I heard that Professor McQuade really changed her Crim Law class between 2017 and 2019. She used a powerpoint for us, which she always posted. There were some days we didn’t get to all the reading, but in general the syllabus was paced pretty well. The exam was definitely fair for what we learned, which was a mix of common law and the Model Penal Code. She has a ton of practical experience which was a huge plus for asking questions about how criminal trials work, but some people really didn’t connect to her as a teacher. The class could have used more time spent on the identity politics of the criminal justice system and sometimes felt like we skated through tough conversations about targeting certain people to put in jail, etc. I would take her for an upper level criminal course where she probably gets to tailor the material more to her interest area and liking.
I had Professor McQuade for Crim Pro II (Bail to Jail). This class is kind of an opposite to Crim Pro I. You won’t get deep doctrinal revelations here, but Professor McQuade does have a very strong understanding of how the system works (she was the appointed US Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan under Obama). I learned quite a bit practically from her class, especially about the opaque grand jury system. Overall, I think going into her class with your eyes open that this will not teach you deep insights about the law but instead will give you a practical overview of how a prosecutor views criminal procedure is the best way to enjoy this class.
She also gives a lot of practice problems that are similar to her exams. Her teaching is not the most engaging, but she is awesome interpersonally and loves meeting with students and getting to know them. Not a must take class, but if you have interest in the subject it can be somewhat worthwhile.
Had 1L crim with McQuade. She was solid. She’s quite compassionate and straight-shooting, both of which are underrepresented traits among law professors. She didn’t have a great mastery of the course material at times. Her prosecutorial background definitely colors her presentation of the material. But overall I feel like I learned what I needed to learn and didn’t have a terrible time doing it. I wouldn’t go out of my way to take a class with her but would if it was a topic that interested me.
One of my favorite professors. Her lectures are easy to follow along and her cold calls are not too hard. She has a lot of practical experience, so it’s nice to hear about how these laws work in the real world. Despite how high profile she is, she is very down to earth. She makes herself available and makes effort to get to know her students.
I had McQuade for National Security and Civil Liberties. It was a good class and she followed lots of pedagogical best practices. My only complaint is that she was too indulgent of students who wanted to share their opinions on a daily basis.
Took Crim with her W21. She was fantastic. One of my favorite professors at the law school. She is a very clear lecturer. Her powerpoints are very helpful. McQuade made a big effort to get a handful of guest speakers with different viewpoints (from her and from each other) which really helped provide a well-rounded perspective of our criminal justice system.
She cares about her students, and it shows. She memorizes every single persons name and face before the semester begins. She shares a bunch of practice exams and model answers, which was incredibly useful in learning what she was looking for on the exam. Hers was the one exam where I entered feeling 100% prepared because of all the resources she provided.
National Security: I thought the class was fairly interesting and the reading was very light. The best part about McQuade is that she’s very clear on her expectations. She uploads all of her PowerPoints online so you don’t need to take notes and if you follow along during lecture, you should be more than prepared. She isn’t going to wow you with her lecture, but she plays to her strengths and does relatively light cold calling. I liked how the second half of the course was almost strictly guest speakers — she has some of the best guests for any class I’ve had in the law school. Exam was very straightforward, especially with the amount of resources she provides.
MLaw Prof Reviews
I had a very hard time following her in class (crim) – I often left class more confused than I came in
I heard that Professor McQuade really changed her Crim Law class between 2017 and 2019. She used a powerpoint for us, which she always posted. There were some days we didn’t get to all the reading, but in general the syllabus was paced pretty well. The exam was definitely fair for what we learned, which was a mix of common law and the Model Penal Code. She has a ton of practical experience which was a huge plus for asking questions about how criminal trials work, but some people really didn’t connect to her as a teacher. The class could have used more time spent on the identity politics of the criminal justice system and sometimes felt like we skated through tough conversations about targeting certain people to put in jail, etc. I would take her for an upper level criminal course where she probably gets to tailor the material more to her interest area and liking.
I had Professor McQuade for Crim Pro II (Bail to Jail). This class is kind of an opposite to Crim Pro I. You won’t get deep doctrinal revelations here, but Professor McQuade does have a very strong understanding of how the system works (she was the appointed US Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan under Obama). I learned quite a bit practically from her class, especially about the opaque grand jury system. Overall, I think going into her class with your eyes open that this will not teach you deep insights about the law but instead will give you a practical overview of how a prosecutor views criminal procedure is the best way to enjoy this class.
She also gives a lot of practice problems that are similar to her exams. Her teaching is not the most engaging, but she is awesome interpersonally and loves meeting with students and getting to know them. Not a must take class, but if you have interest in the subject it can be somewhat worthwhile.
Had 1L crim with McQuade. She was solid. She’s quite compassionate and straight-shooting, both of which are underrepresented traits among law professors. She didn’t have a great mastery of the course material at times. Her prosecutorial background definitely colors her presentation of the material. But overall I feel like I learned what I needed to learn and didn’t have a terrible time doing it. I wouldn’t go out of my way to take a class with her but would if it was a topic that interested me.
One of my favorite professors. Her lectures are easy to follow along and her cold calls are not too hard. She has a lot of practical experience, so it’s nice to hear about how these laws work in the real world. Despite how high profile she is, she is very down to earth. She makes herself available and makes effort to get to know her students.
I had McQuade for National Security and Civil Liberties. It was a good class and she followed lots of pedagogical best practices. My only complaint is that she was too indulgent of students who wanted to share their opinions on a daily basis.
Took Crim with her W21. She was fantastic. One of my favorite professors at the law school. She is a very clear lecturer. Her powerpoints are very helpful. McQuade made a big effort to get a handful of guest speakers with different viewpoints (from her and from each other) which really helped provide a well-rounded perspective of our criminal justice system.
She cares about her students, and it shows. She memorizes every single persons name and face before the semester begins. She shares a bunch of practice exams and model answers, which was incredibly useful in learning what she was looking for on the exam. Hers was the one exam where I entered feeling 100% prepared because of all the resources she provided.
National Security: I thought the class was fairly interesting and the reading was very light. The best part about McQuade is that she’s very clear on her expectations. She uploads all of her PowerPoints online so you don’t need to take notes and if you follow along during lecture, you should be more than prepared. She isn’t going to wow you with her lecture, but she plays to her strengths and does relatively light cold calling. I liked how the second half of the course was almost strictly guest speakers — she has some of the best guests for any class I’ve had in the law school. Exam was very straightforward, especially with the amount of resources she provides.