the course’s written work products.
Each of these components and its requirements are explained in more detail below.
6
COMPLETING THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE BOWEN PROFESSIONAL MENTOR PROGRAM
Each student must participate in and complete the requirements of the Bowen
Professional Mentor Program. A list of these requirements, and the deadlines for completing them, is located on page 12 of the manual for the Professional Mentor Program. The written work products required by the Professional Mentor Program should be submitted by uploading them to the designated dropbox on the course TWEN site.
PRO BONO REQUIREMENT
In the legal profession, “pro bono” work generally is understood to mean providing legal
services without charge to people of limited financial means who cannot afford such services. By the end of the Spring 2019 Semester, each student is required to provide a total of at least three hours of pro bono service through a pro bono program, activity, or opportunity approved by Professor Terry or Dean Snyder. A list of existing pro bono opportunities, including contact information for the people coordinating the programs, is included at the end of this syllabus. Other pro bono opportunities likely will be scheduled throughout the year. We will provide information about these additional opportunities to you via email as events are scheduled.
Students should keep a contemporaneous log recording the dates of their pro bono
work, the number of hours worked, a brief description of the work performed, and the activity or program through which the work was performed. A form for a pro bono log is included in the Forms Folder on the course TWEN site. Students must submit these logs, including a certification that they completed the pro bono work described, by no later than 5:00 p.m. on the last day of final exams for the Spring semester. You should submit your completed log by uploading it to the designated dropbox on the course TWEN site.
SPRING 2019 CLASS MEETINGS
This class will meet only six times during the Spring 2019 semester. The dates and times for those classes are as follows:
CLASS & LOCATION TOPIC READING ASSIGNMENTS
Class 1: January 16, 2019
Full-time Students 3:15 p.m.—4:15 p.m. Room 305
Part-time Students 5:45 p.m.—6:45 p.m. Room 505
Preparing for Employment in the Legal Profession A panel of guest lawyers will discuss what they look for in résumés, cover letters, and interviews.
Excerpt from FOUNDATIONS FOR
PRACTICE: THE WHOLE LAWYER AND THE
CHARACTER QUOTIENT
7
Class 2: January 23, 2019
Full-time Students 3:15 p.m.—4:15 p.m. Room 305
Part-time Students 5:45 p.m.—6:45 p.m. Room 505
Demonstrating Professionalism and Other Essential Lawyer Qualities in Interviews and in Work
What Is Professionalism?, from Southworth and Fisk, The Legal Profession: Ethics in Contemporary Practice Charles McCallum, Professionalism: It’s No Joke Excerpt from FOUNDATIONS FOR
PRACTICE: THE WHOLE LAWYER AND THE
CHARACTER QUOTIENT (refresh your memory of this reading assignment from Class 1) Materials on Performance-Based Interviewing
Class 3: January 30, 2019 Full-time Students 3:15 p.m.—4:15 p.m. Room 305
Part-time Students 5:45 p.m.—6:45 p.m. Room 505
Clerkships in the Legal Profession A panel of guest lawyers will discuss clerkships in different practice areas and what to expect during clerkships.
There is no reading assignment, but you must submit a question for the panel to the designated TWEN dropbox by 5:00 p.m. on Monday, January 28
Class 4: February 6, 2019 Full-time Students 3:15 p.m.—4:15 p.m. Room 305
Part-time Students 5:45 p.m.—6:45 p.m. Room 505
Developing the Skill of Emotional Intelligence for the Practice of Law
Daniel Goleman, What Makes a Leader?, from THE HARVARD BUSINESS
REVIEW How Emotional Intelligence Makes You a Better Lawyer, from YOUR
ABA
Class 5: February 27, 2019 Full-time Students 3:15 p.m.—4:15 p.m. Room 305
Part-time Students 5:45 p.m.—6:45 p.m. Room 505
Lawyering Across Differences
Susan Sample, Intercultural Competence As A Professional Skill, 26 PAC. MCGEORGE GLOBAL BUS. &
DEV. L.J. 117 (2013)
Excerpt from Andrea Curcio, Addressing Barriers to Cultural Sensibility Learning: Lessons From Social Cognition Theory, 15 NEV. L. J. 537 (2015)
N.Y. TIMES, Doctor on Delta Flight
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Class 6: March 6, 2019 Full-time Students 3:15 p.m.—4:15 p.m. Room 305
Part-time Students 5:45 p.m.—6:45 p.m. Room 505
Planning a Roadmap for Professional Development and Practice Guest Lecturer: Assistant Dean Rejena Grotjohn
To be announced
SPRING 2019 WRITTEN WORK PRODUCTS
During the Spring 2019 Semester, each student is required to complete the written work
products listed below. Submit your completed assignments by uploading them to the designated dropbox on the course TWEN site.
