Understanding Criminal Law 2nd Edition.

by Joshua Dressler

Focus on traditional substantive criminal law concepts, The basic elements of, and defenses to, all crimes Group criminality Inchoate liability In-depth analysis of the elements and defenses in the contest of crimes such as homicide, rape, and theft, and thoughtful examination of the underpinnings of the Utilitarian and Retributivist philosophies of criminal sanctions by considering the approach each would take to the particular matter under discussion.

Genres: Law, Nonfiction, Textbooks, Legal, School

Paperback

First published March 1, 1993

Reviews

[Valerie Sherman]

I found this to be a helpful overview of criminal law rules.

[Drew]

Not sure if I've got the right edition here but whatever.

Solid read, very useful supplement to the Boyce/Dripp/Perkins casebook we were using in Criminal Law. Certainly saved me a lot of trouble, I only wish I had gotten it sooner.

Probably could stand to be a little better organized, which is a weird thing to say because it was so meticulously outlined. I didn't find the organization scheme satisfying, though.

[Caleb]

The best law book I have read thus far; concepts are articulated well and illuminated by memorable examples. I would give it 5 stars, but that may be a bridge too far.

[Dylan Kochan]

Dressler's book is a solid reference for a criminal law course, especially for courses taught by modern criminal law professors integrating the Model Penal Code (MPC) (Personally, I am all for that). Dressler touches upon both common law rules and MPC standards, striking a nice balance in his discussions. This is sure to benefit any (lowly) law student seeking to understand the mismatch and overlap of MPC rules and common law rules within modern jurisdictions.

[Colleen]

dressie ❤️

[Nick]

Dressler really knows how to compile these legal supplements via the Understanding series. This version does not disappoint.

[Christian]

Scrumptious

[Victoria]

Perfect for my criminal law exam

[Ray]

Had to read this at the same time as another textbook, it wasn't horrible, it was just a textbook lol

[Nathaly]

dressler i 🫶🏼 you

[Ian]

(Really 4.5 stars). Effective. Every topic tracked with the topics covered in class, but Dressler effectively weaves the concepts and crimes together so I can see how they interact. It's going to save my butt tomorrow for the final exam. He also more clearly explained Tort Law than my Tort casebook ever dreamed it could.

The demerited 0.5 star comes from an organization issue. I am not sure why Dressler introduces the specific crimes of murder, rape, and theft AFTER the inchoate crimes. If I hadn't already attended a semester's worth of classes, that order would have been confusing. Reverse those chapters and it would strike me as a perfectly executed supplement on criminal law.

[Joe]

Solid introduction to criminal law. This is one of the first books I read cover-to-cover when I started law school, and it was a big help in learning how to analyze legal issues. Just a couple complaints: the discussions on the Model Penal Code were exhausting, and I think the author spent a disproportionate amount of time on issues that are only of academic interest (maybe not critical to know as a lawyer).

[Daniel Morgan]

This is the first book I ever read about the legal system, and I thought it was really easy to understand. The author goes into an enormous amount of detail about the nuances of different crimes and juridical concepts without being dry. In addition, I appreciate the tremendous amount of footnotes, citations, and cases that are cited on literally every page.

[Alice]

This book is awesome. If you have a clueless prof like I did, study this book and you'll be set!

[Konfou2002]

nice

[Cary S]

A bit more opinionated than I would have hoped for, but a good survey on the whole!

[Courtney]

This treatise saved my life.

[Sean]

This is THE supplement on Criminal Law.

[Cristina]

Excellent supplement for criminal law class. Well organized and easy to digest.

[Michael I]

elite supplement, so helpful when thinking about criminal law. Has all the interesting cases.