I do have several important things to say that will help you in writing your paper. This is going to be a little long.

First, please make sure that you properly format and cite your references (both in-text citations and your reference list) according to the APA style. I would suggest going back and watching the lecture from the first module on legal research where I break down a case citation. Also, please revisit my announcement last week about the article citations. If you are unsure if your citations for cases are correct feel free to email me. I’m happy to help. Additionally, with in-text citations for the cases the parenthetical citation should include the name of the case and the year. If you directly quote from a case or article be sure to include the page numbers as well (I can help with that).

Next, I want to touch on the content and actual writing of your paper. The different parts of this final paper project was an effort to help you all conduct legal research. You’ve gotten most of your sources and your case briefs and summaries will help you to pull out the important aspects of those sources that will help you in making your argument. Your paper should not be a cut and paste of the article summaries or case briefs. The point of using sources is to help support the points you make in your argument. Think about that writing a basic essay: you have your introduction with your thesis statement, followed by the body that will include points to support your thesis statement and then your conclusion. That’s what your paper should look like. It should be cohesive, not a choppy compilation of case briefs and article summaries. You should also explain the relevant law in your paper. For example if you’re talking about liability for a tort, then explain what the tort is, the elements necessary to prove the tort and how/why someone should or should not be liable. You can even explain some of the defenses if they are relevant to your argument.

Third, the student conduct code defines plagiarism as a student representing as the student’s own work all or any portion of the work of another. The Student Conduct Code states that plagiarism can include “quoting oral or written materials including but not limited to those found on the internet, whether published or unpublished, without proper attribution.” Please refer to this link for a full explanation of plagiarism https://www.dso.ufl.edu/sccr/process/student-conduct-honor-code/. I take cases of plagiarism very seriously. I always tell students, when in doubt cite. If you didn’t know something before you came to this class or read in somewhere cite it and if that means you have several sentences in one paragraph cited, that’s okay. I’ve included a sample paragraph below to show you what your paragraphs could look like.

Finally, as with your other assignments, I will provide feedback to you if you send your drafts to me. I only ask that you send them to me by Wednesday. If your paper isn’t completed by then, you can send me what you have or an outline and I’ll be happy to answer any questions you have.

Sample paragraph:

Under the rule of reason analysis, the plaintiff has the burden of showing that the alleged conduct has an adverse effect on competition in the relevant market (Jefferson Parish Hospital, 1984). In order for the plaintiff to meet this burden he/she must first allege an antitrust injury in order to establish standing to sue (Carrier, 2009). He then must define the relevant market which consists of two different types of markets: the product market and the geographic market (Baker, Maxcy, & Thomas, 2011). The product market comprises of those products or services that “have reasonable interchangeability” with the defendant’s product and requires an analysis of the cross-elasticity of demand (Baker, et al., 2011, p.82). The geographic market consists of the geographic area of “effective competition” (Baker, et al., 2011, p.81). The definition of a relevant market also provides a basis for measuring a defendant’s market power (Dennie, 2007), and the alleged anticompetitive effect of the conduct. However, in NCAA v. Board of Regents, the Court stated that lack of proof of market power does not mean that an agreement will not have an adverse effect on the market (Board of Regents, 1984).

As you can see, you only need to include the page numbers in the parenthetical citation if you are directly quoting (not paraphrasing).