Law students often find criminal law to be one of the most interesting, but also one of the most difficult courses. Even the fundamental elements of criminal liability can be hard to learn and even harder to apply on exams. The study of criminal law demands that students juggle a mix of common law principles, modern judicial decisions, statutory text, the Model Penal Code, and philosophies of justice to address the enduring dilemmas that comprise criminal law.
In Criminal Law: Model Problems and Outstanding Answers, Kathryn Christopher and Russell Christopher deftly guide students in applying criminal law. Their interesting and accessible fact patterns explore important principles surrounding homicide and rape, attempt and conspiracy, accomplice liability and defenses, and devote special attention to difficult doctrines like impossible attempt and felony murder. This book includes clear introductions to the major topics in criminal law, provides hypotheticals that students can expect to see on exams, and offers model answers to those hypotheticals. It then gives students the opportunity to evaluate their own work with a comprehensive self-analysis section. This book prepares students by challenging them to use the law they learn in class while also explaining the best way to express sophisticated answers on their exams.
Model Problems and Outstanding Answers is an innovative new series by Oxford University Press. Featuring topical introductions and clear fact patterns, each book contains exercises designed to help students develop methods to craft organized, relevant, and thoughtful responses to exam-style questions. These exercises show the student how to think like a lawyer. By guiding students to the most appropriate ways to apply their knowledge to new facts, the series offers meaningful and significant preparation for law school exams and bar-exam essays.