LAW 817TUT - Criminal Law Practicum

Students enrolled in this course will actively participate in the defense of criminal cases handled by local attorneys under the Erie County Assigned Counsel Program, which provides legal assistance to indigent defendants. Students will be required to perform approximately 10 hours per week of fieldwork in this course. Depending upon case needs, students will assist assigned counsel in investigating and preparing cases for trial (including researching relevant legal and evidentiary issues, writing trial memoranda, evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of the case, preparing witnesses and attending the trial) as well as evaluating plea offers and sentence commitments. Students will also produce a brief applied research paper on a topic of choice related to their fieldwork. These papers may be published online. In addition to working directly with assigned counsel, students will attend evening classroom sessions to review the law and policy, prepare for their fieldwork and discuss related issues. Prerequisite: Criminal Procedure, New York Criminal Law or equivalent

Credits: 4