Course Syllabus
Instructor: Dr. Lora Levett
Email: llevett@ufl.edu
Online office hours (Conferences): Wednesdays from 10am - 12pm
and by appointment. Please watch this short video tutorial on using Big
Blue Button (Conferences) prior to scheduling an appointment with me.
Note: Email is the easiest and most effective way to reach me. However,
if I don't answer your email within 48 hours, please re-email me. Also,
when sending emails, please include the subject line CJL 3038. Also,
please use your UF email. This reduces the likelihood that your email is
sent to my spam folder and is a more secure way of communicating.
Course Description and Objectives
This course introduces students to the scholarly study of law from a
multidisciplinary, liberal arts perspective. We will explore the interaction
between law and society, exploring how law shapes society, and in turn,
how society affects law. Note: This is not a course in the content of the
law. Instead, it is a course designed to help you critically evaluate the
interaction between the law and the society in which it operates.
By the end of the course, students should be able to demonstrate an
understanding and ability to think critically about legal ideas,
institutions, processes and practices. To that end, students should be
able to:
• Define law through different perspectives and discuss the merits and
drawbacks of doing so (module 1).
• Describe the history of the evolution of law and how that evolution
may shape the relationship between law and society (module 2).
• Debate the basic choices one must consider in studying the law and
debate the merits of each perspective (module 3).
• Describe the different paradigms and theoretical perspectives to use
in thinking about law and society; identify functions and
dysfunctions of law in various contexts (module 4).
• Describe the adversarial system as compared to the inquisitorial
system and discuss the merits and drawbacks of each system
(module 5).
• Describe the lawmaking process and what factors may influence the
lawmaking process (module 6).
• Identify factors that influence whether legal actors will use discretion
in decision making; describe the consequences of using discretion
in our criminal justice system (module 7).
• Describe the profession of the lawyer, including the evolution of the
profession, education, and current practices (module 8).
• Describe the evolution and functions of the jury within law and society
(module 9).
Note: Specific objectives associated with each module are listed within
each module.
Course Readings
Before the Law: An Introduction to the Legal Process by Bonsignore,
Katsh, d'Errico, Pipkin, & Arons
Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption by Bryan Stevenson
Other supplemental readings provided on this website
Course Requirements
Quizzes
Weekly quizzes will be administered. The first quiz is a quiz covering
your syllabus and handbook that is worth 10 points toward your final
grade. Quizzes 2-15 are substantive quizzes that will consist of 15
questions worth 2 points a piece toward your final grade. You are
responsible for completing your quizzes by 11:55 pm on the due date.
Quizzes take place on FRIDAYS, with the exception of your final quiz,
which will take place on a MONDAY during finals week. You will have
exactly 16 minutes to complete your quiz. Quizzes will be open from
8:00 am to 11:55 PM Eastern Time; therefore the latest start time for a
quiz is 11:39 pm on the quiz night. Quizzes are non-cumulative (but
you should keep in mind that class material builds on earlier concepts).
Thus, there are a total of 15 quizzes - one handbook quiz worth 10
points and 14 substantive quizzes worth 30 points. 13 of the 14
substantive quizzes will count toward your final grade, so your lowest
substantive quiz score will be dropped from your final grade. Note that
even though the readings from the text may not be covered in lecture,
you are still responsible for knowing this material! Your substantive
quizzes are worth a total of 390 points toward your final grade; your
handbook/syllabus quiz is worth 10 points toward your final grade.
Thus, quizzes account for 400 points toward your final grade.
Once you have completed the readings and discussion and viewed the
lectures for that week, make sure you study this material thoroughly.
After you've studied the material, you should be ready to take the quiz.
The quiz is timed, so it is necessary for you to know all the material
prior to starting the quiz as if it were a closed book quiz (i.e., there will
not be enough time to look up each answer in your notes, so you
should prepare as if your notes were not available to you). You will
have 16 minutes to complete each quiz.
If you are still taking the quiz when the time the quiz is due passes, you
will not be allowed to submit your quiz. Thus, the latest start time for
each quiz is 11:39 pm Eastern Time on Friday night. You MUST take the
quiz BEFORE the deadline listed. Make up quizzes will be given
according to the makeup policy (see below) and will be scheduled at
the discretion of the instructor.
If you have any trouble with your quiz, you must contact the UF
Computing Help Desk immediately at 352-392-4357 option 2. Once you
have done so, email me immediately with the details of your problem
along with your HelpDesk ticket number.
Before taking your first quiz, view the Canvas video tutorial on taking
quizzes.
Discussions
Regular participation in the discussion component of the course is
required. There will be 19 discussions throughout the semester. To earn
the full points, make sure to follow the directions associated with each
discussion. Each discussion is worth a total of 10 points. Discussion
posts consist of an initial discussion post (5 points) and a follow up
assignment (5 points). Your lowest 3 discussion grades will be dropped
from your final grade. Thus, 16 of the 19 discussions count toward
your final grade for a total of 160 points.
If you should miss a discussion, consider that one of your dropped
discussion grades. If you miss more than 3 discussions and would like
to make up the additional absences, you will need documentation for
ALL your missed discussions (see makeup policy below).
To earn the full points on your discussions, complete the following
tasks:
1. Post your original response to the discussion question or prompt by
11:55 pm on the due date of the first part of the discussion. Make
sure you answer all the questions in the prompt.
2. Follow the directions for completing the second part of the
assignment. Most often, that will entail responding to others’ post
at least 2-3 times using thoughtful statements or questions by
11:55 p.m. on the due date of the second part of the discussion.
3. Use proper sentence structure and grammar.
4. If someone responds to your post, follow up with their post if
necessary.
