Criminal Law Practicum

Catalog description

This 2 to 4 credit course will help students develop a broader understanding of the criminal justice landscape. Students will be exposed to practical and substantive issues, garner a better understanding for what it means to practice criminal law, and be exposed to current and historical policies that have helped to shape our criminal justice systems. This course includes a mandatory weekly classroom seminar as well as either a field placement or research component. Students who pursue the field placement option will work in an approved agency under the supervision of practicing attorneys. Students must secure unpaid externships on their own using each agency's own hiring procedures for law students. Past field placements have included the Cook County State's Attorneys Office, The Law Office of the Public Defender - Cook County, and Office of the State Appellate Defender, as well as various legal aid agencies and law firms that have criminal law as a practice area. Approved field placements are available on the Pearson system (https://law-luc.12twenty.com/Login). You may also contact the course instructor at [email protected] for additional options or if you have questions about the placement component. Field placement students should register for section 1 seminar (one credit hour) & as well as section 2 (live client experience). Students seeking live client experiential (LCE) credit must enroll in the field placement section 2. Students must complete 55 hours at their placement for each hour of live client credit sought. Accordingly, students may register for up to 3 credit hours of section 2 if they anticipate completing 165 hours at the placement over the course of the semester. Students do not need to have a field placement to participate in this course. Students who do not to work at an approved field placement site will conduct in-depth research on an approved criminal law or policy matter during the semester. Students who pursue the research component will present their findings to the class at the end of the semester. Research students only need to register for section 1 (for 2 credit hours). Whether the student elects to do a field placement or research, each student will have the opportunity to observe courtroom proceedings during the semester. This is a graded course. There is no final exam.