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Law 20 - Start

Page history last edited by abogado 11 years, 2 months ago

 

Where do I Start

My name is Prof. Valerie Lopez and I am your online instructor. Please see my contact information at -  http://lamission.edu/law/faculty/lopez 

Introduction

Welcome to Law 20 Probate Administration at Mission College. 
A little about me 

I am a criminal defense attorney specializing in defending drug cases and medical marijuana patients.  I currently have my own law office, VSL & Associates, in Sherman Oaks, CA. I  received my undergraduate degree from Georgetown University's School of Business, where I majored in International Business. After graduation I worked in the fields of finance and telecommunications. I received my law degree from  law degree from Pepperdine University. While there I studied abroad in London England and participated in various moot court competitions. 

In addition to teaching at Mission College, I also teach in the business department at Pierce College.  I love teaching Mission College students because of their dedication to learning, curiosity and the joy they bring to the classroom.  Mission students always have tons of stories and examples to bring to the classroom.  I have met so many interesting, dedicated and truly driven students while teaching at Mission College.  When I am not practicing law or teaching, I spend my time with my husband and my very rambunctious daughter.

 

   

Law 20 - Basic Probate Procedures.  This course explores the fundamental principles and methods of fact gathering, office procedures, and required court work involved in the handling of probates of both testate and intestate decedents, as well as the administration of estates in California 

This class is one of the 12 law classes required for our paralegal certificate.  There are no prerequisites to take this class.

Course Design
This class consists of 16 weeks of work (readings, assignments, quizzes, preparation of probate forms, and discussion forums. All assignments, quizzes, forms and discussions must be submitted through our Course Management System (Etudes) by Sunday evenings at 11:55 pm. On Discussion Forums, students need to submit an original post by Wednesday at 11:55 pm, and then comment on two students posting by Sunday evening at 11:55 pm (for a total of 3 posts, one original, and two comments).

Grade distribution is as follows:
 

Quizzes - 25 % of your grade
Assignments- 25 % of your grade
Probate Forms - 35% of your grade 
Discussions - 15 % of your grade 

 
Will taking a class online work for you?

Online courses are not for everyone. Is the online format likely to work for you? To help you in determining whether to take this class online please take the assessment at http://bellevuecollege.edu/distance/WebAssess/  to help you make an informed decision. There is no shame in deciding not to take an on campus class. If you'd like to discuss the issue, contract Prof. Jordan at 818-415-2015 or at abogado@pacbell.net  

Time Management

How much time should you expect to spend on this course? If you took this class on campus you would spend about 3 hours per week and and 3 hours per week for class readings, homework assignments, quizzes, etc. for a total of 6 hours per week.   This is close to 100 hours for the semester. Then there's the time spent outside of class doing readings, homework, Many previous students who were successful in this class report spending from 8 to 10 hours per week. Getting on the computer and "cramming for this week's quiz" didn't serve them well. Things went much better when that spent time several days during the week conducting their experiment, posting to the Discussion board, reading and studying. They scheduled in time to take the online quiz on the first or second day it was available. As a general guideline, you should expect to log in to your course at least 3-5 times a week. While there, check for any new announcements or emails from your instructor. 

Review
 the class calendar and schedule your work load so you can submit work on time. Submitting assignments before the due date gives you some leeway in case you encounter unexpected problems. Submit work that demonstrates you have a clear understanding of the concepts under study. A very important goal of a college education is to expand your mind. So keep an open mind regarding course materials and other people's views.

Although Law 20 is an online course, it has firm deadlines. We do not accept "Late Work" - Please carefully review our Late Work Policy.  It is very important to keep up with the course work!



It is the responsibility of the student to consult the course calendar and keep up with all assignments, discussions, quizzes and exams. You may be withdrawn without notice if you do not login and post your introduction to class within the first two weeks of class. Also you may be withdrawn from class if your grade is below a 60, or a D.   If you have missed assignments or quizzes, it is your responsibility to contact your instructor to discuss your options.

You will get more out of your course if you and your instructor communicate well. Notify your instructor is you encounter problems or have concerns in a timely fashion. Students who do not post work, such as assignments, quizzes, forum discussions  with the instructor for five consecutive weeks will be automatically dropped from the class with the grade they have earned up to that point. Any missed assignments will be averaged in with a grade of zero.

Disablity Resources

For students requiring accommodation the DSPS office provides special assistance in areas like: registering for courses, specialized tutoring, note-taking, mobility assistance, special instruction, testing assistance, special equipment, special materials, instructor liaisons, community referrals, and job placement.  The phone number for the Office of Students with Disabled Student Programs and Services is: (818) 364-7732 and website at http://lamission.edu/dsps

Syllabus

The syllabus lays out important information about course details. Including the course calendar, technology requirements, and how grades will be calculated in the course. There is no "required textbook". If you would like a textbook for additional information, there is a recommended textbook under your class syllabus.


