Skip to content

Philip L. Torrey, On Teaching Crimmigration Law, 67 Saint Louis Univ. L. J. 503 (2023).


Abstract: Law school faculty interested in teaching crimmigration law—a relatively new and exciting area of law concerning the intersection of criminal law and immigration law—should lean into the law’s fluidity and ground their teaching in advocacy. Crimmigration law offers a rich space to teach students how to advance creative legal arguments, while also providing fertile ground to teach students some of the core tenants of statutory interpretation, administrative law, and constitutional law. This article provides guidance on developing a crimmigration law course, including a simulation that can be adapted to teach students about stakeholder mapping. In the article, I draw on my own experience teaching crimmigration law at Harvard Law School for over ten years.