5. Behave respectfully to your instructor and your fellow classmates
during discussion.
Before completing your first discussion post, view the Canvas tutorial on
posting to discussions.
Activities
There are 3 activities in the course. Each activity is worth 15 points
toward your final grade, and in general, the activity will be a writing or
reaction tasks in response to course material or a case example. To get
the full points on activities, make sure to complete all the components
of the activity and answer all questions posed to you. Make sure to
hand in the activity on time, and use proper sentence
structure/grammar in your assignment. All activities will count toward
your final grade, and makeup activities will be given at the instructor's
discretion (see makeup policy). Thus, your activities are worth a total
of 45 points toward your final grade.
Group Projects
There are 2 group projects in the course. Each group project is worth 25
points toward your final grade. To get the full points on group projects,
make sure to complete all the components of the group project
provided in the instructions. In addition, make sure to actively
participate in your group, as peer evaluation is a component of all
grading in group projects. All group projects count toward your final
grade, and makeup group work will be given at the instructor's
discretion (see makeup policy). Thus, your group projects are worth a
total of 50 points toward your final grade.
Paper
There is one individual paper in the course. This paper is worth 50
points toward your final grade. To get the full points on the paper,
please make sure to complete all the components of the paper
provided in the instructions. Makeup group work will be given at the
instructor's discretion (see makeup policy). Thus, your paper worth a
total of 50 points toward your final grade.
Extra credit
At the end of the semester, you will be given an opportunity to earn 10
extra credit points. I suggest that you take advantage of this
opportunity, as we do not add on to the points you earn at the end of
the semester. So, if your grade is somewhat 'borderline', this 10 points
opportunity will be enough to push you over the edge. Completing this
opportunity is worth 10 extra credit points toward your final grade.
Grading
Grades will be determined from your scores on a combination of exams
and assignments:
Component of your grade
Points you can earn
Handbook/syllabus quiz
10 points
Substantive quizzes (dropping the lowest quiz grade)
390 points
Discussion posts (dropping the lowest 3 discussion grades)
160 points
Activities
45 points
Group projects
50 points
Paper
50 points
TOTAL POSSIBLE POINTS
705 points
Final grades will be determined according to the following structure.
GPA assignments are also noted below:
Points
Gra
Corresponding Grade
Earned
de
Points
655-705
A
4.00
634-654
A-
3.67
613-633
B+
3.33
585-612
B
3.00
564-584
B-
2.67
542-563
C+
2.33
514-541
C
2.00
493-513
C-
1.67
472-492
D+
1.33
444-471
D
1.00
423-443
D-
.67
E
0.00
422 and
below
Note: I do not round up, curve, or add extra points at the end of the
semester, so please do not ask. However, you are given the opportunity
to earn 10 FREE EXTRA CREDIT POINTS by completing the extra credit
assignment. I encourage you to take advantage of this opportunity! If
your grade is 'borderline', this will bump you to the next highest grade!
Makeup Policy
I understand that sometimes one's personal life interferes with one's
ability to take an exam, turn in a paper, participate in a discussion, etc.
If you have a legitimate reason for missing a class assignment (e.g.,
documented illness, religious holiday, death in the family), and can
provide documentation, you will be allowed to make up what you
missed IF you contact me immediately before/after the missed
assignment (i.e., don't come to me two weeks later and ask for a
makeup unless you have been in a coma for the intervening two
weeks). Your makeup will be scheduled at the instructor's discretion; see
the policies for making up quizzes and discussions below.
Making up quizzes. Your lowest quiz grade in this class is dropped at
the end of the semester. Therefore, if you miss one quiz, you do not
need to provide documentation for me right away. However, if you miss
more than one quiz, you need to provide documentation for ALL
missed quizzes (including the dropped quiz) to make up any quizzes.
So, if you miss one quiz, keep the documentation just in case you need
to miss another one and would like to make up the quiz that will count
toward your final grade.
Making up discussions. Your three lowest discussion grade in this class
are dropped at the end of the semester. Therefore, if you miss one, two,
or three discussions, you do not need to provide documentation for me
right away. However, if you miss more than three discussions, you need
to provide documentation for ALL missed discussions (including the
dropped discussions) to make up any discussions. So, if you miss three
or less discussions, keep the documentation just in case you need to
miss another one and would like to make up the discussions that will
count toward your final grade.
Making up group projects. It is extremely difficult to make up group
projects because after the other students have completed the group
assignment, there is no one left to be in your group. Therefore, if you
miss a group project, you will need to provide documentation for why
you missed the group project. Then, you will be given an alternative
assignment.
Making up activities and papers. To be eligible to hand in a paper or
activity late, you need to provide documentation as to why you are late.
With the documentation, you can hand in your paper or activity late.
Students with Disabilities
Students requesting classroom accommodations must first register with
the Dean of Students Office. The DOS will provide documentation to
the student who must then provide this documentation to the course
coordinator, when requesting accommodation.
http://www.dso.ufl.edu/drc/. You should contact me and the Disability
Resource Center as early in the semester as possible. The Disability
Resource Center is located in 001 Building 0020 (Reid Hall). Their phone
number is 352-392-8565.
Administrative Information
This syllabus is provided for your information and may change as
deemed necessary. You are responsible for learning all the material
contained in the syllabus as well as any modifications that are made to
the syllabus during class time. All changes to the syllabus will be
announced and emailed to you. If you have any questions about the
syllabus or course requirements, please feel free to contact me. A
proposed semester schedule appears below, and we will stick to this
schedule barring any unforeseen circumstances.
Semester Schedule
Due Dates
For all course deadlines, please see the table included in canvas.