Course Content and Outcomes Guides (CCOG)

CCOG for PL 208 archive revision 201502

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Effective Term:
Spring 2015 through Winter 2025

Course Number:
PL 208
Course Title:
Family Law
Credit Hours:
3
Lecture Hours:
30
Lecture/Lab Hours:
0
Lab Hours:
0

Course Description

Covers theory, procedure, and practical aspects of a domestic relations practice. Includes dissolution of marriage, issues of custody, visitation, property and debts, adoption, paternity, domestic violence, and prenuptial and co-habitation agreements. Audit available.

Intended Outcomes for the course

Upon completion of the course students should be able to: 

  1. Recognize, analyze and apply ethics, facts and legal responsibilities as they arise in a family law practice.
  2. Draft relevant pleadings and documents for a family law practice.
  3. Perform relevant computations for family law practice, including child support calculations.
  4. Apply facts and legal obligations in Juvenile Court proceedings.
     

Course Activities and Design


Through lectures and reading of statutes and cases, students are introduced to the theory and practice of Family Law.  Students prepare summaries of cases and construe statutes to develop interview questions and determine areas to be addressed in dissolution pleadings and discovery.  Using simulated case facts, students conduct interviews by role playing in class.  Students visit a family court and share their experience with the class.  At least one memo analyzing a family law fact situation and applying appropriate statutes and cases will be written.
 

Outcome Assessment Strategies


Grades are derived from students' in and out of class work, and their performance on midterm and final exams which combine short answer and longer analytic essay questions.

Course Content (Themes, Concepts, Issues and Skills)


*    Recognize ethical, practical and legal issues as they arise in a
     family law practice.
*    Analyze law (statutes and cases) to determine areas or issues
     needing to be addressed in a given family law fact pattern.
    
*    Analyze a family law fact pattern to assist the attorney in
     application of law and development of resolution.
*    Understand family law procedure and its sources.