Area of Interest Criminal Law and Procedure

Governments uniquely have the power to punish people who break the law, by prosecuting them for alleged crimes and by sentencing them if they are convicted. How does the government use this power? How should it? And what constitutional rights do people suspected or accused of crimes enjoy? In courses examining the penal system from police investigations on through trials, convictions, sentencing, and post-conviction processes, Harvard Law students have opportunities to study the laws and institutions of the penal system, learning from leading scholars in the field and from experienced practitioners, including retired federal and state judges, current and former prosecutors, and defense attorneys.