White Collar Crime

Catalog description

This course explores the law of economic and political crimes associated with the rubric "white collar crime." The class is divided thematically between mens rea issues and substantive issues. Among the substantive areas which are covered are: obstruction of justice, perjury, bribery and gratuities, mail and wire fraud, securities fraud, and money laundering. We will study specific federal statutes in considerable detail, while also speculating about the jurisprudence underlying these crimes, and related issues of prosecutorial discretion and attorney ethics. Special instructions: Students may write a paper in lieu of the final exam for Research credit. Also, classroom participation may be taken into account to some very small degree. After the term begins, students accepted into the course can transfer from section (01) into section (02) which meets the R requirement, with consent of the instructor. Elements used in grading: Class participation and final exam or paper.