Progressive Prosecution: Law & Policy - LAW 6290

Credits Hours: 2

Progressive Prosecution: Law & Policy is a 2-credit course for students who are interested in exploring racial and social justice theory and training in the classroom and who have an interest in public service, prosecution, criminal law, and/or criminal justice reform efforts. Although prosecuting attorneys have typically taken a “tough-on-crime” approach focused on the philosophy of retributive justice and have been historically incentivized to aggressively seek large numbers of convictions and lengthy sentences, a growing number of elected prosecutors across the United States are taking a “progressive” approach. These “progressive prosecutors” see their role as combatting over-incarceration, taking a more holistic view of community safety, eliminating racial and socioeconomic inequity, and ultimately changing a criminal justice system that too frequently exacerbates those well-documented inequities. This course will explore the theoretical underpinnings of the progressive prosecution movement; its promises and limitations; and the progress the movement haS made over the past several years. Students will study the role of the prosecutor in the American criminal justice system and topics such as the history of prosecution in the United States and the role prosecutors have played-and continue to play-in the American phenomenon of mass incarceration. Additionally, this course offers opportunities for real-world application of progressive prosecutorial reforms in all major stages of the criminal justice process, and students will work on research and writing projects that will expound on these issues.

Required: No
Bar Exam Tested: No
Fulfills these Designated Graduation Requirements: Upper Level Writing Requirement Policy and Perspectives Requirement
Practice Area: Civil Rights Criminal Law - LAW 6317 Government, Public Policy & Regulation
Elective: Elective