The Criminal Law Pathway is designed as a guided curriculum to help you develop the skills necessary to practice criminal law as a defense attorney or prosecutor, or in private practice. Core subjects such as criminal law, criminal procedure, evidence, trial advocacy and advanced courses in criminal law will teach you the basic theories and skills to become an effective advocate. By following this Pathway, you will develop substantive, procedural and practical knowledge to become a successful lawyer in criminal court.
Faculty Advisors
Professors Shelley Broderick and David Wolitz
Curriculum
Stage 1: Foundational Courses
- Civil Procedure I and II REQ.
- Criminal Law REQ.
- Criminal Procedure REQ.
- Evidence REQ.
- Trial Advocacy
Stage 2: Electives
Stage 3: Experiential Opportunities
REQ. = Required course for all students | CORE = At least 3 core courses are required
RALWR = An opportunity to complete the Research Paper requirement | CR = An opportunity to complete the Clinic requirement
Community Service/Summer Fellowships/Externships
UDC Law has extensive connections with non-profit organizations and governmental agencies in the DC metropolitan region that provide students with the opportunity to spend a semester actually working in their chosen fields. The following are some examples of relevant placements students have obtained with outside organizations and agencies:
- Amara Legal Center
- Break the Cycle
- The Campaign for the Fair Sentencing of Youth
- Coalition for Juvenile Justice
- DC Office of the Attorney General, Public Safety Division
- DC Superior Court and Court of Appeals
- Equal Justice Under Law
- Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law
- Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights
- Maryland District Court, Circuit Court and Court of Appeals
- Maryland Offices of the Public Defender
- Maryland Offices of the State’s Attorney
- National African-American Drug Policy Coalition
- National Legal Aid & Defender Association
- Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia
- Transformative Justice Coalition
- US Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia
- US Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit
- US Department of Justice, Criminal Division, Office of International Affairs
- US Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Prisons
- US Department of Justice, Office of the Pardon Attorney
- US District Court for the District of Columbia
- US District Court for the District of Maryland
- US District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia
- Virginia Commonwealth Attorney’s Office
- Virginia Indigent Defense Commission Capital and Public Defenders Offices
- Virginia Office of the Attorney General
- Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs
