Criminal Law

Criminal law is a fast-paced area of practice, providing extensive courtroom experience and opportunities to help people and protect the integrity of the justice system.

Criminal lawyers work in a variety of capacities, ranging from traditional criminal prosecution and defense work to policy advising, legislative drafting, correctional administration, and policing.

Criminal law is a fast-paced area of practice, providing extensive courtroom experience and opportunities to help people and protect the integrity of the justice system. The work of a criminal lawyers can range from traditional criminal prosecution and defense work to policy advising, legislative drafting, correctional administration, and policing.

Criminal prosecutors represent federal, state, or local governments in cases brought against people charged with violating a criminal statute or ordinance. Criminal defense lawyers represent persons charged with crimes.  Many are employed by the government as public defenders, providing defense counsel to indigent defendants.  Others may build defense practices within private law firms.

Those interested in criminal law need strong written and oral communication skills. They must be well-organized; adept at handling multiple tasks and a hectic and unpredictable workload; skilled in litigation and excel lent at negotiation.  Criminal lawyers should also be good listeners, prepared to deal with people from different background under high-pressure circumstances.

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Course Types

We have classified RWU Law classes under the following headers. One of the following course types will be attached to each course which will allow students to narrow down their search while looking for classes.

Core Course

Students in the first and second year are required to take classes covering the following aspects of the law—contracts, torts, property, criminal law, civil procedure, and constitutional law, evidence, and professional responsibility.  Along with these aspects, the core curriculum will develop legal reasoning skills.

Elective

After finishing the core curriculum the remaining coursework toward the degree is completed through upper level elective courses.  Students can choose courses that peak their interests or courses that go along with the track they are following.

Seminar

Seminars are classes where teachers and small groups of students focus on a specific topic and the students complete a substantial research paper.

Clinics/Externships

Inhouse Clinics and Clinical Externships legal education is law school training in which students participate in client representation under the supervision of a practicing attorney or law professor.  RWU Law's Clinical Programs offer unique and effective learning opportunities and the opportunity for practical experience while still in law school.