Courses in Criminal Law

Adjudicative Criminal Procedure

LAW 506

This course will examine legal issues (Constitutional, staturory, court rules) that arise once adversarial criminal proceedings commence-that is, once lawyers become involved in the process. Topics which might be covered include bail, preventive detentiion, the powers of the grand jury and limits of those powers, the prosecutor's charging decision, pleadings and plea bargaining, competency of the defendant to stand trial, discovery, jury selection, examination of witnesses and presentation of evidence, sentencing, and collateral, attack on convictions.

Advanced Litigation Seminar

LAW 366

Antitrust

LAW 505

A survey of federal and state laws that promote competition, inhibit monopolies and restrain free trade in the United States, including the Sherman, Clayton, and Federal Trade Commission acts; and principal antitrust issues and practices, including cartel restraints on trade, monopolization, mergers, distributional restraints, tying, price discrimination, and unfair antitrust competition.

Criminal Law

LAW 105

A study of state and federal criminal offenses which include crimes against the person, property, status, and inchoate offenses. Both common law and statutory defenses are examined.

Criminal Law Motion Practice

LAW 596

Although many law schools focus on trial advocacy skills (i.e. opening Statements, direct and cross examination, closing statements), few law school courses focus on what happens in a courtroom prior to trial, or after the trial. Criminal lawyers must be familiar with the wide variety of motions made in a criminal court before and after a trial, as well as during the trial. Familiarity with these motions is essential for the practical and realistic litigation which occurs in a criminal courtroom. Rulings on pre-trial motions can shape entire trials by determining what comes into evidence and what does not, whether a client stays in or out of custody while awaiting trial, and whether the defense is entitled to discovery. Post trial motions can determine if there will be mistrial, re-trial, and whether a person should remain in or out of custody pending an appeal. Trial motions can determine the make up of a jury, who is allowed to remain in courtrooms during trial proceedings, and evidentiary issues. Many times attorneys refer to these motions in court via legal slang, such as a Romero Motion, Marsden Motion, Pitches motion, etc. All too often the young, new attorney fresh out of law school is unfamiliar with this new vocabulary and unprepared for such motions. This course would introduce the law student who is specifically focused on a career in criminal law to the variety of motions made in a criminal courtroom, familiarize the student with the legal slang used to refer to such motions, and help the student to understand and argue the basics of these motions. PRE-REQ: LAW 105 - Criminal Law, LAW 405 - Criminal Procedure and LAW 406 - Evidence.

Criminal Procedure

LAW 405

A study of the Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, and Fourteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution, including warrant requirements for search and seizures, privilege against self-incrimination, due process, right to counsel, and the exclusionary rule.

Criminal Trial Advocacy

LAW 607

A combination lecture and clinical course based on an actual courtroom trial. Emphasizes legal rules and principles applicable to trial, as enuciated in statutory and case law, including chamber conferences, jury selection, opening statements, trial motions, witness examination, jury instructions, and final arguments. Practical strategies for lawyers are discussed. PRE-REQ: LAW 406 - Evidence.

Evidence

LAW 406

A survey of the rules and standards that regulate the admission of evidence, including relevancy, privileged communications, the hearsay rule and its exceptions, the opinion rule, authentication and "best evidence" rule, impeachment and rehabilitation, demonstrative and scientific evidence, presumptions, and burdens of proof.

Immigration Law

LAW 528

This course is a study of the legal issues surrounding United States migration. Among the issues covered are federal government power in admission, deportation and exclusion; economic and political rights of immigrants; documented and undocumented immigration and the acquisition of citizenship.

Initial Externship

LAW 609

INITIAL EXERNSHIP: A law-related field placement where students perform and observe legal work under the supervision of an attorney or bench officer. Students enrolling in an Initial Externship must concurrently enroll in the Lawyering Skills course. For more infromation about the Externship Program, refer to the Externship Program Policies and Procedures Handbook. PRE-REQ: You must have previously taken LAW 601 Lawyering Skills or will take it concurrently.

