Study

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.

Special Notes:

*New*

Fall 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
Canvas site: https://canvas.duke.edu/courses/66317