Criminal Law

Graduate Certificate Requirements:
Students wishing to pursue any certificate must submit an Intent Form by the end of the first week of their final semester. This is a non-negotiable deadline so that IU McKinney School of Law is in compliance with Indiana University policy. Students are encouraged to sign an Intent Form as soon as they find interest in a topic area; there is no penalty for not satisfying the requirements.
J.D. students may earn a maximum of two graduate certificates. ONLY CORE COURSES MAY BE COUNTED TOWARD BOTH CERTIFICATES. Students must inform the advisors of both certificates of their intent to seek two certificates. Contact the your advisor in Student Affairs or at osalaw@iu.edu with any questions or to schedule a progress review meeting. Please note: ALL students pursuing a Graduate Certificate are required to have a final graduation check appointment with your advisor in Student Affairs or at osalaw@iu.edu at least one month prior to graduation.

Criminal Law Graduate Certificate

The Law School offers a wide array of courses in criminal law taught by scholars with diverse research interests as well as courtroom experience. According to a 2016 survey published by the pre-Law Magazine, the school's criminal law offerings and clinical programs earned an A- rating. The curriculum features cutting-edge classes in: criminal sentencing, cybercrime, and international criminal law. Students may also choose to take advantage of many clinical opportunities offering hands-on practice in handling criminal cases. Those clinic offerings include the Wrongful Conviction Clinic, Criminal Defense Clinic, Appellate Clinic. The Law School also offers students several externship placement opportunities through the Program on Law and State Government. Finally, the school boasts a rich alumni base of criminal law practitioners - both prosecutors and defense attorneys - with whom students may also connect in order to learn more about practicing in the field.

Students may pursue a Certificate in Criminal Law by completing a minimum of 20 credits in Criminal Law courses, including three core classes, as well as completing upper level electives and a capstone course, while maintaining a cumulative 3.2 GPA* in the courses applied to the Certificate.

Learning Outcomes:

The Certificate prepares graduates to practice in the criminal law field, including work as a public prosecutor, public defender, private criminal defense attorney, government agency counsel, as well as counsel to nonprofit institutions involved in criminal law.

Required Core Courses (must take all of the following):

Criminal Procedure: Adjudication (3 cr.)
Criminal Procedure: Investigation (3 cr.)
Evidence (4 cr.)

Upper Level Courses (must take at least two of the following):

Not all courses will be available every year.

Appellate Practice (2 cr.)
Counter-terrorism and Intelligence (3 cr.)
Criminal Sentencing (2 cr.)
Domestic Violence and the Law (2 or 3 cr.)
Indiana Constitutional Law (2 cr.)
International Criminal Law (2-3 cr.)
Juvenile Justice (2 cr.)
Military Law (2-3 cr.)
Neuroscience and the Law (2 cr.)
Prison Law (2-3 cr.)
Psychiatry and the Law (2 cr.)
Representing the Government (2 cr.)
White Collar Crime (2-3 cr.)

Research or Experiential Capstone (must take at least one of the following):

Externship (2-3 cr.) [Prosecution or Criminal Defense]
Supervised Research (variable cr.) [.) [topic-relevant/director approval required]
National Moot Court Competition (1 cr.) [topic-relevant/director approval required]
Law Review Note (1 cr.) [topic-relevant/director approval required]
Law and State Government Placement (2 cr.) [topic-relevant/director approval required]
State Appellate or State Trial Court Externship [topic-relevant/director approval required]
Re-Entry Assistance and Community Help (REACH) (2 or 3 cr.)
Criminal Defense Clinic (3-4 cr.)
Criminal Procedure Advocacy Skills (2-3 cr.)
Wrongful Conviction Clinic (2-3 cr.)
Advanced Course-related Experience (1-2 cr.)[topic-relevant/director approval required]
Appellate Clinic (2 cr.)

» Intent Form

*GPA note: In the case of a student who takes more than the minimum number of qualifying courses, the student's best grades in those courses will be used to calculate his or her Criminal Law GPA.