Book Description

Criminal Law: Case Studies and Controversieseschews traditional reliance on judicial opinions in favor of an innovative and dynamic method of criminal law instruction that is centered on statutory interpretation and case studies. Examination of real-world problems allows first-year law students to not only develop familiarity with the criminal law doctrine necessary for potential careers as prosecutors or defense attorneys, but also hone crucial skills for lawyering in general. Provocative case studies provide background for engaging class discussion and challenge students to tackle applying doctrine in real-world situations. When useful, the book provides actual cases from a variety of jurisdictions to further illuminate the concepts with which students have already been forced to grapple. New to the Fifth Edition: Additional and updated case studies and discussion material informed by the professors’ teaching experiences and designed to reinforce issues at the forefront of modern criminal law Streamlined chapters throughout the whole casebook for a more efficient and concise textbook. Professors and students will benefit from: Use of an innovative case studies method – Each topic area includes a detailed story about the people and events leading up to the offense Inclusion of photographs related to the crimes so students can better contextualize issues “Core opinions” of central historical, theoretical, or doctrinal importance in each subject-area section Provocative and timely principal cases from a wide variety of jurisdictions, each followed by the statutes that existed in the jurisdiction at the time of the offense Treatise-like summaries of law in each topic area give students an overview of the law, introduce the underlying theoretical principles, and provide context