Vanderbilt’s Criminal Justice Program offers students a thorough grounding in the theory and practice of criminal law and procedure. The United States has the biggest prison population in the world, the West’s longest sentences, more than 50 different criminal codes, and a complicated procedural regime. Criminal lawyers need to understand the principles underlying this complex system and how the rules work on the ground if they hope to achieve justice for criminal defendants, victims, and society. Vanderbilt offers a comprehensive curriculum that combines cutting-edge theory with ample opportunities to gain practical skills in clinics and through externships in the offices of prosecutors and public defenders.
The Criminal Justice Program at Vanderbilt is ranked 14th in the country in U.S. News, and Christopher Slobogin is ranked in the top 4 of all criminal law and procedure professors in the Leiter Report.
I became interested in Criminal Law while interning for a federal judge. I knew I wanted to prosecute tax and financial crimes, and the DOJ's Tax Division is a great place for that.