Criminal Law: Reserve Materials

 Understanding Criminal Law by Joshua Dressler

The regularly-updated entry on Criminal Law for the Understanding Series, published by LexisNexis. This series is intended to be a universal companion to any given casebook on its subject, providing as straightforward and comprehensive an explanation of the topic as possible - with law students in mind. Likely the most "generalized" study aid series on the market, Understanding is a good choice for those patrons without a more specific need. The most current edition in print will be available in Law Reserve.

 Hornbook on Criminal Law by Wayne R. LaFave

Hornbooks, published by West Academic, were the first mass-market series of commercial study aid published for American law schools. They are typically authored by well-known casebook authors as direct supplements to those casebooks - Prof. Wayne LaFave is the author of one of the premier Criminal Law casebooks of the modern era - but are useful no matter what casebook a student is using, since the originals, such as LaFave's, tend to be hugely influential on later ones.

 

 Criminal Law: Examples & Explanations by Richard G. Singer, et al

The interested law student can think of Examples & Explanations as a similar competitor to Understanding, but in this case published by Aspen Publishing (fka Wolters Kluwer). The Examples & Explanations series adopts the direct and explanatory tone of Understanding but typically goes into greater detail, often with numerous hypothetical examples illustrating a concept - hence the name - and a few sample questions. Examples & Explanations is recommended for students who like the Understanding format but wish to go into greater detail.

 

 Criminal Law in a Nutshell by Arnold H. Loewy

The Nutshell series differs from other law school study aids in that it endeavors to provide as simple and lay-friendly an explanation of its subject as possible without losing detail. They are the study aid of choice for students who find themselves, for lack of a better word, completely lost on a topic, but they will not offer the breadth and detail of Understanding or Examples & Explanations. It is recommended to read Nutshell to orient oneself to the basics of a topic, and then move to another study aid for a more substantive discussion.

 

 

Torts (Crunchtime) by Steven L. Emanuel

The Crunchtime series, as the name suggests, seeks to distill a full normal-credit course on the topic in question down into as short an outline as possible for the purpose of last-minute exam preparation. Out of the major study aid series, this is likely to be the least helpful in developing a deep and nuanced understanding of a given topic within the subject as a student goes through a course week-to-week, but is a great tool for focusing a larger review of material at the end of a term.

 

 Acing Criminal Law by John M. Burkoff

The Acing series is another concise study aid series, seeking to distill its subject down to a relatively short length (typically 200 pages or so, compared to 6 or 700 in Understanding or Examples & Explanations) through a "checklist" approach. Acing provides key points the student will need to internalize and simply moves on. Students will need to seek a more in-depth discussion elsewhere but Acing can function similar to a rough outline of a course.

 

 The Glannon Guide to Criminal Law by Laurie L. Levenson 

The Glannon Guides represent the original attempts by Prof. Joseph Glannon to modernize the law school study aid format, and heavy center around sample multiple choice questions as their primary teaching tool. They are strongly recommended as a method for sample testing, as not only will a Glannon Guide serve as a first-rate explanatory study aid, it will introduce the student to the format and tone of question she is likely to encounter in an exam on the subject.

 

 Criminal Law (Black Letter Outline Series) by Joshua Dressler

The Black Letter Outline series divides its content into two sections: first is a "capsule" section that explains the content of the entire book in a digestible format similar to a Nutshell. This will be followed by an extended outline similar to what one might find in a series like Emanuel. The outline is a useful model for students for what their own course outlines ought to look like, though they frequently go into much greater detail than what may be necessary (several hundred pages).

 

 A Short and Happy Guide to Criminal Law by Joseph E. Kennedy

The Short & Happy series is a relatively recent addition to the competitive law school study aid market, and take a lay-friendly approach that's somewhat similar to, though not exactly like, the Nutshell series. Short & Happy is best described as a shortened Understanding aimed at early Undergraduates; it's still technically for law students, of course, but they are written to maximize accessibility and cover the material without making it boring or intimidating. Metaphors and acronyms are far more common than citations to cases or strict terms of art. Strongly recommended as an introductory title.

 

 Principles of Criminal Law (Concise Hornbook Series) by Wayne R. LaFave

As the name suggests, the Concise Hornbook series is a shortened, modern analogue to the classic Hornbook format, also published by West Academic. They are fairly indistinguishable from their forebears in format, but are typically around one third of the length and will not necessarily be attached to an established treatise or casebook the way the tradition Hornbooks are.

As is apparent from this list, Principles of Criminal Law is noteworthy among the Concise series for actually being written by the same author as the traditional Hornbook.