Contemporary Criminal Law - 9781412981293

"It is by far the best text/casebook on the market geared to undergraduate students in a criminal law class. It is also the best bargain, and priced at least $50 less than other criminal law texts designed for undergraduate instruction. The cases are anything but boring; Professor Lippman has done a brilliant job in selecting cases that bring the material to life with real-world situations."
-Philip M. Stinson, Sr., Bowling Green University

This comprehensive introductory text by award-winning professor Matthew Lippman offers a fresh, contemporary perspective on criminal law and a plethora of current cases that vividly illustrate the topics presented.

Contemporary Criminal Law, Second Edition combines the traditional concepts and cases found in undergraduate texts with unique learning tools, resulting in an engaging, modern text that has enjoyed success with students and instructors nationwide. The text covers both traditional and cutting-edge topics, such as terrorism, computer crimes, and hate crimes, in a student-friendly way. Clear explanations of criminal law and defenses are complemented by provocative, well-edited cases followed by discussion questions to stimulate critical thinking and in-class discussion.

The Second Edition includes a number of new cases to illuminate important concepts such as the insanity defense and terrorism, many new learning features, and updates throughout, highlighting the most recent developments in criminal law. A more concise focus on domestic criminal law also characterizes this new edition. Best of all, this new edition continues to be significantly more affordable than most other texts for this course.

New and Retained Features

• Clearly written introductory text on each topic includes highlighted legal terminology and relevant text from both the Model Penal Code and state statutes, as well as the newly designed diagrammatic Legal Equations which visually represent the legal elements of various defenses and crimes
• Coverage of white collar crime, terrorism, sentencing, and constitutional constraints on criminal law sets this text apart from other books
• An inter-chapter Appendix on Reading and Briefing Cases following Chapter 1 provides students guidance about learning from case reports
• You Decide features, very popular with First Edition users, are based on actual cases and ask students to assume the role of a judge to decide how the case should be decided; answers are found on the student study site
• Crime in the News boxes capture student interest with high-profile, true-life events that relate to core concepts in the book
• Cases and Comments sections expand on the issues raised in cases, providing additional depth and focusing student attention on the critical issues
• Student Study Site links are provided throughout the book to point students to the variety of useful, interesting resources available online to enhance their understanding

Ancillaries on the companion Web site at www.sagepub.com/lippmanccl2e include:

• Password-protected instructor resources: PowerPoint slides, a test bank (the computerized test bank is available on CD), classroom activities, and more
• Open-access student study site: state-specific supplements for 7 of the largest states; self-quizzes, audio podcasts with insights from the author; extra cases, including some from the prior edition and new cases added regularly; suggested answers for the in-text You Decide challenges; SAGE journal articles; and more

Questions for the author? Email Matthew Lippman at mlippman@uic.edu.