Criminal Law and Procedure

General Advice

Students interested in practicing criminal law are offered a wide selection of basic and advanced courses at the School of Law. The foundational framework for all areas of criminal practice includes, at the minimum, Criminal Law, Criminal Procedure and Evidence. Criminal Procedure: Adjudication (formerly Criminal Procedure II) and the seminar on White-Collar Crime exposes students to more complex issues faced by prosecuting and defense attorneys. Students are given substantial opportunities to apply the substantive courses to actual practice through a choice of simulated and live client skills courses. Included in the simulated skills courses are Civil Practice, Trial Advocacy I and II and Moot Court I and II. Students work with actual criminal cases through the Criminal Defense Clinic and placements through the Civil Clinic in the U.S. Attorney's Office and Juvenile Court. More detailed information is available in the Professional Skills and Litigation information hand out.

Because of the many complex issues involved in the area of white-collar crime (e.g., health care fraud, securities fraud, consumer fraud, etc.), students are encouraged to take several of the following courses, depending on their specific area of interest: Business Associations, Corporate Tax, Partnership Tax, Securities Regulation, Health Law, Banking Regulation and Transactions, Environmental Law and Federal Courts.

Students interested in specializing in criminal litigation should consider a concentration in Criminal Litigation Skills .

Specific Courses/Frequency of Offering

• Criminal Procedure (3 hrs.) (every year/day; alternating years/evening)
  
• Juvenile Delinquency (2 hrs.) (alternating years)
  
• Evidence (4 hrs.) (every year/day; alternating years/evening)
  
• Trial Ad I (2 hrs.) (every semester/evening)
  
• Trial Ad II (2 hrs.) (every semester/evening; occasionally day)
  
• Civil Practice (3 hrs.) (every semester/day; alternating years/evening)
  
• Criminal Defense Clinic (6 hrs.)
  
• Federal Courts (3 hrs.) (every year/day; alternating years/evening)
  
• Criminal Procedure: Adjudication (formerly Criminal Procedure II) (2 hrs.) (occasionally/day or evening)

Seminars (usually offered in late afternoon)

• Comparative Criminal Systems (2 hrs.) (occasionally)
  
• White Collar Crime (2 hrs.) (usually every year)
  
• Jury Instructions (2 hrs.) (every year)
  
• Death Penalty Litigation (2 hrs.) (usually every year)

Sequencing of Courses

Criminal Law, Criminal Procedure, Legal Profession and Evidence are prerequisites to the Criminal Defense Clinic.

Other Information

Students who plan to enroll in the Criminal Clinic must obtain Rule 13 certification through the Missouri Supreme Court. Students are eligible for Rule 13 certification once they complete half of their legal education and are certified by the Dean of the School of Law. Students should note that such certification depends on the timely filing of the Law Student Registration Form. Information about Rule 13 is available in the Office of Student Services.