Course Description
This introductory course will provide an overview of federal criminal law from the perspectives of one or more attorneys with extensive experience in both the US Attorneys’ Office as well as the Federal Public Defenders’ Office . The course will develop and supplement students’ knowledge of substantive and procedural criminal law through the lens of how criminal prosecutions actually work in the federal context. Specific topics will include charging decisions, right to counsel, discovery, plea bargaining, and trial. Students will learn about the goals of prosecutors and defenders when approaching cases. This course is especially helpful for students who will have a federal judicial clerkship, and those who anticipate a career in litigation. There are no prerequisites.