WRITTEN WORK PRODUCT DUE DATE
Question for January 16 Guest Speaker Panel 5:00 p.m., January 14, 2019
Cover Letter Paragraph Demonstrating a Professional Quality 5:00 p.m., January 21, 2019
Question for January 30 Guest Speaker Panel 5:00 p.m., January 28, 2019
Mentoring Experiences Log 5:00 p.m., May 10, 2019
Summary of Mentoring Experience Debrief 5:00 p.m., May 10, 2019
Log of Pro Bono Hours 5:00 p.m., May 10, 2019
Roadmap to Practice 5:00 p.m., May 10, 2019
GRADING & COURSE CREDIT
This course is graded on a pass/fail basis. Do not let the pass/fail nature of the course
mislead you into believing that this course will not require serious work. To receive a passing grade, students must:
Attend First Week classes and programs;
Complete the requirements of the Professional Mentor Program, including the Personal and Professional Development Plan (due in the fall semester), the Mentoring Experiences Log (due at the end of the spring semester), and the Debriefing Summary (due at the end of the spring semester);
Attend at least seven of the eight class sessions after First Week;
Complete, in good faith, all required written work products; and
Complete the Pro Bono requirement, including the Log of Pro Bono Hours (due at the end of the spring semester).
Upon successful completion of the course requirements, students will receive one hour
of ungraded course credit, which is awarded at the end of the spring semester. Students who fail to complete all of these requirements will fail the course and have to repeat it.
9
LIST OF ONGOING PRO BONO OPPORTUNITIES
Our House Our House is a nonprofit organization that provides housing, job-skills training, and child care to homeless families. Its Family Housing program enables homeless families to live in an apartment-style setting to better prepare them for success in their own homes. In addition to housing, Our House focuses on providing other essential services to help give homeless families the skills and support they need to turn their lives around, including job skills training programs, workforce education, child care for homeless children while their parents work full-time jobs, and after-school and summer programs for school-aged youth. In 2013, Our House introduced a Re-Entry program, which targets the particular barriers to employment that formerly incarcerated residents face. The Re-Entry Program needs student volunteers to help with the following research projects:
10
Center for Arkansas Legal Services (CALS) CALS is a legal-aid provider in Central Arkansas that provides free legal assistance to low-income Arkansans who could not otherwise afford such services. CALS typically provides representation in cases involving domestic abuse, government-benefits issues, family law, foreclosure, or landlord-tenant matters. Student volunteers are needed to assist with the services that CALS offers. Typical assignments include researching various legal issues, drafting pleadings and client letters, and conducting initial intake interviews. If you would like to volunteer for CALS, please contact Lora Crawley, the CALS Pro Bono Coordinator, at [email protected] or at 501-376-3423, ext. 107.
Veterans Legal Assistance Program (VLAP) VLAP is a program coordinated by CALS through which volunteer attorneys provide free legal assistance to military veterans. The volunteer attorneys provide assistance on a variety of legal issues. The VLAP clinics take place on the third Tuesday of every month from 9:30 a.m. to noon at the Veterans’ Day Treatment Center, 1000 S. Main Street, Little Rock, Arkansas. Student volunteers are needed to assist with the services that VLAP offers. If you would like to volunteer for VLAP, please contact Lora Crawley, the CALS Pro Bono Coordinator, at [email protected] or at 501-376-3423, ext. 107.
