Criminal Law (Harvard Open Casebook, Jeannie Suk Gersen)
by Jeannie Suk Gersen · H2O / Harvard Law School Library
Harvard Law School 1L criminal law course materials published openly: full-text edited cases organized into legality, actus reus, mens rea, strict liability, homicide, causation, attempt, complicity and defenses, alongside Model Penal Code provisions and state homicide statutes.
More resources on Criminal Law Basics
law.cornell.edu
Cornell Law’s Legal Information Institute (LII) offers free, searchable primary legal materials—such as Supreme Court opinions, the U.S. Code, the Code of Federal Regulations, and the Constitution—and practical legal-research guides and tutorials for students and researchers.
oyez.org
Oyez is a multimedia archive of U.S. Supreme Court cases. It provides official audio of opinions, full text opinions, case summaries, transcripts, and background on justices and landmark rulings—an essential resource for learning constitutional law basics.
Cornell Legal Information Institute - Criminal Law
Cornell Law School's free Wex encyclopedia entry on US criminal law, covering federal and state codes, the Model Penal Code, the elements of a crime, offense classifications, accomplice liability, defenses and sentencing. Useful for grounding core terminology before tackling cases.
An Introduction to American Law (Penn Carey Law)
Six-module survey of American law from University of Pennsylvania Carey Law faculty. The criminal law module, taught by Stephen Morse, covers why the state punishes, what it must prove to convict, and the major defenses. Free to audit.
Introduction to US Criminal Law (LibreTexts Open Textbook)
Fourteen-chapter openly licensed textbook on US criminal law, moving from the structure of the legal system and constitutional protections through the elements of a crime, defenses, parties to crime, inchoate offenses, homicide, and crimes against property and the public.
Understanding Criminal Law (Dressler, 9th Edition)
Hornbook treatise covering actus reus, mens rea, causation, homicide grading, inchoate and accomplice liability, and defenses, stating the common law rule first and flagging Model Penal Code differences throughout. Designed as a companion to any criminal law casebook.