Taught at ASU’s nationally and internationally ranked law school, this 1-year Master of Laws (LLM) degree is for legal professionals who want to expand or specialize their knowledge. Students must be qualified to practice law, e.g. hold the equivalent of a JD degree in the USA. Recent history has never seen our criminal justice system at the forefront of conversation like now. Questions about policing practices, the discretion held by prosecutors and judges, and minimum sentence requirements are just a few of the many topics under scrutiny. The focus on fairness and effectiveness of the system is being looked at from all angles. Lawmakers, the media, and the public are calling for sweeping criminal justice reform. Aspiring lawyers, especially those contemplating careers in prosecution, criminal defense, or criminal justice policy, need to understand our current criminal justice system that is currently incarcerating more than two million people in our prisons and jails and has millions more under community supervision. The criminal law emphasis at ASU Law is led by some of the nation's most distinguished criminal law scholars, all dedicated to preparing students to promote and pursue criminal justice. Students gain a deep understanding of the criminal justice system through both foundational and specialized classes. Participation in clinics and externship opportunities allows students to put into action the knowledge they gain in the classroom in a real-world setting.