Maryland Carey Law graduates stand out as leaders in the criminal law field as prosecutors, public defenders and criminal defense attorneys, judges, advocates, and policymakers. The Criminal Law Track will prepare you to excel in a criminal law career.
Track Requirements
The Criminal Law Track requires the completion of 15 credits, consisting of three core courses, one additional seminar or doctrinal course from a menu of courses relating to criminal law and procedure (updated annually), and an experiential course (an approved clinic, externship, or simulation course) in which you will gain practical advocacy skills and apply theory to practice.
The required core courses for the track are:
- Evidence (3 credits)
- Criminal Procedure (3 credits)
- Criminal Procedure II: Adjudication (2 or 3 credits)
Note: You may take the three core courses in any order. Criminal Procedure covers constitutional rules governing police investigations and Criminal Procedure II covers the criminal litigation process.
In addition, you must complete at least one elective from the following menu of courses (list updated annually):
- Juvenile Law
- Advanced Evidence
- Mental Disability and Criminal Law
- Criminal Law Seminar: Race and the Criminal Justice System
- Cybercrime
- Critical Race Theory
- Immigration Law
- Jurisprudence
- Law and Social Change (1L elective)
- Military Justice
- National Security, Electronic Surveillance, and the Fourth Amendment
- Post-conflict and Transitional Justice Seminar
- Restorative Justice
- Race, Technology and the Law
- Reparations for Racial Injustice
- Sentencing Reform Seminar
- Statutory Interpretation
- White Collar Crime
Finally, you must complete an experiential course, which can be any of the following approved clinics, externships, or simulation courses. The faculty advisors have discretion to waive the experiential requirement for students who demonstrate that they have completed comparable work experience (for example, for evening students who work in this area of the law).
- Criminal Law Externship (for example, with a State’s Attorney’s Office, Public Defender, U.S. Department of Justice, or non-profit organization)
- Public Interest Externship (with a non-profit organization that addresses criminal law issues)
- Asper Judicial Externship (with state or federal judge who presides over criminal cases)
- Criminal Appellate Clinic
- Criminal & Youth Defense Clinic
- Criminal Appellate Clinic
- Decarceration Clinic
- Innocence Project
- Racial Justice & the Law Clinic
- Youth, Education & Justice Clinic
- Gender, Trauma & Prison Clinic
- Immigration Clinic
- Federal Appellate Immigration Clinic
- Maryland Criminal Law Practice (simulation course)
- Advanced Trial Advocacy (simulation course)
- Levitas Sexual Assault Prevention Initiative (externship)
- Externship with R.O.A.R. program
The faculty advisor for the Criminal Law Track is Professor David Gray. Students who are interested in the track should reach out to Professor Gray early in their law school journey, to receive guidance about potential courses and career paths. Students should declare their intent to complete the Criminal Law Track with the faculty advisor at least one semester prior to graduation.