Criminal Law: The Complex Case of the Grinch

This class starts with a session on basic concepts of criminal law.  We will go over terms such as jurisdiction, venue, types of crimes, pleas, mens rea and actus reus, jury selection, and jury nullification.

After the first session, students will watch the Grinch (either the cartoon or the live action movie) so that we can discuss the issues that would arise in a hypothetical case against this green menace.  Students will discuss complicating factors in a case of this type.  We will finish this session with a discussion of the jury's duties.

In the third session, students will make legal arguments as we explore parts of a "mock trial" against the Grinch.

In the fourth session, I will briefly explain opening and closing arguments, and then present the prosecution's closing statements.  After that, students will discuss their initial thoughts on the Grinch's fate.  I will then present the defense's closing arguments, and we will again discuss the student jurors' opinions on the Grinch.  In essence, would they touch a conviction "with a 39 and a half foot pole?"

While it may initially sound somewhat silly to use this type of story as a hypothetical case study, such activities are used by creative law professors.  We go in knowing that the Grinch is completely fictitious, so we don't carry any biases into our discussions and deliberations.  By removing the real world elements, students are able to explore many topics which might otherwise be hidden.

In my legal education, I made sure to take all of those unusual courses, such as Icelandic Feud Law (think of the old Icelandic sagas where most things were solved with an ax) and international legal philosophy.  In my legal teaching, I have employed the philosophy that it's fairly useless to teach individual laws; rather we should focus on teaching how to think like a lawyer.  This class is intended to help students dip their toes into legal thinking in a creative and fun way.