Criminal Law

Catalog description

Criminal Law covers the basic principles of substantive criminal law. The course is concerned with when, and why, conduct is labeled and punished as criminal. After examining the standard justifications for criminal punishment, the course turns to overarching issues of criminal liability: state-of-mind requirements, the law of attempts, defenses (such as insanity, duress, self- defense, impossibility, mistake), and conspiracy. Homicide is studied in detail; other crimes, such as rape and the various property crimes, may also be covered. Required first-year course for JD students; tested on the Bar Exam.