Technology is changing how we predict, solve, and punish crimes. Attitudes about punishment are shifting along with the very definition of crimes and our conception of culpability. A heightened awareness of the disparate impact of law enforcement on different racial groups calls into question the credibility of the whole criminal legal enterprise.

Amidst it all, Berkeley Law is well positioned to shape the future, offering students an unmatched education in criminal justice with leading faculty — including former prosecutors and defense attorneys, prominent criminal law theorists, and renowned experts in crimmigration and international criminal law — comprehensive coursework, and an outstanding clinical program.

Here, students have abundant opportunities to immerse themselves in wide-ranging efforts that foster collaboration, generate impact, and fortify a community dedicated to legal innovation and societal change. Engage with our innovative Criminal Law & Justice Center, contribute to the esteemed Berkeley Journal of Criminal Law, and dive into inspiring pro bono projects as early as your first year.

Explore our full faculty.

At Berkeley Law, you’ll find a comprehensive range of Criminal Justice courses that equip you with the skills and knowledge to excel in the field. With new classes added regularly, our curriculum covers both longstanding and emerging issues, ensuring a deep and wide educational experience. Offerings may include:

• Criminal Procedure – Investigations
• Criminal Procedure – Adjudication
• White Collar Crime
• Youth Justice Law, Practice, and Policy
• Computer Crime Law
• Criminal Trial Practice
• Domestic Violence and the Law
• California Prisons and Discretionary Parole
• Juvenile Justice
• Post-Conviction Remedies

Note that courses offered this semester may not be available in future semesters, reflecting our dynamic program.

Explore courses offered in Criminal Law in Fall Semester 2024.

Death Penalty Clinic

Founded in 2001, the clinic seeks justice for individuals facing the death penalty by providing them with high-quality representation; offers students a rich opportunity for meaningful hands-on experience in high-stakes, complex litigation; and exposes problems endemic to the administration of capital punishment.

East Bay Community Law Center

Through eight community-based clinics, more than 100 Berkeley Law students each year gain training and tools to advance racial justice. EBCLC takes a holistic approach to addressing the needs of under-resourced and Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities, including an entire suite of legal and social services. 

Policy Advocacy Clinic

The nation’s premier interdisciplinary clinic where law and public policy students team up to take on systemic racial and economic injustice. The clinic’s approach is ground-up (rooted in the lives of real people), problem-based (addressing pressing social issues), and client-driven (accountable to community organizations).

Samuelson Law, Technology & Public Policy Clinic

The Samuelson clinic advances the public interest in a rapidly changing digital age, focusing on civil liberties, intellectual property, and criminal justice. The clinic looks for strategic opportunities in litigation, regulatory and legislative processes to ensure a fair criminal legal system.

More about our clinical program.

Criminal Law & Justice Center

The Criminal Law & Justice Center is a hub for research, education and advocacy in the field. Blending a data-driven approach with zealous advocacy, the center offers empirical insights into the intricacies of the legal system and policy outcomes. It harnesses the wealth of perspectives, experiences and expertise that our students and faculty bring to bridge the gap between scholarship and real world impact.

Student-Initiated Legal Services Projects (SLPS)

Berkeley Law SLPS enable you to develop lawyering and leadership skills while serving the community. Interact with clients and get valuable hands-on experience as early as your first semester of law school, while earning pro bono hours and pursuing your passion. Choose from as many as 40 SLPS options, such as: Post-Conviction Advocacy Project; Community Defense Project; Drug Policy, Education, and Decriminalization Project; and Contra Costa Reentry Project.

Field Placements

The Field Placement Program offers qualified students the opportunity to expand their legal education beyond the bounds of the law school, both domestically and overseas, while earning academic credit. Some field placements involving criminal justice may include: Domestic Violence Field Placement; Office of The Federal Public Defender, District of Oregon; The Bronx Defenders; and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

Berkeley Journal of Criminal Law

The Berkeley Journal of Criminal Law is one of the nation’s preeminent forums for discussing regional, national, and international criminal law issues. Since its inception in 2000, the journal has published cutting-edge scholarship by professors, judges, research fellows, clerks, and law students from across the country.

Student Organizations

Berkeley Law has over 90 student organizations to meet the vast range of our students’ interests and affinities, including many that touch on criminal justice.

Larsen Justice Fellowship Program

The Larsen Justice Fellowship, which Berkeley Law offered for the first time in 2024, is administered by the Criminal Law & Justice Center and supports recent Berkeley Law graduates pursuing careers in public interest or government work with a focus on criminal justice. Watch a video about the fellowship.

At Berkeley Law, our interdisciplinary approach to legal education lets you build a diverse, innovative toolkit to do the work you care about: to accurately advise your clients, to imagine, and to solve the most complex problems faced by our society.

Explore the ways that criminal justice interconnects