updated: 9/05/01
David C. Jordan, Esq. Attorney at Law (SBN # 69052)
Director-Paralegal Studies Program
Telephone: (Campus) 818/364 -7720
Voicemail & Pager 818/546-7060
E-Mail: abogado@pacbell.net
Monday-Thursdays 4:00 to 5:45 PM or by appointment

                                   COURSE DESCRIPTION    

Catalog: Law & Aging is the study of medical, social, financial and legal issues related with aging. As our elders age, their health, legal, and personal needs change. At that point, they and their families will need legal and health care advice to adjust their lives.

Law & Aging introduces the student to advance directives, wills, guardianships, patients' rights in healthcare decision making, entitlement programs, managed care and long-term care insurance, viatical settlements, living facilities for the elderly, financial planning, social security, elder abuse, and resources for the elder law team.

The student will learn business law through related textbook readings, classroom participation & instruction, written projects, multiple-choice and fill-in the blank questions, and research on the Internet/World Wide Web. The end product is a student who understands the legal issues involved with aging and who can provide the necessary assistance to elders and their families.

                                                   COURSE TEXT

Law & Aging - Essentials of Elder Law by Ronald J. Schwartz (red paperback book) 1st Edition, Pearson Publications Company, Dallas, Texas, ISBN 0-92963-38-7. Available at the Campus Bookstore or directly from Pearson Publications (972) 661-8800 · Fax (972) 661-8701, e-mail address: pearsonpub@aol.com

                                            COURSE OJBECTIVES

1. The student will be introduced to wills and "living trusts", along with guardianships, patients' rights in healthcare decision making, entitlement programs, managed care and long term insurance, viatical settlement, laws related to again and social security, and elder abuse, along with internet legal resources in elder law.

2. The student will learn to "think critically" in law, and in the area of elder law. This will be accomplished through the quizzes, the postings to the "threaded discussions", and the assignments. The assignments require the student to prepare various types of contracts, documents, wills, and guardianship papers involved with the topic of elder law.

3. The student will learn how to do legal research in the area of Elder Law

4. The student will improve his/her writing skills and legal drafting/writing skills.

5. The student will improve their study skills and will improve how they study law.


                         GRADING & EVALUATION

The class will be composed of quizzes, postings to an "electronic bulletin board"
threaded discussions, and written projects, including the preparation of documents related to the subject of Elder Law.

Grades will be posted on the internet using microsoft excel. There will be a column for each quiz, project, and posting. Grades will be posted for each student under their last four numbers of their social security number in order to preserve confidentiality.

Note: Many students ask about the point grade. It is calculated by taking the total number of actual points earned to date, divided by the total amount of possible points to date and multiplying it by 100 to give a percentage grade. At the upper left column, under "perfect student", SS#, the actual total possible points (to date) are listed for the use in calculating the students grade.

The "letter grade" scale is as follows.

A =  90-100 percent of total points
B = 80-90
C = 65-80
D = 55-65
F = Below 55

                              STUDENT ASSIGNMENTS & TESTS

1. LECTURE NOTES
2. QUIZZES
3. ASSIGNMENTS
4. DISCUSSIONS

                                             COMPUTER POLICY

This class frequently uses materials which are posted on the world wide web. Students are encouraged to learn computer skills, including word processing, and use of the internet. No computer skills are required for this class. The student will learn, and will be taught the necessary skills to access materials for this class from the class webpage. The first time student is encouraged to take a tour of the web page, and then to test their knowledge of our webpage by taking the quiz on the tour of our webpage.

The primary web address for this class is http://www.vcsun.org/~djordan/21f/law43/

All materials for this class may be printed from the web site. If the student does not have access to a computer at home or at work, the materials may be printed out (at $.10 -ten cents per copy) in the Learning Resource Center. The student should obtain print cards for $1 or $5 purchased on the 2nd Floor of the Learning Resource Center, for from the Business Office during regular business hours.

All quizzes, assignments, and postings may be submitted, in writing, by the student, at the time and dates due. Students are not required to purchase or own or use a computer for their assignments. The use of the web site for the class is in conjunction with the lectures, class attendance and participation, and is intended to supplement the learning of the assignments, and to provide easier access for students.

                IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER


Last day to drop without a "W" September 30, 2001 • Veteran's Day November 12, 2001
• Thanksgiving Holiday November 22-23, 2001 • Last day to drop with a "W" November 25,
2001 • Classes End December 13, 2001 • Final Exams December 14-20, 2001
• Christmas Holidays (college closed) December 24-25, 2001 • New Year's Holidays (college
closed) December 31, 2001 - January 1, 2002

*syllabus is subject to change. Please note revision dates ("last updated") above. Students are responsible for the most recent updated version of this syllabus. Prof. Jordan