Prepare for exams
In this course, we examine the scope and source of laws involving crimes against persons, property, morals, and public welfare. We study classifications and general elements of crimes, definitions of common and statutory law, acceptable evidence, types of intent, the capacity to commit crimes, legal defenses, criminal culpability for principals and parties to a crime, laws of arrest, and constitutional aspects of U.S. law. Our exams test your recall of those subjects. This study guide is here to help you to focus your studies for our:
Midterm exam (16-week course only) – up to 50 questions, covering chapters 1-8 of our textbook in 90 minutes
Final exam – up to 50 questions, covering our entire textbook in 90 minutes
Our exams are timed, open notes (open book for online courses), and structured much like our chapter quizzes, offering issue spotting scenarios, multiple choice(s), matching and/or true/false questions.
Maximize knowledge retention with active learning
Use the SQSTR Method to actively seek information as you explore course materials, taking notes that summarize, organize, and centralize important information:
Survey: First, skim each assigned reading, paying special attention to chapter objectives and summaries, and any information that is highlighted or called out, e.g., charts and tables.
Question: Create questions about the content of the reading, such as: What are its key points? What will I be expected to learn from these materials?
Seek: Actively read the materials, seeking answers to the questions you formulated in Step 2, along with an overall understanding. Immediately consult a dictionary for any unfamiliar terms.
Teach: Upon completing a reading, write a summary that explains it in simple terms, as if you were teaching it to a student who is new to this topic.
Review your notes regularly: Quiz yourself on the questions you created, plus any publisher-provided questions. If you have study partners, quiz each other.
Study: Textbook > Slides > Quizzes + Cases = Notes
Narrow your studies as follows, adding highlights to your notes at each step:
First, review the textbook, paying special attention to chapter objectives, chapter summaries, vocabulary, featured text (bulleted, bold, etc.), and questions posed by the author
Review our Slideshows, noting featured information
Quizzes - note the question types and topics covered, and focus on questions you missed
Cases - make/review an alphabetical list of each case we covered, with its name and rule
Create an outline of the law that we have covered, so that you can see how it all works together
Regularly review your notes
Watch this video for tips on how our exams are constructed and how you can maximize your success.
Issue Spotting Scenarios
Before the Exam
Study the law, and don't be afraid to ask questions when you need help. You need to understand the law in order to be able to apply it.
Create an outline, summarizing the law so that you can see how the rules work together.
During the Exam
Carefully read each sentence of the scenario and ask why each fact is there. Be creative as you spot issues in the facts that relate to the law covered in our course. Guide
Scenario facts may be presented:
to provide background
to raise issues; or
to throw you off
Create an outline of your answer before you start writing it. Cite relevant constitutional provisions, cases, statutes, rules of evidence and jury instructions that pertain to your answer.
What to expect on our exams
Our exams typically include the following:
Vocabulary, including legal/professional terms, Latin
The Bill of Rights, including its history and development, and incorporation, with focus upon the application of the following amendments to criminal justice: 1st, 2nd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 8th and 14th Amendments
Scenarios that require you to apply statutory and/or case law rules to fact patterns.
Questions relating to our Student Learning Outcomes
Articulate and discuss structural frameworks of criminal law.
Analyze the historical origins of U.S. criminal law.
Identify and apply relevant constitutional legal principles to criminal law.
Questions relating to our Course Objectives
Discuss goals and characteristics of criminal law including basic terms, definitions, and theories
Explain the adversary system and sources of criminal law, including statutory and common law
Examine and explain the historical evolution and development of criminal law, including the role of the judiciary in its development
Classify crimes according to type and severity
Critically analyze components of the criminal law system, including civil and criminal legal responsibilities of police officers
Define and explain the corpus delicti of crimes and the types of criminal intent
Explain the concept of lesser included offenses
Examine capacity to commit crime, causation, and culpability
Explain and discuss criminal defenses, legal justifications, and burdens of proof
Differentiate parties to crime: principal, accessory, accomplice, and feigned accomplice
Define and analyze attempt, solicitation, obstructing justice, and conspiracy crimes
Compare and contrast laws of arrest and arrestable offenses involving infraction, misdemeanor, and felony crimes
Choose proper procedures for making an arrest
Define offenses against the public peace
Differentiate and analyze types of assault crimes
Identify constitutional amendments related to criminal law and the role of law enforcement
Cases to remember
Here is a list of some (not necessarily all) cases that may be covered in our exams, in alphabetical order. In your notes, list each case with its rule to help you to quickly locate it and apply it to exam questions. You may use this template, if you like.
