Study Criminal Law with expertly written law school outlines available in Full, Cram, and Bar exam formats.
Criminal Law tests whether you can break a statute into elements and match facts to each one. Our Criminal Law outline covers the substantive doctrine most heavily tested in law school and on the MBE, starting with the two core elements: actus reus (voluntary act, omission liability, possession) and mens rea (purpose, knowledge, recklessness, negligence under the Model Penal Code, plus common-law specific and general intent). Causation is covered in full — actual cause under the but-for test, proximate cause, intervening and superseding causes. Homicide receives extensive treatment: intentional murder, depraved-heart murder, felony murder (inherently dangerous felony limitation, agency versus proximate cause theories, Redline limitation), voluntary manslaughter (adequate provocation, heat of passion, imperfect self-defense), and involuntary manslaughter (criminal negligence, misdemeanor manslaughter). Theft offenses cover larceny, embezzlement, false pretenses, robbery, and burglary, along with the distinctions that matter. Inchoate crimes — attempt (substantial step, dangerous proximity, impossibility), conspiracy (Pinkerton liability, Wharton's rule, withdrawal), and solicitation — are covered with every common trap. Defenses include self-defense (duty to retreat jurisdictions, castle doctrine), defense of others, necessity, duress, insanity (M'Naghten, irresistible impulse, MPC, Durham), intoxication, and mistake of fact versus mistake of law. A dedicated Capital Punishment outline covers Eighth Amendment standards, aggravating and mitigating factors, and the Atkins, Roper, and Kennedy v. Louisiana line. Available in Full, Cram, and Bar one-pager formats. Connects to Criminal Procedure, Constitutional Law, and Evidence. Search terms: mens rea, felony murder, Pinkerton liability, attempt substantial step, self-defense, insanity defense, MPC model penal code.