Federal Criminal Law

Semester: Spring 2021
Course ID: 323F
Credit Hours: 3
Unique: 28685

Course Information

Grading Method: Pass/Fail Allowed (JD only)
Will use floating mean GPA if applicable

Registration Information

1L and upperclass elective

Meeting Times

Day	Time	Location
TUE, THU	5:45 - 7:06 pm	ONLINE

Evaluation Method

Type	Date	Time	Location
Floating take-home exam (administered by Faculty Coordinator)

Description

This class will be taught by Prof. Susan Klein and Prof. Aleza Remis. This class will be taught remotely, except perhaps for the first class so we can all meet. We will thereafter meet remotely every Tues. and Thurs. from 5:45 to 7:06 p.m.

This is a one-semester three-unit course about substantive federal criminal law. This course will detail the prosecution and defense of criminal trials in federal court, focusing on the more frequently employed and complex areas, and on current hot topics. Class time will be devoted to mail, wire, and health care fraud, public corruption, money laundering, administration of justice offenses, the Controlled Substances Act, immigration offenses, and terrorism and weapons offenses. In addition, students will be alerted to the manner in which federal sanctions can be employed against lawyers, banks, and corporations. If time permits, we will review defenses and the plea bargaining and sentencing systems. Your grade will be based primarily upon a floating open-book essay exam, and in part upon class participation. If we have no more than 20 students, the grade in this class will not be on a curve, and you will be asked to complete one or two in-class oral projects. Second-year students interested in the United States Attorney’s Office or Federal Public Defender's Office internships for their third year should consider taking this class first. This class does not significantly overlap with the Advanced Federal Criminal Prosecution & Defense seminar, and students are welcome to take both.