Are you interested in becoming a lawyer?Or are you just interested in law in general?This course will give you a beginner's look into what Criminal Law is all about - modeled after real law school classes, but taught in a way that is accessible to anyone.

For each section, I will provide a discussion outline that has mini-case studies on it that will help students work through these concepts. I will accompany the discussion outline with a video presentation, but this is not a lecture-based class. There may be brief points where I teach on concepts, but students will engage in these concepts themselves as they work through the concepts towards a better understanding of criminal law.

In Section 1, you will learn about the basic elements of a crime. We will look at the underlying elements that make up a crime: Actus Reus, Mens Rea, Concurrence, and Causation. Almost every crime is made up of these four elements. We will get a concrete understanding of what each of those four parts are, and we will explore other factors in crimes that will increase our understanding of the topic.

In Section 2, you will look at topics like what is the difference between first and second degree murder? What is felony murder? What role does the "heat of passion" play in voluntary manslaughter? We will explore all of this and more in an interactive and exciting way. We will be studying the common law version of these crimes as they may be different in every state or country (which we will also explore).

In Section 3, you will learn about what is the difference between larceny (and what is larceny?) and embezzlement. Can you be charged with Receipt of Stolen Property if you didn't know it was stolen? We will explore all of this and more in an interactive and exciting way. We will be studying the common law version of these crimes as they may be different in every state or country (which we will also explore).

Finally, in Section 4, you will learn about criminal defenses. A criminal defense is used when you have committed a crime, but you have a reason that you are either not responsible for your actions (insanity, intoxication, etc.) or you have a justification or excuse for your actions (self-defense, defense of others, consent, etc.). Many people believe that if you claim insanity as a defense, you can go free. But is that what really happens? That's just one of the things you will learn in this class.

After you finish this class, you will have a solid basic knowledge of criminal law. I look forward to seeing you in class!