US Criminal Procedure for LLMs

This course introduces LL.M. students to the procedural rules and constitutional principles governing the U.S. criminal justice process, from investigation through adjudication. Emphasizing process rather than substantive criminal offenses, the course examines the roles of police, prosecutors, defense counsel, judges, and juries, and the allocation of authority among them. Topics include searches and seizures, custodial interrogation, charging and pretrial procedures, bail and detention, discovery obligations, trial rights, plea bargaining, and sentencing, with a focus on Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Amendment doctrine. Drawing on judicial experience, the course provides students with a practical understanding of how criminal procedure operates in American courts.