11
Volunteer Income Tax Assistance in Pulaski and Saline Counties The Central Arkansas Development Council seeks volunteers for its Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Program, which offers free tax preparation services to low-to-moderate income individuals and families who cannot prepare their own returns. Volunteer tax preparers are needed for the agency’s free tax service in Saline and Pulaski Counties. All volunteers are certified by the IRS and receive free training to prepare tax returns. VITA volunteers also may serve as quality reviewers, intake screeners, and site coordinators. For more information and training dates, contact Susan Wills at [email protected] or 501-778-1133. Volunteer Opportunities Directory In both the law school library and the Legal Clinic, there is a Volunteer Opportunities Directory that lists organizations that need volunteers. There is a section of the Directory that specifically relates to legal services.
1
SYLLABUS
PROFESSIONALISM AND THE WORK OF LAWYERS COURSE No. 6158-11; 6158-21
FALL 2018
Professor Kelly Terry Assistant Dean Diana Snyder
CONTACT INFORMATION
Assistant Dean Snyder Room 116C 501-324-9934 [email protected] Office Hours: Monday-Friday: 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.; 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Or by appointment
Professor Terry Legal Clinic, Room 105L 501-324-9946 [email protected] Office Hours: Mondays: 10:00 a.m. to noon Wednesdays: 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Or by appointment
COURSE OVERVIEW AND LEARNING OUTCOMES
“Professionalism and the Work of Lawyers” is a one-unit required course that is
designed to facilitate the transition from student to lawyer and develop students’ skills in a range of areas relating to the day-to-day practice of law, including professionalism, the formation of professional identity, interpersonal communication, finding and succeeding in legal jobs, cross-cultural awareness, and working with mentors. Practicing lawyers have identified these skill sets as critical to law practice in Arkansas and throughout the United States. The course is integrated with the Professional Mentor Program that is part of the first-year curriculum.
At the end of this two-semester course, students will be able to:
1. Identify core competencies, skills, and values of the legal profession, including integrity, honesty, emotional intelligence, effective time management, cultural awareness, and access to justice, and apply those competencies, skills, and values in their work in law school and in the legal profession.
2. Identify and apply best practices for finding meaningful employment in the legal profession, including taking personal responsibility for one’s career planning and professional development; identifying interests, strengths, and weaknesses; writing
2
effective résumés and cover letters; developing interview skills; and using social media appropriately for professional purposes.
3. Explain the benefits of having a mentor in the legal profession and work effectively with a mentor.
COURSE POLICIES
OUR TEACHING PHILOSOPHY As teachers, our goal is to foster students’ development into responsible, ethical, and humane attorneys. We hope to help students become “good” lawyers, in both the moral and professional sense of the word. To that end, we will challenge students to work hard, strive for excellence, and act with integrity, and we will expect the same of ourselves. We will treat our students with respect, compassion, and professionalism, and we will urge students to exhibit these qualities in their own personal interactions. We will convey our enthusiasm and passion for our students’ learning, and we will encourage our students to discover and pursue their own passions in their professional endeavors. PROFESSIONALISM EXPECTATIONS FOR THE COURSE
1. Classroom Environment and Efforts
This course focuses on the professional standards that practicing attorneys and judges are expected to meet. To help you learn those standards, our expectations for your conduct and work in this course will mirror the expectations that supervising attorneys have for junior attorneys who work for them. Professionalism standards for attorneys include expectations that they arrive on time (ideally early), always are prepared for meetings, and actively and respectfully participate in meetings. Accordingly, we will always arrive to class on time and prepared, and we expect each student to come to class on time and be prepared to discuss the readings and participate actively and respectfully in class discussions and exercises.
As a law student, you are already developing your professional reputation as an
attorney. A good reputation takes time and hard work to earn, but it can be damaged in an instant. Your professors, other members of the law school staff, and fellow students will be observing you over the next few years. The manner in which you approach your interactions with them and manage your law school responsibilities will become a part of how those people view you. Therefore, we recommend approaching each class like an important job—one in which you want to do your very best and put forth strong effort.
The class sessions in this course will consist of interactive discussions and exercises.
Your participation in the discussions and exercises is an essential part of your learning, and we expect everyone to actively contribute to the learning in the class. We also expect students to be respectful of the views and comments of their fellow students. Recognizing that students
3
learn differently and process their thoughts in different ways, we will allow sufficient “wait time” for students to gather and articulate their thoughts during class discussions.
