February 21st, 2020 
- Remember to have at least nine different sources. And dont overlook the information in the syllabus on pages 9-11;15 about being thorough in the citations (footnotes) and, more generally, a number of writing tips. Also, the grading rubric and information on the word count and plagiarism are on page 11 of the syllabus. Overall, your outline looks good. Please make sure to focus some on the state of affairs currently, and, if at all possible, offer your opinion. DON’T just make the paper read like a long magazine article or general description Be sure to use at least nine different sources for your final paper. Also, just a quick editorial note, cases are usually stylized as “Person v. Person” not “Person V. Person”. But other than that, it looks great. Good luck!
11:25 - The completed paper should be from 2,200 to 2,800 words, not counting the citations. The paper, assuming that you have completed an outline on time (on or before Mon., Jan. 27), is due Thurs., March 12. NOTE: You do NOT start out with a perfect score on a paper that you submit (100 points), and therefore we have to explain why you did not get a 100. You must earn the points typical scores range from about 80 to the mid 90s, but there are lower scores and even higher scores. At least two persons will grade your paper.6 The rubric used includes these assessments of your work, which are stated here just as a reminder of things to consider (not overlook) while writing your paper, not as a guarantee of any particular point total.7 A well-stated thesis understandable? What is the author (the student) trying to do? 5 pts. Analysis of Topic – 40 pts. Clarity of Paper – 10 pts. Strong Conclusion? (Has the author attempted to prove anything? IF so, given the brevity of the paper, has he/she been successful) – 10 pts. Writing, Spelling, Punctuation – 20 pts. (See the tips on pages 13-15. You will receive fewer points on your paper for grammatical mistakes, especially ones that I specifically advise against on pages 13-15). Sources Quality and Number (the author should cite at least nine different sources, unless there is an understandable reason the sources should be of different types, and most should be recent in origin whenever practical and appropriate for the paper) – 15 pts.
11:27 - In the papers themselves, a common failing, among other things, is the absence of sources for various statements which are not yours (that you got from somewhere but have not cited). Put in footnotes one or more sources for every statement that you make which should require documentation (that is not simply your own thought). It is okay for an outline to be bullet pointed and not set up like a rough draft (as in the examples on Canvas). But the bullet points need to say something, not just be headings. Therefore, the better approach is usually just to submit a paragraph or two (as much as a page) stating what you intend to do and including some sources. Law sources for your paper can be found from many avenues FindLaw, Justia, Cornell Law School digital library, Lexis-Nexis (this one is available in the digital databases
Posted in 