Criminal Law and Policy

King Hall’s Criminal Justice Externship allows students to earn academic credit in the fall and spring semesters working in a District Attorney's or Public Defender's office or another appropriate placement in one of several surrounding counties or in a federal Public Defender or US Attorney's office.  Students participate in a range of activities, including observation, interviewing, research, writing, counseling, motion practice, and trials under State Bar rules.  In order to appear in court, students must qualify for certification by the relevant state or federal juri

Discussion — 3 units. This course examines a range of issues, including bail, charging decisions, preliminary hearings, discovery, statute of limitations, venue, joinder and severance, pleas, plea bargaining, assistance of counsel, trial, double jeopardy, sentencing, appeal and collateral remedies. This course will have a short essay assignment, midterm exam, and a final exam.

Final Assessment: Exam

Skills — 2 units. Basic appellate practice and procedure. Beginning instruction in oral advocacy skills and an opportunity to practice these skills in front of a moot court. Students compete in four rounds of oral arguments which, combined with the second semester of the program, determine the rankings for selecting participants in the annual Neumiller Competition and other interschool competition teams and for membership on the Moot Court Board. Both courses 410A and 410B must be taken in order to qualify for most interschool competitions.

Skills — 2 units. This course is a continuation of Course 410A. Focuses on the development of effective appellate brief writing skills and the refinement of oral advocacy skills. Participants research and write two appellate briefs and argue the cases before a moot court. The first appellate brief and arguments are judged for selection of interschool competition teams, participants in the annual Neumiller Competition, and membership on the Moot Court Board.

Skills — 3 units. The Civil Rights Clinic allows students to advocate for the civil rights of prisoners and other indigent persons. Students have addressed far-reaching constitutional issues and have included claims of denial of medical or dental care, correctional officer misconduct, denial of freedom of religion, violation of due process, excessive force, and false imprisonment. Clinic students also are encouraged to investigate matters involving gender, employment, education, housing, and police practices that may give rise to civil rights claims on behalf of indigent clients.

Discussion — 3 units. This course studies the bases and limits of criminal liability. It covers the constitutional, statutory and case law rules that define, limit and provide defenses to individual liability for the major criminal offenses.

Final Assessment: Exam

Discussion — 3 units. This course examines the federal constitutional limits on government authority to gather evidence and investigate crime. Topics to be covered include Fourth Amendment limits on search, seizure, and arrest; the Fifth Amendment privilege against self-incrimination; and the Sixth Amendment right to counsel. While the course emphasizes current law and the evolution of Supreme Court doctrine, it also considers related policy questions on the role of police in a democratic society.

Discussion — 2 units. This course examines the relationship between racial power and the law.  Contrary to the dominant legal paradigm which contends that racial subordination is a deviation from the liberal legal ideal, the Critical Race Theory movement views the U.S.

Seminar — 2 units. Course offers an overview of the constitutional law governing the death penalty in the United States with an emphasis on Eighth Amendment jurisprudence.

Lecture/Discussion — 3 or 4 units. This course covers rules regarding the admissibility of testimonial and documentary proof during the trial of civil and criminal cases, including rules governing relevancy, hearsay, the examination and impeachment of witnesses, expert opinion, and constitutional and statutory privileges.

The 3-hour version of the course is a faster-paced course that will cover only the Federal Rules of Evidence, and students intending to do trial work in California are advised to take the 4-hour version.