This course is not like your other courses. It will require you to be attentive to deadlines
that will occur prior to final exams and a schedule that is not the same every week. In those senses, it is closer to the experience you will have as practicing lawyers than it is to the typical law school experience. 2. Attendance Policy for Class Meetings
This class will meet a total of nine times over the course of the fall and spring semesters. (One class during First Week, two classes during the regular fall semester, and six classes during the spring semester). We have fewer classes during the fall semester so you can focus on the mentoring program. Achieving the course objectives is possible only to the extent that you are physically present in class. Accordingly, we require attendance, and we will take attendance by passing around a sign-in sheet during each class. It is your responsibility to ensure that you sign the sign-in sheet for each class that you attend.
We recognize that unexpected circumstances may arise, so each student is allowed one
absence, regardless of the reason for the absence. All absences are treated in the same manner, and there are no “excused” or “unexcused” absences. We will give you one “free pass,” but more than one absence will prevent you from passing the class. If you encounter extraordinary circumstances that result in multiple absences, you should discuss those circumstances individually with Professor Terry or Dean Snyder so we may assess the impact of your absences.
3. Submission of Written Work Products and Policy Regarding Late Submissions
Practicing attorneys risk malpractice claims or losing clients or their jobs if they do not complete tasks on time. This fact requires lawyers to carefully manage deadlines and their workloads. Consequently, we expect all written work products for this course to be submitted on time, and, in fact, you will be unable to submit your work to our course webpage dropbox if you try to submit it even one minute after the deadline.
Failure to submit a written assignment will result in the following consequence: if a
student fails to submit a work product by the deadline, he or she must write a memo to Professor Terry and Dean Snyder explaining the reason(s) why the student missed the deadline and requesting permission to submit the assignment by email. It is within the sole discretion of Professor Terry and Dean Snyder whether to accept a late assignment.
4. Policy Regarding Use of Computers and Other Electronic Devices During Class
Electronic devices generally will not be necessary for our class discussions and exercises.
Accordingly, the use of computers, cell phones, tablets, and other electronic devices is
4
prohibited unless we specifically authorize the use of such devices during a class. Cell phones, computers, and tablets should be turned off and put away out of sight before class begins. No audio-recording or videotaping of any part of any class session is permitted. Any violations of this policy will be treated as a violation of the UA Little Rock Bowen Code of Student Academic Conduct and will be referred to the Honor Council for investigation.
Because research shows that students learn more when they take notes by hand, any
notes you wish to take during class should be written by hand. Likewise, you should print and bring to class with you any typed notes that you made about the reading assignments if you wish to refer to those notes during class.
5. Academic Integrity Policy All students are presumed to know and understand university and law school policies
and procedures regarding academic conduct, including both the Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities and Behavior, which applies to all UA Little Rock students, and the Code of Academic Student Conduct, which covers academic misconduct such as cheating and plagiarism, among others, and the academic procedures for discipline at the Bowen School of Law. If you do not understand these policies, please speak with Professor Terry or Dean Snyder for clarification.
Violations of these policies that come to our attention will be referred to the Associate
Dean of Academic Affairs and may result in the filing of disciplinary charges against the offending student. Violations also may have ramifications for the Character and Fitness assessment that is required for admission to the bar.
6. Communication Policy
It is a recognized best practice for lawyers to respond to emails, voicemails, and other
messages within 24 hours of receipt. Accordingly, we will respond within 24 hours to emails sent to us during the regular business week, and we expect you to respond within 24 hours to emails sent from us during the regular business week, if a response is requested. If we receive an email during the weekend, we will respond by the end of the next business day; we expect you to respond in the same manner if we send you an email during the weekend that requests a response.
Sometimes, however, an email inquiry does not lend itself to a response by email (for
example, the necessary response would be too lengthy or complicated to provide via email). If this situation occurs, we may suggest that you schedule a time to talk with one of us in person about the issue raised in the email inquiry.
