Each student should prepare an individual course paper examining the topic of criminal law. More specifically, how are our laws constructed/determined? How are laws defined (i.e., how do we determine what should be legal or illegal)? What is the purpose of laws and why are they needed? What role or impact does society have in this process? How do factors such as race, gender, and socio-economic status impact the passage and enforcement of law? Has the impact of these factors changed or remained the same with the passage of time? The paper must be completed using the APA format and include a title page, body of the paper, and reference page (use 12 pt Times New Roman). While minimum lengths are not specified, the paper should be of sufficient depth and detail while reflecting the true potential of each student (i.e., don’t settle for minimal quality!). Each student should use at least 8 scholarly sources to support their work (the course textbook can be used as one of the scholarly references). News media sources, websites (including governmental websites), etc., are not considered to be scholarly sources as they do not go through a peer-reviewed process. Non-scholarly sources can be used for the paper but students should also have the minimum of 8 scholarly sources.