This advanced, practice-focused seminar examines how U.S. law asserts jurisdiction over cybercrime in an increasingly borderless digital environment. Cyber offenses—ranging from hacking and ransomware to data theft and cyber espionage—often originate outside the United States yet have significant domestic effects, raising complex jurisdictional and enforcement challenges.
The course focuses on how prosecutors, regulators, and defense counsel navigate these cases in practice. Students will analyze key statutes such as the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA), wire fraud laws, and related criminal provisions, alongside doctrines governing extraterritorial jurisdiction, personal jurisdiction, and international cooperation.
The seminar emphasizes real-world legal strategy: building cases across borders, coordinating with foreign governments, managing digital evidence, and advising clients facing investigation or attack. It treats cybercrime law as a high-stakes intersection of criminal law, national security, and technology, where legal doctrine must adapt to rapidly evolving threats.
This course assumes prior study of criminal law, constitutional law, or international law.
Course Objectives
By the end of the course, students should be able to:
1. Understand the statutory framework governing cybercrime in the U.S.
2. Analyze jurisdictional bases for prosecuting foreign cyber actors.
3. Evaluate extraterritorial application of criminal statutes.
4. Understand investigative tools used in cybercrime cases.
5. Assess challenges in digital evidence collection.
6. Analyze international cooperation in cyber enforcement.
7. Develop defense and prosecution strategies.
8. Advise clients on cyber risk and compliance.
9. Evaluate legal responses to emerging cyber threats.
10. Apply doctrine to real-world cybercrime scenarios.
