Preliminary Issue Identification

Instructions

For your Course Project this term, you will research an issue in depth and compose an answer to your chosen issue, in the form of an internal legal memo. As you learn how to research an issue, you will first work on a research plan and fine-tune your issue. Then you will learn how to find and present the answer to the issue using legal analysis, research, and proper Bluebook style citation. You will complete this project by the end of Unit 9, and your professor will guide you through each step.

Assignment Instructions:

To get started with your Course Project, select three legal issues that are of personal interest to you. For example, if you purchased a car and you think it is a “lemon,” you might want to research “lemon laws” in your state. Or, perhaps you want to understand on what grounds your state or local government may take property through the process of “eminent domain?” Or, whether law enforcement needs a search warrant before searching a home or car in response to a “tip” that there is evidence of a crime inside?

Shape each issue as a single, precise question. Here are a few examples:

Under California state law, may a consumer return a new or used car that does not work to the dealership, and if so under what conditions, and what remedies are available?

Under Kansas law, must police obtain a warrant before entering a home to search for stolen property, where they have received an uncorroborated tip from a reliable informant that such property is in the home?

Under New York City law is a customer in a store chargeable with theft where merchandise was concealed in a purse, but confiscated by store security before the accused person left the store?

Submit your three issues/questions to the Dropbox by the end of Unit 1. Your professor will help you decide which issue is a good research topic, so you can narrow it down to one issue for your Final Project.

Grading

Please review the Assignment grading rubric in Doc Sharing for more information on how your Assignment will be graded.

Submitting Your Work

Put your responses in a Microsoft Word document. Save it in a location and with the proper naming convention: username-Course Name-section-Unit x_Project.doc (username is your Kaplan username, section is your course section, x is your unit number). When you are ready to submit it, go to the Dropbox and complete the steps below:
1.Click the link that says “Submit an Assignment.”
2.In the “Submit to Basket” menu, select Unit x: Project.
3.In the “Comments” field, make sure to add at least the title of your paper.
4.Click the “Add Attachments” button.
5.Follow the steps listed to attach your Word document.

To view your graded work, come back to the Dropbox or go to the Gradebook after your instructor has evaluated it. Make sure that you save a copy of your submitted work.