Taxation of partnerships will be included in the three-credit course. In this course students under direct faculty supervision practice as student assistant district attorneys in the Massachusetts District Court. Students are responsible for representing the Commonwealth in bail hearings, motions to suppress evidence and, ultimately, trials, both jury and jury-waived. Students also participate in regularly scheduled seminar meetings during which discussion of assigned materials and simulation are utilized to develop lawyering skills as well as an understanding of the professional and ethical obligations implicated in criminal practice. The seminar portion of the course culminates in a simulated mock jury trial.
Enrollment is limited to ten third-year students.
Any student who has taken or will take LAW 780, Criminal Procedure Simulation, is given the lowest priority in enrolling in this course. This course addresses the trial and appellate rights of the criminally accused. It will address such issues as bail and pretrial release, discovery, guilty pleas, the right to a speedy trial, joinder and severance, burdens and standards of proof, selection and composition of the jury, confrontation and compulsory process, effective assistance of counsel, double jeopardy, ethical responsibilities of the prosecutor and defense attorney, and appellate and habeas corpus review. Investigation is not a prerequisite to enrollment in this course. This course examines the constitutional limits on police investigation of suspected crimes.