Criminal Law
Georgetown Law students graduate with a strong background in all aspects of the American criminal justice system, whether they want to pursue a career in criminal law or apply their knowledge to other legal fields.
For J.D. students, our first-year curriculum includes courses in criminal procedure and criminal law. Students planning a career in the field can then concentrate on specialized courses covering topics such as federal white-collar crime and international criminal law, as well as seminars in areas such as capital punishment, computer crime and race, gender and criminal law.
Our students publish renowned journals including the American Criminal Law Review, the nation’s premier journal of criminal law, and Georgetown Law Journal’s Annual Review of Criminal Procedure, the “must-have” reference guide for criminal law practitioners.
Georgetown Law’s faculty scholars are also at the forefront of contemporary issues in criminal law, such as race and criminal justice, drug policy, crime in the digital age, the prosecutions of corporations, the special challenges of the juvenile justice system and prisons.
Our faculty’s research is regularly published in leading scholarly journals, and news organizations often seek out their expert commentary on criminal justice topics.
Meet the
faculty
Experiential Opportunities
Criminal Defense & Prisoner Advocacy Clinic
The Criminal Defense & Prisoner Advocacy Clinic offers students an intensive experience in indigent criminal defense and prisoner advocacy.
Criminal Justice Clinic
The Criminal Justice Clinic is a law school clinical course in which students provide outstanding legal representation to people accused of misdemeanors and sick and elderly people in compassionate release cases.
Georgetown Street Law Program
For 50 years, the Georgetown Street Law program has provided professional development for law students while actively engaging with the D.C. community by teaching law to high school students.
Domestic Violence Clinic
Students in the Domestic Violence Clinic (DVC) represent victims of intimate abuse in civil protection order (CPO) cases in the D.C. Superior Court.
Juvenile Justice Clinic & Initiative
As one of the first legal clinics of its kind, the Georgetown Law Juvenile Justice Clinic continues to be one of the premier law school clinics in the country.
American Criminal Law Review
The American Criminal Law Review (ACLR) is one of the nation’s top-ranking criminal law journals. Its issues sit on the desk of thousands of judges, academics, and practitioners across the country.