The purpose of this course is to examine the nature and extent of corporate and white-collar crime, including detection, deterrence, and criminal liability sanctions, as well as, the social and legal changes related to corporate illegality. Students will use case materials which address securities fraud, money “laundering”, professional deviance, and political corruption, in addition to other topics. Students will also analyze policy responses including RICO and other laws, regulations and court processing. The course will include analysis of several forms of white collar (corporate and individual) crime, the relevance of law-making to lawbreaking, problems of detection and punishment and the causes of this social problem. Discussion of policy evaluation and suggested reforms will take place.

Students completing this course will be able to: 

• Demonstrate familiarity with the various definitions and characteristics of white-collar crime
• Develop an understanding of other tenets that may be used to include white-collar crimes such as organizational or corporate crimes and to develop a reasonable amount of knowledge about the various types of white-collar crime.
• Understand the existence and perpetration of white-collar crimes as a phenomenon in an interconnected world.
• Describe the financial and societal costs of associated with white collar crime
• Explain some of the problems associated with investigation, enforcement and conviction of White Collar criminals.
• Explain the rationales or explanation for the committing of white-collar crimes and different philosophies of punishing white collar crime.