Course Description
Cyber crime – presents a criminal and national security threat that grows in proportion to the increasing ubiquity of digital and networked devices, and that is limited only by the bounds of human creativity. Moreover, as digital and networked devices permeate more and more into daily lives and economic sectors, concepts underlying the investigation and prosecution of cyber crime become more broadly relevant. The vast quantity of data that such devices collect and store about their owners and third parties also implicates significant privacy considerations. The investigative authorities available to law enforcement thus have a direct impact upon privacy interests. Finally, as new technology and new uses of technology continue to emerge, substantive criminal law and procedural law governing lawful access to data must be applied in new, often unanticipated contexts. In the absence of legislative change, the executive and judicial branches are left to apply old statutes and to rely on analogies to physical-world doctrines that do not always translate easily into the digital context.
Students who intend to investigate, prosecute, or defend criminal cases require an understanding of the substantive and procedural law in this area, regardless of the types of cases that interest them. A street-level drug case, a white-collar fraud case, and a human trafficking case, for example, will all have cyber components. Also, an increasing number and type of businesses hold third-party data that is potentially subject to lawful demands by law enforcement seeking evidence of criminal conduct. Businesses may also, of course, be the victims of cyber crime or of insider criminal conduct that leaves a digital trail. Accordingly, students who intend to counsel corporate clients or employers will benefit from a cyber crime and investigations course. Finally, students interested in privacy and technology outside the criminal context the opportunity to round out their understanding of constitutional, statutory, and caselaw considerations in digital and networked environments.
Course Type
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SeminarCourse Credits
2.0Course Degree
Juris Doctor