1. Home
  2. Criminal Pretrial Advocacy

Criminal Pretrial Advocacy

4th Edition
Peter J. Henning | Karen McDonald Henning | Adam Wright | Leonid Feller
ISBN: 9798317701406
Subject: Pretrial
Format: Print - Softbound
Page Count: 246
Copyright: 2026 | Status: In Stock
Other Formats Available

Criminal Pretrial Advocacy fills a critical gap in the skills training for law students by providing a complete course that addresses the pretrial phase of a federal criminal case, starting with charging and extending through pretrial motions, plea negotiation, and sentencing. This book gives students the substantive foundation to proceed through a Criminal Pretrial Advocacy course by outlining the legal principles necessary for understanding how each phase of the process unfolds. The casebook describes the pretrial process in a federal criminal case by incorporating both a discussion of the rules governing each phase of the process and the basic constitutional issues that can arise in criminal prosecutions. The casebook also includes samples of various documents typically filed in during federal criminal prosecutions. The casebook, in conjunction with the case files described below, help students improve their advocacy skills by giving them the opportunity to engage in advocacy through written motions and simulated court appearances. 

The casebook is accompanied by three case files designed to provide students with the opportunity to work with the materials as a prosecutor and defense counsel during the semester. The cases involve arson, drug distribution, and mortgage fraud. The case files incorporate a set of agent reports that give the basic factual scenario along with related documents, such as a criminal history of the defendants, pretrial service reports, and interview notes, that can be provided to the students at different points in the semester. An electronic version of the case files is available to instructors here.

Finally, there is a detailed Teacher’s Manual that provides instructors with information about how to structure a Criminal Pretrial Advocacy course and the various issues that can arise throughout the course. The Teacher’s Manual contains sample syllabi, sample rubrics for various assignments, and bench memos detailing the legal issues that are likely to be raised in the three case files that can be used in conjunction with the casebook.


Imprint: West Academic Publishing
Series: Coursebook
Publication Date: 04/08/2026

Peter J. Henning, Wayne State

Karen McDonald Henning, University of Detroit Mercy School of Law

Adam Wright, University of Detroit Mercy School of Law

Leonid Feller, Northwestern University School of Law

CasebookPlus™

This title is available in our CasebookPlus format. CasebookPlus provides support beyond your classroom lectures and materials by offering additional digital resources to you and your students. Anchored by faculty-authored formative self-assessments keyed to our most popular casebooks, CasebookPlus allows students to test their understanding of core concepts as they are learning them in class — on their own, outside of the classroom, with no extra work on your part. CasebookPlus combines three important elements:

  • A new print or digital casebook
  • Access to a downloadable eBook with the ability to highlight and add notes
  • 12-month access to a digital Learning Library complete with:
Multiple-choice self-assessment questions, including:
  • Chapter questions keyed to the casebook
  • Black Letter Law questions (available in select subjects)
  • Subject area review questions for end of semester use
Essay and short answer questions with sample answers and expert commentary, in 1L and select upper-level subjects

Leading digital study aids, an outline starter, and audio lectures in select subjects

Students can still utilize CasebookPlus digital resources if they've purchased a used book or are renting their text by purchasing the Learning Library at westacademic.com.

With CasebookPlus, you can customize your students' learning experience and monitor their performance. The quiz editor allows you to create your own custom quiz set, suppress specific quiz questions or quiz sets, and time-release quiz questions. Additionally, the flexible, customized reporting capability helps you evaluate your students' understanding of the material and can also help your school demonstrate compliance with the new ABA Assessment and Learning Outcomes standards.

The book has been updated to include decisions the Supreme Court has issued since the third edition was published. The case files and Teacher‘s Manual have also been updated to reflect these changes. Finally, some adjustments have been made to both the files and the manual to reflect our experiences in teaching this course. The coverage in the course is quite ambitious both for students and for the instructors. As a result, we have included some suggestions for modifications to our original syllabi to streamline the course if desired.

Learn more about this series.