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1. Assigned Reading.  The casebook for this course is Wadlington & O'Brien, DOMESTIC RELATIONS (5th ed. 2002, Foundation).  There is no supplement and the Family Code pamphlet is not required, because the Student Edition won't be available until November.)  Handouts are identified in the syllabus and are available only by download from the Web.
   
   
2. Attendance, Participation.  Attendance is required. If a student is absent an unreasonable number of times, I reserved the right to exclude the student from the course or reduce the student's final grade one full letter-grade (e.g., A to B) under section III.G.1 of the School of Law Bulletin. As a rule of thumb, six absences (i.e., two weeks' worth) are yours to take without explanation or excuse.  After that, exam rules apply (absences permitted only for serious illness or a death in the immediate family). 
   • If you are late coming to class, the recorded absence can be wiped out if you (i) participate in class discussion that day and (ii) alert me at the end of class that you are here and that you did participate.
   • If you will be absent to observe a religious holiday, please let me know in writing (by email or note) in advance so it will not count as an absence. 
   • Generally, court appearances for one of the school's clinics are excused, but if this applies to you, you need to tell me, in advance if possible.
   • If you know you will be absent for a wedding (yours or someone you know), family reunion, Diana Krall concert, or a World Series game for which you copped some really great box seats (obviously not a game that will be played in The Ballpark in Arlington this year!), plan ahead and don't use up all of your permitted absences early in the semester.
     
     
3. Students Who Have a Disability.  Dedman Law School provides equal educational opportunities to all. If you require reasonable accommodations for a disability, either in class or for an examination, please contact Ms. Rebecca Marin, Coordinator, Services for Students with Disabilities (214.768.4557; 220 Memorial Health Center), to document the disability and to establish eligibility.  Then schedule an appointment with Associate Dean for Student Affairs Trey DeLoach (214.768.4178) to arrange appropriate accommodations. 
   
   
4. Exams.  The final examination will be a three-hour, open-book exam at 8:30 a.m. on December 15.  You may bring into the exam room your casebook, all class handouts, and your own class notes and course outline; no other materials may be consulted during the examination.  For purposes of this rule, outlines prepared jointly with other members of this class are "your own."
   • In addition to the final, I am considering a mid-term exam as well.  If I do that, it will also be open-book, it may be in-class or take-home, and will count 25% toward your final grade.
     
     
5. E-mail, Listserv & Web Site.  We will use the Family Law listserv as a discussion list for Q&As throughout the semester and for communication of class-related information, such as changes in reading assignments and the scheduling of make-up classes.  Please sign onto the discussion list established for this class (familylaw-mayo) before the end of Add/Drop.  Just click here to sign up.  The listserv is a great way to keep up with changes in the syllabus, class cancellations, etc.
   
   The Web page for this course starts here: http://www.smu.edu/~tmayo/fam.htm. In addition to the syllabus (including all additions and revisions), you can also find a link to a page of Web-based research resources that should add to your understanding of the issues we will be studying.
   
   
6. Cell Phones, Pagers.  Please respect your classmates by turning off your cell phones and pagers before class.  If you must leave them on, please switch to the vibrate mode.  If you leave class to return a page or to take a cell call, please do not disrupt the class a second time by returning the room before the end of the hour.
   
   

7. Office Hours.  MW 4:00-6:00 p.m.; TTh 9:00-11:00 a.m.  You can sign up on the sheet on my door (preferred), call (214.768.3767) for an appointment, or e-mail me.