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There are 4 evaluation/feedback components to this course: 1) a midterm practice exam (self-evaluated), 2) a comprehensive final exam (70%), 3) a series of responsive commentaries (10%), and 4) a legal research memorandum (20%).
Let me start by explaining the last component, the legal research memorandum. A memo is one of them most commonly prepared documents by students and junior associates in legal practice. It is intended to present and analyze the law applicable to particular facts. For this assignment, your hypothetical facts will raise legal questions about the rules related to "easements." You'll be provided with all the cases and reading materials you'll need to teach yourself the law in this area, along with appropriate professorial and tutorial supports in case you run into problems. Throughout the term, you'll learn more about legal memos in your research and writing courses (your small group classes). When it comes to preparing your memo during the January term, your assignment will be administered through and evaluated by your Dispute Resolution professors. They'll have all of the details on both substance and logistics. Your grade on the property-related dispute resolution assignment will count for 20% of your final grade for this property course.
During the term, you'll also prepare a series of 3 commentaries that capture your personal response to the property topics that we're covering through films and/or guest speakers. A response is a short piece of writing (about 500 words) or an audio, visual or multimedia production (3-5 minutes long) that captures your reaction to the film or speaker. It should be an intelligent, substantive, engagement with the materials or experience. A response can be: a well-argued opinion, a comparison with other materials in this course or another; a critique; a suggestion for social or legal reform. It can include: relevant references to current events, history, politics, art, media, or personal experience. A response cannot be: a description or a summary of the materials or event. Your responses will be evaluated as pass/fail on the basis of these criteria (scored as 0/1 or 1/1). They must be submitted online (and only online) using the Virtual Campus page for this course. Responses are due monthly: before midnight on each of October 1, November 1, and December 1. Cumulatively, these constitute 10% of your final grade for this course.
The bulk of your grade (70%) is determined by a final exam, which will take place on Monday, December 14 from 13:30-16:30 (3 hours). The precise format of the exam is still to be determined, but you are assured to receive ample notice regarding both the format and examinable subject-matter in advance of the exam date.
Past exams may provide some indication of what to expect, though please note that significant changes in the course content have occurred over time, especially between the 2007-08 and 2008-09 academic years. Here are:
Your exam will be evaluated based on the extent to which responses to each question are:
- Thorough & responsive (i.e. analyzed all key issues, focused on relevant discussion)
- Accurate & insightful (i.e. correctly applied law/policy, deep evaluation of issues)
- Clear & organized (i.e. logically well structured, articulate, properly referenced)
- Generally impressive (i.e. demonstrated understanding of subject, possible creativity)
Because the final exam is worth a relatively high proportion of your final grade, I don't plan to let you write it unprepared. On Monday, October 26 from 16:00-18:00 there will be a midterm practice exam. This exam will not be officially graded. That means there's no pressure. This is supposed to be a learning experience for you; a trial run. This also means it is optional. I strongly recommend you treat this like a dress rehearsal, but ultimately it is up to you whether you take the opportunity seriously. Though I won't officially grade the midterm practice exam, you will. We will conduct an in-depth self-evaluation exercise on Monday, November 16 from 16:00-18:00. At this time, I'm going to walk you through my grading process step-by-step. This is going to give you unique, first hand insights into how your final exam will be evaluated. At the same time, we'll have a chance to talk about the substance of the exam. I'll take and answer questions about the materials examined, with a view to clarifying any uncertainties and resolving misunderstandings of the course content.
Finally, a note about grading guidelines and procedures: Grades will be distributed in accordance with the Faculty of Common Law guidelines, posted on the Web under Academic Information â Regulations. This means that the average GPA will be between 5.6 and 6.4 (a âBâ average). Note that these regulations are applicable only to final grades, not to particular assignments or examinations.
In accordance with a Faculty-wide policy on accommodating special circumstances, late submission of assignments and requests for exam deferrals cannot be accepted unless prior express approval has been obtained from either the Manager of Academic Affairs or the Manager of Equity and Academic Success. Please be aware that in order to protect students' interests all Common Law Professors lack discretionary authority to make special accommodations in individual circumstances. Arrangements must be made directly with the relevant manager listed above.
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