Team Project and Interview Notes

Mock Interview Update

  • Assignments for legal professional mock interviews will be sent out tomorrow.
  • The original due date will be moved closer to the end of July.
  • Contact assigned professional within the next week to schedule the interview.

Team Folder Check

  • Team folder check is this weekend.
  • Purpose: Accountability and fair grading.
  • Mitigates the issue of some team members not contributing.

Google Drive Setup

  • Use your GTC Gmail account.
  • The person in charge creates a folder and shares it with all team members and the instructor.
  • Instructor's email: y_sutton@my.gvltec.edu.
  • Grant team members editing access.
  • All team members should have access to every document in the folder.
  • Real-time collaboration is possible.

Version History

  • Version history allows tracking contributions of each team member.
  • Instructor can see who contributed what and when.
  • This information is used for grading purposes to ensure fair assessment of each member's contribution.

Team Scenarios

  • Each team has a different scenario.
  • Scenarios are intentionally small to mimic real-world cases.
  • Small amount of information necessitates conducting interviews to gather more information.

Team Status

  • Under the 'Teams' section in Blackboard, there is a 'Teams Folder' with group-specific scenarios.
  • The first person listed in the team is responsible for submitting the team status.
  • Team status is due this week; Google folder visibility to the instructor is also expected ASAP.
  • Progress on the Google Drive folder is expected, as there's only one week to complete the assignment after the deadline.
  • The firm name for every scenario is Greenville Tech (GVLTC) Law Firm

Assignment Components

The assignment has a written part and an interview part. The written portion includes 4 items:

  • Initial Interview Form.
  • Letter to the Client.
  • FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions).
  • Timekeeping.

Interview Form

  • It is a questionnaire used to gather information from clients.
  • Questions should be specific to the type of case.
  • Limit of three pages.
  • Should address the location of the interview.

Letter to the Client

  • Confirm the interview details and list important documents the client should bring.

FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

  • It's a document for the client to take home, providing an overview of the process, firm information, and next steps.
  • Should address possible questions that the client should have or may not have thought to ask.
  • One to two pages long.

Timekeeping

  • The third person listed on the team sets up timekeeping (Google Sheets).
  • Everyone is responsible for entering their own time.
  • Include time spent on team project and interview, even attending help sessions.

Submission Details

  • Interview form, letter to the client, FAQ, and timekeeping should be started as Google Docs for contribution tracking, then saved as PDFs for submission to Blackboard by July 29th.

Presentation

  • The presentation consists of a mock interview of your scenario.
  • Each team member plays a different role.
  • Roles: paralegal, attorney, and client.
  • If there is a fourth team member, they can take on an additional role relevant to the scenario.

Role-Playing in Mock Interview

  • Team members should actively play their roles appropriately.
  • The paralegal must avoid giving legal advice.
  • Focus should be on gathering facts from the client using open-ended questions.
  • Discuss relevant law and explain next steps to the client.

Specific Scenario Considerations

  • Teams should consider how to interact with non-clients (e.g., a best friend accompanying the client).
  • For the slip and fall scenario involving a 14-year-old, consider how the team will treat the minor.

Collaboration & Participation

  • All team members are expected to participate and contribute to all aspects of the assignment; avoid delegating tasks completely.
  • Team members should learn from one another's experiences.
  • Ongoing conversations and notes can be added to a shared document in the folder.

Google Docs Features

  • Use comments to communicate and provide feedback within Google Docs.
  • Comments can be resolved once addressed.

Work Samples & Certificates

  • Submit legal writing work samples tied to Greenville Tech.
  • Avoid attorney work product due to confidentiality.
  • Submit certificates into Blackboard as you get them. If you only have one, you will receive half credit until the second one is submitted.
  • Certificates are separate from the technology certificate and must be done this semester.
  • Lunch and Learns with agendas and selfies of attending can count (even without certificate).

Letter Pet Peeve

  • Avoid using signature blocks with lines (used in pleadings) in letters.