Criminal Law and Practice Focus Area
The Criminal Law and Practice Focus Area is designed to provide students with a solid foundation in substantive and procedural criminal law and the litigation skills needed to practice in this area. Criminal Law and Evidence are courses that are required of all law students, but they have special relevance for students intending to engage in the practice of criminal law. Criminal Procedure Investigative provides an introduction to the constitutional rules constraining law enforcement in criminal investigations and pretrial detentions, and Criminal Procedure Adjudicative addresses the constitutional and statutory framework governing criminal prosecution from the time of formal charging through to sentencing. The skills courses required for this focus area are designed to provide both theoretical and practical training in preparing criminal cases for settlement or trial. Note that the Youth Advocacy Clinic assigns students to represent juveniles in juvenile court who are charged as offenders in Juvenile Court.
Requirements of the Focus Area
Students wishing to complete the Criminal Law and Practice Focus Area must take three foundational courses (Evidence, Criminal Procedure Investigative, and Criminal Procedure Adjudicative) and a series of skills courses (Comprehensive Pretrial Advocacy and either Youth Advocacy Clinic, Comprehensive Trial Advocacy, or Trial Techniques). In addition, students must choose at least two courses from a list of electives. Note that although Sentencing and Plea Bargaining is listed as an elective and therefore not required, students pursuing this focus area who have the opportunity to take Sentencing and Plea Bargaining are strongly encouraged to do so. This important course addresses the legal, practical, and policy concerns inherent in the pretrial plea negotiation process and in sentencing upon conviction.
Students Who Should Pursue This Focus
The Criminal Law and Practice Focus Area is designed for students who plan to practice criminal law, whether as prosecutors or as criminal defense attorneys. Criminal trial practice is the kind of law practice in which lawyers are most likely to have extensive trial litigation opportunities and experience. Therefore, students who plan to combine criminal practice with other areas of practice such as civil rights litigation or personal injury litigation may wish to consider completing the criminal law focus area to provide a comprehensive background in the skills and knowledge needed for a practice emphasizing litigation on behalf individuals.
Criminal Practice Faculty
| Career Faculty | |
|---|---|
| Deborah Ahrens | Criminal Law, Criminal Procedure Investigative, Evidence, Sentencing & Plea Bargaining |
| Janet Ainsworth | Child, Family and State, Criminal Procedure Investigative |
| Christian Halliburton | Criminal Law, Criminal Procedure Investigative |
| Paul Holland | Youth Advocacy Clinic |
| Raven Lidman | Youth Advocacy Clinic |
| John Mitchell | Evidence, Evidence Lab, Federal Criminal Law, Forensics |
| Ron Slye | International Criminal Law |
| John Strait* | Criminal Law, Criminal Procedure Adjudicative, Forensics |
* Focus Area Chair
| Emeritus Faculty | |
|---|---|
| Dave Boerner | Criminal Law, Sentencing & Plea Bargaining |
| Professors from Practice | |
|---|---|
| Robert Boruchowitz | Criminal Procedure Adjudicative, Youth Advocacy Clinic |
| John McKay | Constitutional Law of Terrorism, National Security Law |
| Adjunct Faculty | |
|---|---|
| Timothy Crandell | Medical Fraud, White Collar Crime |
| Mike Finkle | Law and Mental Health |
| Robert Goldsmith | Criminal Motions Practice |
| Russell Kurth | Mental Health Court Clinic |
| Mark Larranaga | Capital Punishment Seminar |
| Lisa Leone | Criminal Motions Practice |
| Scott O'Toole | Criminal Procedure Adjudicative |
| Linda Portnoy | Criminal Motions Practice |
| Stephen Schroeder | Computer Crime & Privacy |
Focus Area Requirements
Plan the completion of your focus area with a focus area tracking form.
Foundational Courses (all courses required)
- Criminal Procedure Adjudicative (3 cr)
- Criminal Procedure Investigative (3 cr)
- Evidence (4 cr)
Skills Component Courses (at least two courses required)
- Comprehensive Pretrial Advocacy (4 cr) and
- Comprehensive Trial Advocacy (4 cr); or
Youth Advocacy Clinic (6 cr) - Criminal Motions Practice (3 cr)
- Mental Health Court Clinic (3 cr)
Elective Courses (at least two courses required)
- Advanced Topics in Criminal Law (2-3 cr)
- Capital Punishment Seminar (3 cr)
- Computer Crime & Privacy (3 cr)
- Criminal Law Externship (3-4 cr)
- Evidence Lab (1 cr)
- Federal Criminal Law (3 cr)
- Forensics (3 cr)
- International Criminal Law (3 cr)
- Law and Mental Health (3 cr)
- Medical Fraud (3 cr)
- Post-Conviction Relief (3 cr)
- Sentencing & Plea Bargaining (3 cr)
Additional Related Courses
These courses are not part of the focus area but are sufficiently related that students might want to take one or more of these in conjunction with the focus:
- Administrative Law
- Appellate Advocacy
- Child, Family and State
- Federal Courts
- Immigration Law
- Washington State Constitutional Law Seminar
