Criminal Law and Policy

Seminar - 2 hours. This course explores current topics at the crossroads of neuroscience and the law.  The course introduces foundational bioethics and some basics of cognitive science.  It examines the relationship between social science and the law, notably how empirical research findings are used to design legal institutions.  It considers the role of scientific models of human cognition and motivation in the context of legal policy creation or sentencing decisions.

Seminar - 2 or 3 hours. This seminar explores the ways political units in different countries attempt to maintain social order and advance criminal justice. Students examine the people, policies, and institutions responsible for adjudicating alleged criminal law violations around the globe. They also learn about how rules of professional responsibility and legal ethics guide the behavior of the institutional actors who participate in these criminal processes.

3 units - This course will cover four areas: (1) research; (2) brief writing; (3) appellate strategy; and (4) oral advocacy. The students will be working on actual federal criminal cases in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. They will draft briefs on behalf of criminal defendants. They will also work on amicus briefs and policy papers on critical issues on behalf of clients such as the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and the Aoki Center for Critical Race and Nation Studies. We'll study the various court rules governing the form, substance and timing of briefs.

This course utilizes experiential learning techniques to teach advocacy skills during the life of a criminal case and simulates critical stages of the proceedings by conducting mock hearings throughout the semester.

Recommended Co-requisite: Law 219 Evidence and Law 227A Criminal Procedure.

Graduation Requirements: Counts towards Professional Skills Requirement.
Final Assessment: Other.
Grading Mode:  Letter Grading

Seminar - 2 hours. This course examines the history of immigration-related prosecutions, explores how they are currently conducted, and looks at the streamlined proceedings that happen in districts along the southern border.

Prerequisite: Law 206 Criminal Law. Law 292 Immigration Law is recommended.
Graduation Requirements: Satisfies Advanced Writing Requirement..
Final Assessment: Paper
Grading Mode:  Letter Grading