1. Goals of the Course.

This one-semester course is intended to give you a basic understanding of Anglo-American criminal law. The major substantive focus of the course will be on the general principles of criminal liability, rather than on the definitions of particular crimes. During our examination of these general principles, we will examine in detail the law of criminal homicide and will touch on the definitions of various other crimes. Acquainting you with the substantive law is not, however, the only goal of the course! You can learn black-letter law by reading hornbooks and, perhaps, even by reading commercial outlines. As lawyers, though, you will need certain skills, regardless of the area of substantive law in which you practice. This course is intended to help you develop those skills. One of the most important skills is the ability to read and analyze court opinions. You must be able to read a court's opinion and determine the rule of law set forth by the court. You must be able to analyze the reasoning of the court and apply it to different fact situations. You must be able to assess the validity of the court's reasoning. Hornbooks and commercial outlines will not be of much use to you in developing these skills. In addition to being able to read and analyze court opinions, an attorney must be able to communicate effectively. This course will attempt to help you develop your oral communication skills through classroom discussion of the assigned cases and problems.

2. Attendance, Preparedness, and Participation.

Because the goals of the course encompass more than just acquainting you with the substantive rules of law, attendance, preparedness, and participation in the classroom discussion are extremely important. Consequently, I expect you to attend class on a regular basis; arrive on time and stay for the entire session; and be prepared to participate in the classroom discussion when called upon. (Additional participation is of course encouraged.) I realize that illness, weather conditions, a personal or family crisis, or other valid reason may force you occasionally to miss a class, be late, or be unprepared, and I will not impose any penalty if these occurrences are infrequent. If, however, you miss more than a few classes (for whatever reason) or develop a pattern of being late or unprepared, I will take that into account in determining your final grade in the course. On the other hand, those students who perform exceptionally well in class and who, in my opinion, add substantially to the learning process will be given additional consideration in the determination of their final grade.

3. Grades.

A student's final grade in the course will be based upon his/her performance on the final examination. There will be no quizzes and no midterm examination. In certain exceptional circumstances (see paragraph 2), a student's final grade might be raised or lowered because of such factors as attendance, preparedness, and classroom participation.