International and Comparative Juvenile Criminal Adjudication

LAW 385

International Criminal Law Seminar

LAW 930

Juvenile Justice

LAW 533

This is a survey course of fundamental international law concepts. Among the topics covered will be the history and various aspects of the international legal systems, establishing jurisdiction in various international courts, different issues in international human rights law and the changing legal terrain after the attacks of 9/11/2001.

Legal Writing I

LAW 106

Legal Writing I teaches students to research legal sources, analyze the law, apply the law to a client

Legal Writing II

LAW 107

Legal Writing II continues and reinforces the teachings of Legal Writing I, but the focus shifts to persuasive writing. Students will also participate in an oral advocacy competition at the end of the semester to showcase all that they have learned.

Pretrial Litigation Skills

LAW 605

An analysis of forum selection, pleading, motion practice, investigation, and discovery tactics through courtroom simulation.

Professional Responsibility

LAW 206

This course combines the substantive law of Professional Responsiblily with a writing skill segment and a section on interviewing, counseling, and negotiating skills. Problems include the canons of legal ethics; duty to court, clients, the public, and profession; advocacy and the adversary system; conflicts of interest; fees and solicitition; and lawyer discipline.

Securities Regulation

LAW 548

A review of the law of securities regulation, developed through the Securities Act of 1933, the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, state "blue sky" laws, and the judicial interpretation and rule-making of the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Terrorism and the Law

LAW 381

This course will examine the responses to terrorism by the United States and the international community. The course is divided into three parts. The first part will begin with a discussion of the difficulties of defining terrorism and various legal definitions will be analyzed. A brief history of terrorism will follow. The second part of the course will involve an in-depth study of terrorism prosecutions in Title III courts. The class will study the various federal criminal statutes and investigative techniques utilized for prosecuting terrorists, including Title III electronic surveillance, criminal search and seizure warrants, and federal criminal grand jury practice, as well as national security investigative techniques authorized by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. The class will also examine the procedures for utilizing classified information in criminal terrorism prosecutions. The final part of the course will examine United States counterterrorism policy post 9/11, with specific emphasis on the legal implications of such policies as indefinite detention of enemy combatants, the use of military commissions, interrogation techniques and torture, targeted killing/assassination, extraordinary rendition and warrantless electronic surveillance. In this part of the course, the class will also analyze and discuss the interplay between counterterrorism policy and international law and the response to terrorism by foreign nations. Throughout the course, case studies will be presented which serve to illustrate the legal principles being discussed.

Trial Advocacy Honors Board

LAW 567

Students earn 1 unit of pass/fail course credit for 60 hours of work per semester (or 2 units for 120 hours of work) on activities related to the Trial Advocacy Honors Board, including participation as witnesses, lawyers or judges during practice rounds for inter-school mock trial competitions; coaching incoming students auditioning for membership onto the TAHB; coordinating the board's participation in inter-school competitions; or otherwise participating in the management or administration of the board's activities. Enrollment is limited to students who have completed their first year of law school, and is based on acceptance into the TAHB through an audition process overseen by the faculty advisor, adjunct coaches and/or executive board of the TAHB.

White Collar Crime

LAW 553

An overview of substantive areas in economic crime and fraud, such as antitrust, consumer protection, and investment fraud; and an introduction to the principal investigation and prosecution techniques used in undercover investigations, search warrants, and the grand jury.

Writ and Appellate Practice

LAW 615

This course teaches the proper preparation of writs and appeals, with an emphasis on the often overlooked prerequisites, practices, and procedures involved in preparing a writ petition and perfecting an appeal. Students will learn to recognize case dynamics that must be used to maximize their chances for success. They will use that learning to develop skill in preparing a proper record. The course also explores whether an appeal or a writ is the proper remedy, time limitations for seeking relief, briefing skills (beyond writing skills), oral argument, scope of appeal, and standards and scope of review.