303 Creative LLC v. Elenis (2023)
Arizona v. US (2012)
Atwater v. Lago Vista (2001)
Benton v Maryland (1969)
Bowers v. Hardwick (1986)
Calder v. Bull (1798)
Caniglia v. Strom (2021)
Chaplinsky v. New Hampshire (1942)
City of Chicago v. Morales (1999)
Coates v. Cincinnati (1971)
Coker v. Georgia (1977)
DeJonge v. Oregon (1937)
Duncan v. Louisiana (1968)
Edwards v. California (1941)
Eisenstadt v. Baird (1972)
Elonis v. US (2015)
Employment Division v. Smith (1990)
Feiner v. New York (1951)
Fiske v. Kansas (1927)
Gideon v. Wainwright (1963)
Gitlow v. New York (1925)
Gonzales v. Carhart (2007)
Gonzales v. Oregon (2006)
Gonzales v Raich (2005)
Gorin v. US (1941)
Graham v. Florida (2010)
Gregg v. Georgia (1976)
Griswold v. Connecticut (1965)
Hernandez v. Mesa (2020)
Hurtado v. California (1884)
In re Oliver (1948)
Kennedy v. Louisiana (2008)
Klopfer v. North Carolina (1967)
Lawrence v. Texas (2003)
Lockyer v. Andrade (2003)
Malloy v. Hogan (1964)
Mapp v. Ohio (1961)
Massiah v. US (1964)
Masterpiece Cake Shop, Ltd. v. Colorado Civil Rights Comm (2018)
McDonald v Chicago (2010)
Miller v California (1973)
Mincey v. Arizona (1978)
Missouri v. McNeely (2013)
Near v. Minnesota (1931)
New York v. Miln (1837)
New York Times v. Sullivan (1964)
New York v. Ferber (1982)
New York State Rifle & Pistol Ass’n, Inc., et al. v. Bruen (2022)
Norris v. Alabama (1935)
Obergefell v. Hodges (2015)
Pinkerton v. US (1946)
Pointer v. Texas (1965)
Powell v. Texas (1968)
R.A.V. v. City of St. Paul (1992)
Ramos v. Louisiana (2020)
Reynolds v. US (1878)
Ring v. Arizona (2002)
Roe v. Wade (1973)
Robinson v California (1962)
Roper v. Simmons (2005)
Quincy Railways v. Chicago (1897)
Roth v. US (1957)
Schilb v. Kuebel (1971)
Sherman v. US (1958)
Snyder v. Phelps (2010)
Sorrels v. US (1932)
Stanley v. Georgia (1969)
State v. Stanko (1998)
Stogner v. California (2003)
Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. President and Fellows of Harvard College (2023)
Terry v. Ohio (1968)
Texas v. Johnson (1989)
Torres v. Madrid (2021)
US v. Alvarez (2012)
US v. Brown (1965)
US v. Dotterweich (1943)
US v. Jones (2012)
US v. Kabat (1986)
US v. Lopez (1995)
US v. Lovett (1946)
US v. Miller (1939)
US v. Ursery (1996)
Vacco v. Quill (1997)
Washington v. Glucksberg (1997)
Washington v. Texas (1967)
Watts v. US (1969)
Webb v. US (1919)
Wisconsin v. Mitchell (1993)
Wolf v. Colorado (1949)
Yates v. US (1957)