Grading Policy
  
There are three components that determine your course grade Assignments, Tests/Quizzes, and Discussions. They are weighted as shown below to calculate your course grade:

Quizzes - 25 % of your grade
Assignments- 25 % of your grade
Probate Forms - 35% of your grade 
Discussions - 15 % of your grade  


ASSIGNMENTS
 
Expect assignments to be graded within seven to ten days. You can check on the status of your assignment (whether it's been graded or not) by clicking on the Assignment tool. Your grade will be posted in the online course Grade book along with any feedback from your instructor. 

DISCUSSIONS

Discussions are accessible via the Discussions tool on the course homepage. There are two parts to each Discussion. The instructor will post a question to which you should post an original reply by 11:55 pm each week on Wednesday, and then within the next 4 days, or before 11:55 pm on Sunday evening, you should respond to at least two of your classmates' postings. Each posting should be at least 3 to 5 sentences in length. It should relate to the topic at hand, be concise and substantive in nature, following accepted rules of grammar andcorrect spelling. Relating the subject matter to personal experience is acceptable as long as the focus remains academic in nature. Postings that say simply "Good job!" or "I agree!" will not earn credit. Use your posting to provide evidence you understand the concepts being studied. A good posting explains, explores, or expands on a concept. A good message appears in the context of other similar messages. Reading the discussion regularly provides the opportunity to enter the discussion on a timely basis. 

TESTS/QUIZZES

Weekly quizzes are accessible via "Assignments" link on the left.

Each quiz and each assignment is worth 100 points.    You prepare for these quizzes by carefully reading the information.  The quizzes/tests are not timed.  

 
Contacting Your Instructor 
You can contact me at
profvalerielopez@gmail.com or at Office phone 310-651-1709.  I will do my best to return your email within 24 hours, during the weekdays, and 72 hours if over the weekend. If I do not respond within that period of time, please email me a 2nd time.  

Remember you can also post questions for your classmates under "Questions" at the top of the etudes classroom.  

Prerequisites 

There are no prerequisites for this class 


Technical Requirements
To be successful in this course you will need to have good basic computer skills. 

These
 include knowing how to:
· create files, edit them, save them, and retreive them · use a word processor (such as Microsoft Office Word or Open Office) to create,edit, save and retrieve a document · create, send, read, and reply to email messages · use a search engine to locate desired items on the internet · use a link to access an internet site · locate and copy the URL for an internet site

You will also need to have Adobe Acrobat reader and Adobe Flash player installed on your computer to access some of the course resources. These programs are free. You may already have them on your computer. If you don't have these programs or aren't sure if you have these programs, download them  

While you are in the process of downloading these software programs, be sure toremember the location on your computer to which you direct the download (the desktop works nicely). Once the download is complete, you should double click (click your mouse two times quickly) on the file name to install the program. Once the program has been installed, you can delete the original download from your desktop (or whatever location you directed it).

If these tasks seem somewhat daunting, you may want to consider enrolling in a basic
 computer course. The techniques you learn there will serve you in many capacities, including enrolling in an online course. 

Also if your computer works very slowly, you might want to download the tuneup utility which is "free" and run a clean up of your computer. This should improve the performance of your computer.   


Etiquette and Academic Integrity

Learning happens best in a comfortable environment, whether on campus or online. Thus disruptive behavior will not be tolerated. Inappropriate behavior will lead to student disciplinary action, including possible withdrawal from the course. Examples of such behavior include posting unsuitable message on the Discussion board and/or sending inappropriate email messages to the instructor and/or classmates. A warning will be given to the student upon the first incident. Subsequent actions will be reported to the Department Chair, the appropriate Dean, and the VP of Student Services for further action. For net a guide netiquette click here

We take academic integrity seriously, whether you are in an on campus or online course.Misconduct for which students are subject to disciplinary action falls into the general areas of cheating, plagiarism, verbal statements that threaten the educational process, violation of  California Law and/or college regulations andpolicies, and inappropriate use of computer resources. If you choose to engage in academic misconduct, expect to suffer consequences that may include a grade penalty, failure to pass the course, and withdrawal from the class and/or the college. If you are in doubt as to the appropriate academic conduct in a particular situation, you should consult the course instructor, department chairperson, or the dean of the appropriate college division for guidance.

Student Resources

 


o What should you do if you can't log into your course or you encounter other technical problems? Call  the Help Desk at 818-415-2015 

Often the issue that is troubling you has been encountered by one or more of your classmates. Some of them may be more experienced at taking online classes than you are. Take advantage of the collective wisdom by posting your questions or concerns under "Questions" on your moodle class page.  Just remember that this is a site for questions of a general nature. If you have a specific question, such as about your particular grade, that should be addressed in a private email to your instructor.

o There are a few secrets to being a successful online student. Get the scoop and start out a winner! Visit  http://missionparalegal.pbworks.com/w/page/21558668/success

Tutoring

Contact our paralegal tutors if you need help with tutoring in your various law classes.

 

** special thanks and credit to Mt. Sac for their "Sample Statements for your Online Course" at http://ctl.mesacc.edu/w

 

updated:  8/5/13

 

 

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