CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM SEMINAR
(LAWD-8090) - 2 UNITS

Over the past century, U.S. criminal law has exploded. Every morning, around two million people wake up in a prison or jail, while around four million people continue living their lives under some form of correctional supervision. And all too often, the costs of mass incarceration are concentrated on the poor, the underserved, and communities of color. These problems were made possible by legislative decisions about criminal codes, which determine the scope of criminalization and the severity of punishment in every jurisdiction around the country. Although these are some of the most important decisions that any government makes, we know surprisingly little about how they're actually made.

The Criminal Justice Reform Seminar & Lab hopes to change this through an experiential, project-based course that: (1) studies how legislators debate and justify changes to their states' criminal codes; and (2) allows students to develop their skills in legislative advocacy. By carefully analyzing criminal policy hearings in state and federal legislatures across the country, students will acquire a unique, real-world understanding of how criminal policy reform happens. At the same time, the Criminal Justice Reform Seminar & Lab will also help prepare students to effectively advocate for criminal policy reforms in a legislative setting by engaging in a series of simulation exercises involving legislative advocacy for substantive criminal law bills. In the process, students will learn about the history of criminal policy reform, the ethics of criminal policy advocacy, and what careers in criminal policy reform look like and entail.

The Criminal Justice Reform Seminar & Lab is a one semester, three credit, fully remote opportunity comprised of two different course components. The first component is a two-credit graded seminar and simulation course in which students will learn about criminal policy reform and practice legislative advocacy. (Please note: this course qualifies for two experiential credits.) During this course, students will study important texts and readings that illuminate how elected representatives in the U.S. (mis)handle criminal policy issues. Students will also learn about legislative advocacy as it applies to the creation of criminal policy, while acquiring a better understanding of what it means to be a legislative lawyer working on criminal policy issues.

The second component of this opportunity is a one credit, ungraded Pass-Fail lab, where students will work with colleagues to analyze legislative hearings on state and federal criminal codes. To conduct this analysis, students will learn to apply a special justice reform coding scheme that tracks the way lawmakers justify and debate criminal law bills. Coding will principally take place in virtual lab meetings, during which students will have the opportunity to work together in teams.

By taking the Criminal Justice Reform Seminar & Lab, students will develop foundational knowledge of criminal policymaking and the art of legislative advocacy. Through both course components, students will also improve their oral communication and advocacy skills by learning how to: formulate criminal policy arguments, work collaboratively with colleagues, and present and defend positions in a constructive and inclusive way. The Criminal Justice Reform Seminar & Lab will also provide students with essential legislative analysis skills, as students practice briefing bills in a way that is similar to how first-year law students practice briefing cases. By the end of the semester, students should be able to summarize, distill, and analyze legislative histories in a manner that is helpful to any legal job that involves the application or interpretation of statutes.

Please note: Admission to the Criminal Justice Reform Seminar & Lab is limited and involves an informal (and hopefully enjoyable!) virtual interview with Professor Serota. Expressions of interest and questions about the courses should be directed to Professor Serota at Michael.Serota@lls.edu.

Pass/Fail:
No

Prerequisites:
None