Class Syllabus: Evidence Law 101
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Office Hours: |
Continuous
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Course Meeting Times: |
Continuous
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Course Description
 If you are currently pursuing or are interested in working in areas of law, this course will provide you with the background information you will need to get started. The increasing demand for paralegals, legal secretaries, and law clerks to help attorneys gather and evaluate evidence offers many job opportunities. This course will equip you with basic skills to more effectively deal with the gathering, preparation and presentation of evidence in both civil and criminal cases.
In today's modern American society, it seems that there is an ever-increasing amount of litigation in the United States court system. The act of filing a lawsuit for an increasing number of grievances, whether real or imagined, has become quite easy. And, as a consequence of less restrictive tort regulations, it becomes more and more likely that most Americans will spend at least some time in court at some point in their life.
While most experiences with court will be routine and mundane civil actions (i.e., without any criminal implications), evidence is still required to substantiate the claims of the parties involved. For criminal cases, the need for a solid understanding of what is admissible evidence becomes increasingly important. It can be seen that, in either of these situations, it is important to have a basic understanding of evidence law and how it works. In cases of life and death, an understanding of evidence is critically important. It can literally mean the difference between a guilty party being punished and being set free. It can also exonerate those falsely accused, thereby preserving the reputation of those truly innocent.
This introductory course is designed to familiarize the student with the basic concepts of United States law, the admission of evidence, different types of testimonies, burdens of proof, and more.
Course Requirements
This course will not require you to have previous experience in any particular area but you should have a high school reading level. No books will be required.
Course Goals
Ø Different types of laws and trials
Ø The procedures in a civil suit
Ø Types of evidence that is admissible
Ø The difference between fact and opinion
Ø The role of expert witnesses
Ø The definition and exceptions to the Hearsay Rule
Ø How evidence is obtained
Ø Exclusionary Rule
Ø Burden of Proof
Ø Privileged Information
Ø Future Changes in Evidence Law
Course Materials
All course material will be provided in the lessons and netlinks. There are no required materials to purchase before taking the class.
Grading Policy
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Each lesson will include a lesson review quiz and an assignment designed to highlight lesson topics. Students will successfully complete this course with 70% or better.
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Course Topics
1. Lesson 1: Law and Evidence
2. Lesson 2: Lawsuits & Civil Procedure
3. Lesson 3: Evidence Law & Types of Evidence
4. Lesson 4: Opinions, Witnesses, and Expert Testimony
5. Lesson 5: Hearsay
6. Lesson 6: Illegally Obtained Evidence
7. Lesson 7: Burden of Proof & Privileges
8. Lesson 8: Other Types of Evidence and the Future of Evidence Law
9. Glossary of Terms
Learning Outcomes By successfully completing this course, students will be able to:
- Define law and evidence.
- Describe lawsuits and civil procedure.
- Describe evidence law and types of evidence.
- Summarize opinions, witnesses, and expert testimony.
- Define hearsay.
- Recognize illegally obtained evidence.
- Define burden of proof & privileges, and
- Demonstrate mastery of lesson content at levels of 70% or higher.
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