Study

721 Sentencing Seminar

An estimated 90 to 95% of criminal cases result in a guilty plea, requiring a sentencing hearing. Even higher percentages of federal criminal defendants are found guilty after trial, also requiring a sentencing hearing. Yet, despite the staggering number of criminal cases resulting in a sentencing hearing, far more attention is paid in the media, law classrooms, and in post-graduate legal training to evidence, pretrial practice, and the development of trial skills. This course will introduce students to the law and practice of sentencing advocacy in both federal and state-level criminal adjudications. The seminar will explore the differing objectives and ethical dimensions of sentencing advocacy for prosecutors and defense attorneys, as well as data and firsthand accounts of judicial decision-making and sentencing outcomes.

Course Areas of Practice
  • Criminal Law and Procedure
  • Law, Democracy, and Society
Evaluation Methods
  • Simulated Writing, Litigation
  • Research and/or analytical paper(s), 10-15 pages
  • Class participation
Degree Requirements
JD elective
JD Standard 303(c)
IntlLLM-SJD-EXC elective
IntlLLM writing
PIPS elective
Course Type
  • Seminar
Learning Outcomes
  • Knowledge and understanding of substantive and procedural law
  • Exercise of proper professional and ethical responsibilities to clients and the legal system

Sample Syllabi

Fall 2025

2025
Course Number Course Credits Evaluation Method Instructor

721.01 2
  • Simulated Writing, Litigation
  • Research and/or analytical paper(s), 10-15 pages
  • Class participation
 Elana Fogel

An estimated 90 to 95% of criminal cases result in a guilty plea, requiring a sentencing hearing. Even higher percentages of federal criminal defendants are found guilty after trial, also requiring a sentencing hearing. Yet, despite the staggering number of criminal cases resulting in a sentencing hearing, far more attention is paid in the media, law classrooms, and in post-graduate legal training to evidence, pretrial practice, and the development of trial skills. This course will introduce students to the law and practice of sentencing advocacy in both federal and state-level criminal adjudications. The seminar will explore the differing objectives and ethical dimensions of sentencing advocacy for prosecutors and defense attorneys, as well as data and firsthand accounts of judicial decision-making and sentencing outcomes.

Grading Basis: Graded

Syllabus: 721-01-Fall2025-syllabus.docx68.42 KB

Degree Requirements
Pre/Co-requisites
None

In this section

*Please note that this information is for planning purposes only, and should not be relied upon for the schedule for a given semester. Faculty leaves and sabbaticals, as well as other curriculum considerations, will sometimes affect when a course may be offered.