5
STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES
Your success in this class is important to us, and it is the policy and practice of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock to create inclusive learning environments consistent with federal and state law. If you have a documented disability (or need to have a disability documented), and need an accommodation, please contact us privately as soon as possible, so that we can discuss with the Disability Resource Center (DRC) how to meet your specific needs and the requirements of the course. The DRC offers resources and coordinates reasonable accommodations for students with disabilities. Reasonable accommodations are established through an interactive process among you, your instructor(s), and the DRC. Thus, if you have a disability, please contact us and/or the DRC, at 501-569-3143 (V/TTY) or 501-683-7629 (VP). For more information, please visit the DRC website. INCLEMENT WEATHER
This course will follow the University’s policy on inclement weather, which may be found at this link: https://ualr.edu/policy/home/admin/weather/. Any classes in this course that are cancelled due to inclement weather will be made up pursuant to the Bowen policy for make-up classes.
COURSE WEBSITE ON TWEN
We have created a website for this course on TWEN, with the title of “Professionalism
and the Work of Lawyers.” You should register for the TWEN site as soon as possible and before our first class meeting during the regular fall semester. There is no required textbook for this course. Unless we notify you otherwise, all of the reading assignments for the class meetings are posted on the TWEN site.
On the TWEN site, we have created an individual dropbox for each assignment in the
course. You should submit all of your assignments for this course by uploading them to the designated dropbox on the TWEN site.
COMPONENTS OF THIS COURSE
This course includes the following required components:
1. Completion of all requirements of the Bowen Professional Mentor Program;
2. Completion of the Pro Bono requirement; 3. Attendance at class meetings for the course; and 4. Completion of the course’s written work products.
Each of these components and its requirements are explained in more detail below.
6
COMPLETING THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE BOWEN PROFESSIONAL MENTOR PROGRAM
Each student must participate in and complete the requirements of the Bowen
Professional Mentor Program. A list of these requirements, and the deadlines for completing them, is located on page 12 of the manual for the Professional Mentor Program. The written work products required by the Professional Mentor Program should be submitted by uploading them to the designated dropbox on the course TWEN site.
PRO BONO REQUIREMENT
In the legal profession, “pro bono” work generally is understood to mean providing legal
services without charge to people of limited financial means who cannot afford such services. By the end of the Spring 2019 Semester, each student is required to provide a total of at least three hours of pro bono service through a pro bono program, activity, or opportunity approved by Professor Terry or Dean Snyder. A list of existing pro bono opportunities, including contact information for the people coordinating the programs, is included at the end of this syllabus. Other pro bono opportunities likely will be scheduled throughout the year. We will provide information about these additional opportunities to you via email as events are scheduled.
Students should keep a contemporaneous log recording the dates of their pro bono
work, the number of hours worked, a brief description of the work performed, and the activity or program through which the work was performed. A form for a pro bono log is included in the Forms Folder on the course TWEN site. Students must submit these logs, including a certification that they completed the pro bono work described, by no later than 5:00 p.m. on the last day of final exams for the Spring semester. You should submit your completed log by uploading it to the designated dropbox on the course TWEN site.
FALL 2018 CLASS MEETINGS
This class will meet only three times during the Fall 2018 semester. The dates and times for those classes are as follows:
CLASS & LOCATION TOPIC READING ASSIGNMENTS
Class 1: Tuesday, August 14, 2018, 5:15 p.m. to 6:15 p.m. Friday Courtroom All first-year students (full-time and part-time) meet together.
Introduction to the Legal Profession and this Course
Excerpt from EDUCATING LAWYERS: PREPARATION FOR THE PROFESSION OF LAW (The Three Apprenticeships of Professional Education) MANUAL FOR BOWEN PROFESSIONAL MENTOR
PROGRAM
Class 2: Thursday, September 13, 2018
Time Management Skills for Lawyers—
Dean Grotjohn will provide reading and other pre-class assignments directly to
7
All full-time students meet together from 8:45 a.m. to 9:45 a.m. in Room 305. All part-time students meet together from 5:45 p.m. to 6:45 p.m. in Room 305.
Assistant Dean Rejena Grotjohn
you.
Class 3: Thursday, October 18, 2018 All full-time students meet together from 8:45 a.m. to 9:45 a.m. in Room 305. All part-time students meet together from 5:45 p.m. to 6:45 p.m. in Room 305.
Creating a Résumé for the Legal Profession
Review 1L Model Resumes at http://hls.harvard.edu/content/uploads/2008/06/1l_resumes.pdf Bring to class one paper copy of your current résumé and your laptop computer with an electronic copy of your current résumé.
