Advanced Issues in Criminal Law - Professor Lorraine Schmall

This seminar will focus on appellate criminal litigation.  Students will work on actual pending cases and write Amicus Briefs to supplement appellate briefs written by counsel of record.  The lawyers are Panel Attorneys working with the Federal Defender Program for the Northern District of Illinois.  Students will research and write as friends of the court (amici curiae) about one or a set of discreet issues raised in a particular case. An amicus brief might contain:

• citations to obscure cases that are relevant to the dispute at bar,
• discussion of cases in foreign jurisdictions or other secondary legal sources, such as scholarly articles
• factual information not presented by the parties at trial, including empirical research, or
• public policy statements (e.g., stating the effect on professionals of a particular ruling for/against the plaintiff in the case at bar; stating the impact of a ruling on industry practice).

Amici usually represents either a:

• nonprofit organization (e.g., a professional society, trade association, public interest group),
• corporation,
• governmental agency, or
• party in another case with similar issues of law.

Students will write memoranda, and ultimately briefs as their final work product. They will also have the opportunity to collaborate with and observe practicing attorneys.  Criminal Procedure strongly recommended.