11/21/2024 3:37:42 AM	PLS 63 Course Outline as of Fall 2021	Changed Course
CATALOG INFORMATION
Discipline and Nbr:  PLS 63	Title:  CONTRACTS
Full Title:  Contracts
Last Reviewed:10/12/2020

Units		Course Hours per Week			Nbr of Weeks	Course Hours Total
Maximum	3.00	Lecture Scheduled	3.00		17.5 max.	Lecture Scheduled	52.50
Minimum	3.00	Lab Scheduled	0		6 min.	Lab Scheduled	0
		Contact DHR	0			Contact DHR	0
		Contact Total	3.00			Contact Total	52.50
		Non-contact DHR	0			Non-contact DHR Total	0

Total Out of Class Hours:  105.00

Total Student Learning Hours: 157.50

Title 5 Category:  AA Degree Applicable
Grading:  Grade Only
Repeatability:  00 - Two Repeats if Grade was D, F, NC, or NP
Also Listed As: 
Formerly: 

Catalog Description:

This course is designed to acquaint the paralegal with the formal requirements and legal principles involved in contract law and drafting documents. In addition to lectures on the underlying legal theory, students gain experience in drafting and analyzing a broad range of contracts and agreements.

Prerequisites/Corequisites:
Course Completion or Current Enrollment in PLS 51

Recommended Preparation:

Limits on Enrollment:

Schedule of Classes Information
Description:

This course is designed to acquaint the paralegal with the formal requirements and legal principles involved in contract law and drafting documents. In addition to lectures on the underlying legal theory, students gain experience in drafting and analyzing a broad range of contracts and agreements.

(Grade Only)
Prerequisites:Course Completion or Current Enrollment in PLS 51
Recommended:
Limits on Enrollment:
Transfer Credit:CSU;
Repeatability:00 - Two Repeats if Grade was D, F, NC, or NP

ARTICULATION, MAJOR, and CERTIFICATION INFORMATION

Associate Degree:		Effective:		Inactive:
Area:
CSU GE:	Transfer Area			Effective:	Inactive:
IGETC:	Transfer Area			Effective:	Inactive:
CSU Transfer:	Transferable	Effective:	Spring 2011	Inactive:
UC Transfer:		Effective:		Inactive:
C-ID:

Certificate/Major Applicable: Major Applicable Course

COURSE CONTENT

Student Learning Outcomes:
At the conclusion of this course, the student should be able to:

1. Demonstrate knowledge of the law governing contracts and business organizations.

2. Identify, locate, evaluate and apply relevant sources of law to the legal issues of contracts and business organizations.

3. Demonstrate critical thinking skills and ethical standards in analysis and interpretation of data and text regarding contracts and business organizations.

4. Determine validity of contractual documents regarding the parties' intent and subject matter.

 

Objectives:

At the conclusion of this course, the student should be able to:

 

1. Draft simple contracts.

2. Perform accurate analysis of existing contracts.

3. Recommend appropriate changes in contractual language and terms, and implement those changes accurately.

4. Apply appropriate ethical standards in contract administration.

Topics and Scope

I. Overview of Contracts

    A. Sources of contract law

    B. Six requirements of valid contracts

    C. Classification of contracts

    D. Appropriate ethical standards in contract administration

II. Offer

    A. Three requirements of an offer

    B. Four required terms

    C. Uniform Commerce Code (UCC) Exception:  Sale of goods between merchants

III. Acceptance

    A. Requirements

    B. Methods of acceptance - bilateral and unilateral

    C. Termination of offers

IV. Consideration

    A. What is consideration

    B. What is not consideration

    C. Sufficiency of consideration

     D. Promissory estoppel

     E. Special agreements

V. Legality of Subject Matter and Contractual Capacity

    A. Legality of subject matter

    B. Contractual capacity

VI. Contractual Intent

    A. No contract if induced by fraud

    B. No contract if induced by duress

    C. Mistake

VII. Contractual Provisions and Drafting a Contract

    A. Statute of frauds--requirement of writing for enforceability

    B. Contractual clauses

    C. Court doctrines

    D. Guidelines for Drafting a contract

VIII. The Uniform Commercial Code (UCC)

    A. Obligations

    B. Sales

IX. Third Party Contracts

    A. Third party beneficiary contracts

    B. Assignment

    C. Delegation

X. Discharge of Obligations

    A. Excuse of conditions

    B. Performance

    C. Breach

    D. Agreement

    E. Impossibility of performance

    F. Supervening illegality

    G. Death or destruction

    H. Frustration of purpose - coronation cases

XI. Remedies

    A. Legal remedies

    B. Equitable remedies

    C. Contract clauses

Assignments:

1. Read textbook and outside sources of approximately 40 pages per week

2. Written homework assignments based on lecture and readings

3. Analysis of contract fact patterns

4. Participation in weekly discussions and group presentations

5. Group and individual terminology assignments

6. Drafting contracts

7. One to four exams and final

Methods of Evaluation/Basis of Grade.

Writing: Assessment tools that demonstrate writing skill and/or require students to select, organize and explain ideas in writing.		Writing 10 - 30%
Written homework assignments, drafting of contracts
Problem solving: Assessment tools, other than exams, that demonstrate competence in computational or non-computational problem solving skills.		Problem Solving 10 - 30%
Analysis of contracts
Skill Demonstrations: All skill-based and physical demonstrations used for assessment purposes including skill performance exams.		Skill Demonstrations 10 - 30%
Group and individual terminology assignments
Exams: All forms of formal testing, other than skill performance exams.		Exams 40 - 50%
Exam(s) and final
Other: Includes any assessment tools that do not logically fit into the above categories.		Other Category 5 - 10%
Attendance and participation

Representative Textbooks and Materials:

Basic Contract Law for Paralegals. 8th ed. Helewitz, Jeffrey. Wolters Klywer Law and Business. 2015 (classic)

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