FALL 2018 WRITTEN WORK PRODUCTS
During the Fall 2018 Semester, each student is required to complete the written work
products listed below. For the Personal and Professional Development Plan (“PPDP”), please follow the instructions in the Manual for the Professional Mentor Program. Submit your completed PPDP by uploading it to the designated dropbox on the course TWEN site.
WRITTEN WORK PRODUCT DUE DATE
Confidentiality Agreement and Certification for Professional Mentor Program
6:15 p.m., Tuesday, August 14, 2018 (Will be submitted during First Week class session)
Personal and Professional Development Plan
5:00 p.m., Friday, October 5, 2018, in TWEN Dropbox for this course
GRADING & COURSE CREDIT
This course is graded on a pass/fail basis. Do not let the pass/fail nature of the course
mislead you into believing that this course will not require serious work. To receive a passing grade, students must:
Attend First Week classes and programs;
Complete the requirements of the Professional Mentor Program, including the Personal and Professional Development Plan (due in the fall semester), the Mentoring Experiences Log (due at the end of the spring semester), and the Debriefing Summary (due at the end of the spring semester);
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Attend at least seven of the eight class sessions after First Week;
Complete, in good faith, all required written work products; and
Complete the Pro Bono requirement, including the Log of Pro Bono Hours (due at the end of the spring semester).
Upon successful completion of the course requirements, students will receive one hour
of ungraded course credit, which is awarded at the end of the spring semester. Students who fail to complete all of these requirements will fail the course and have to repeat it.
LIST OF ONGOING PRO BONO OPPORTUNITIES
Our House Our House is a nonprofit organization that provides housing, job-skills training, and child care to homeless families. Its Family Housing program enables homeless families to live in an apartment-style setting to better prepare them for success in their own homes. In addition to housing, Our House focuses on providing other essential services to help give homeless families the skills and support they need to turn their lives around, including job skills training programs, workforce education, child care for homeless children while their parents work full-time jobs, and after-school and summer programs for school-aged youth. In 2013, Our House introduced a Re-Entry program, which targets the particular barriers to employment that formerly incarcerated residents face. The Re-Entry Program needs student volunteers to help with the following research projects:
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Center for Arkansas Legal Services (CALS) CALS is a legal-aid provider in Central Arkansas that provides free legal assistance to low-income Arkansans who could not otherwise afford such services. CALS typically provides representation in cases involving domestic abuse, government-benefits issues, family law, foreclosure, or landlord-tenant matters. Student volunteers are needed to assist with the services that CALS offers. Typical assignments include researching various legal issues, drafting pleadings and client letters, and conducting initial intake interviews. If you would like to volunteer for CALS, please contact Lora Crawley, the CALS Pro Bono Coordinator, at [email protected] or at 501-376-3423, ext. 107.
Veterans Legal Assistance Program (VLAP) VLAP is a program coordinated by CALS through which volunteer attorneys provide free legal assistance to military veterans. The volunteer attorneys provide assistance on a variety of legal issues. The VLAP clinics take place on the third Tuesday of every month from 9:30 a.m. to noon at the Veterans’ Day Treatment Center, 1000 S. Main Street, Little Rock, Arkansas. Student volunteers are needed to assist with the services that VLAP offers. If you would like to volunteer for VLAP, please contact Lora Crawley, the CALS Pro Bono Coordinator, at [email protected] or at 501-376-3423, ext. 107.
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Volunteer Income Tax Assistance in Pulaski and Saline Counties The Central Arkansas Development Council seeks volunteers for its Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Program, which offers free tax preparation services to low-to-moderate income individuals and families who cannot prepare their own returns. Volunteer tax preparers are needed for the agency’s free tax service in Saline and Pulaski Counties. All volunteers are certified by the IRS and receive free training to prepare tax returns. VITA volunteers also may serve as quality reviewers, intake screeners, and site coordinators. For more information and training dates, contact Susan Wills at [email protected] or 501-778-1133. Volunteer Opportunities Directory In both the law school library and the Legal Clinic, there is a Volunteer Opportunities Directory that lists organizations that need volunteers. There is a section of the Directory that specifically relates to legal services.
