Villanova Sentencing Workshop

 

 

 

Each Spring, the Commission supports and assists with the annual Villanova Sentencing Workshop, held at Villanova University School of Law.  The heart of the workshop is student-judge interaction and discussion of real cases submitted by participating judges.

This workshop series, directed by Commission member and Law Professor Steven L. Chanenson,  brings together approximately 12 law school students, eight criminal court judges, a prosecutor, a defense attorney and other professionals to discuss sentencing policy through the lens of pre-screened, real cases.

Before each session, participants review case files, including police reports and court transcripts.  They determine an appropriate sentence for each case and prepare brief sentencing memoranda explaining their decisions. This sentencing information is distributed to the other workshop participants to facilitate discussion of the cases.  The sessions are devoted in large measure to discussing the cases and learning about factors that go into the sentencing decision.

For more information on the Sentencing Workshop, particularly for judges interested in participating, please contact the Commission's Executive Director.  For information on Professor Chanenson's PA Institute on Criminal Sentencing at Villanova University School of Law, visit: http://pasentencing.org