566: Law Every 1L Should Know -- Criminal Law

Welcome back to the Law School Toolbox podcast! Today, we're diving into the fundamentals of criminal law. First, we'll walk through the building blocks of any crime – the elements that the prosecution has to prove for someone to be found guilty. Then we'll take those building blocks and apply them to the single most heavily tested topic in 1L Criminal Law – homicide. We'll see how the different homicide crimes are really distinguished by the defendant's mental state, and we'll work through a fact pattern at the end. Thanks to Juno for sponsoring this episode! If you're thinking about student loans for law school, head to JoinJuno.com to explore your options and see how Juno can help you find a better rate.    In this episode we discuss: An introduction to criminal law The elements of a crime, which the prosecution has to prove beyond a reasonable doubt The homicide hierarchy A fact pattern walkthrough Resources: JoinJuno.com (https://joinjuno.com/) Model Penal Code (https://www.legal-tools.org/doc/08d77d/pdf) Podcast Episode 248: Listen and Learn – Introduction to Homicide (https://lawschooltoolbox.com/podcast-episode-248-listen-and-learn-introduction-to-homicide/) Podcast Episode 305: Listen and Learn – Property Crimes (https://lawschooltoolbox.com/podcast-episode-305-listen-and-learn-property-crimes/) Podcast Episode 406: Listen and Learn – Defenses to a Crime (https://lawschooltoolbox.com/podcast-episode-406-listen-and-learn-defenses-to-a-crime/) Podcast Episode 482: Listen and Learn – Assault and Battery (Crim Law) (https://lawschooltoolbox.com/podcast-episode-482-listen-and-learn-assault-and-battery-crim-law/) Podcast Episode 516: Listen and Learn – Elements of a Crime (https://lawschooltoolbox.com/podcast-episode-516-listen-and-learn-elements-of-a-crime/) Podcast Episode 521: Smarter Borrowing: How Juno Helps Lower Student Loans (https://lawschooltoolbox.com/podcast-episode-521-smarter-borrowing-how-juno-helps-lower-student-loans/) Download the Transcript  (https://lawschooltoolbox.com/episode-566-law-every-1l-should-know-criminal-law/) If you enjoy the podcast, we'd love a nice review and/or rating on Apple Podcasts (https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/law-school-toolbox-podcast/id1027603976) or your favorite listening app. And feel free to reach out to us directly. You can always reach us via the contact form on the Law School Toolbox website (http://lawschooltoolbox.com/contact). If you're concerned about the bar exam, check out our sister site, the Bar Exam Toolbox (http://barexamtoolbox.com/). You can also sign up for our weekly podcast newsletter (<a href= "https://lawschoolto