Neil P. Cohen

UTK Distinguished Service Professor of Law
W.P. Toms Professor of Law
B.A., 1967, Yale University
J.D., 1970, Vanderbilt University
LL.M., 1972, Harvard University
Diploma in Criminology, 1976, Cambridge University

Professor Cohen retired in 2006

cohen@libra.law.utk.edu

Professor Cohen’s areas of expertise are criminal law and procedure, and evidence. He was frequently quoted by national, state, and local media during the O.J. Simpson trial and was also a commentator for Court TV and a guest lecturer to numerous academic and civic groups. Professor Cohen is the author or co-author of 10 books and has been published in many law reviews, including the Harvard Journal of Legislation. His book, The Law of Probation and Parole (1999), has been cited by the U.S. Supreme Court. Prof. Cohen also drafted the gender-neutral version of the Tennessee Rules of Appellate, Civil, Criminal, and Juvenile Procedure and assisted in drafting the Tennessee Rules of Evidence and the Tennessee Penal Code, as well as the modernized Tennessee Rules of Criminal Procedure. He served as the reporter of the Tennessee Bar Association's Jury Reform Commission. He was appointed by the President of the American Bar Association to the American Jury Project. Professor Cohen has worked as a special prosecutor with the Knox County District Attorney General’s Office and has been honored with the Harold C. Warner Award for Outstanding Teaching, the Harry W. Laughlin Award for Outstanding Service, the Bass, Berry & Sims Award for Outstanding Service to the Bench and Bar, the Carden Award for Outstanding Scholarship, and the Tennessee Supreme Court Outstanding Service Award.

Publications

       Books:

Co-author, Criminal Law: Cases, Statutes, and Lawyering Strategies (LexisNexis 2005).

Co-author, Tennessee Law of Evidence (Lexis, 5th ed., 2005).

Co-author, Questions and Answers: Criminal Procedure (LexisNexis 2003).

The Law of Probation and Parole (West Group, 1999).

Co-author, Criminal Procedure: The Post-Investigative Process (Lexis, 2nd. ed., 2000)(with Teacher’s Manual).

General Editor, Tools for the Ultimate Trial (American Bar Association, 1985).

Co-author, Rights of Prisoners (Shepard’s/McGraw-Hill, 1981).

Co-author, Problems in Substantive Criminal Law & Teachers Manual (West, 1976).

Interrogation Techniques Guide (1974).

       Articles & Other Works:

Co-author, Jury Reform in Tennessee, 34 U. Mem. L. Rev. 1(2003)

Better Happier Juries, 39 Tenn. B.J. 16 (2003).

The Timing of Jury Instructions, 67 Tenn. L. Rev. 681 (2000).

Co-author, The Prevalence and Use of Criminal Defenses: A Preliminary Study, 60 Tenn. L. Rev. 4 (1993).

A Meta-Analysis of the New Tennessee Rules of Evidence, 57 Tenn. L. Rev. 1 (1989).

The Process of Curriculum Reform, 39 J. Legal Educ. 535 (1989).

Penal Code Reform, Crime Classification, and Sentencing Guidelines: An Overview, Tennessee Sentencing Commission (1986).

Contributor, Comments to Proposed Tennessee Penal Code (1988).

Additional articles in Fed. Prob., Tenn. L. Rev., Harv. J. Legis. and U. Fla. L. Rev.

Recent Professional Presentations and Service

Lectures on the O.J. Simpson case, school prayer, the death penalty, evidence, jury reform, and sentencing.

Achievements and Affiliations

Consultant, Tennessee Supreme Court Advisory Committee on Civil Procedure, 1984-2000; member since 2002 (committee drafted evidence code adopted by Tennessee legislature).

Forrest W. Lacey Award for Extraordinary Service to the Moot Court Board, 1993, 1999.

Bass, Berry & Sims Award for Outstanding Service to the Bench and Bar, 1999.

Advisory Committee, Tennessee Governor’s Juvenile Justice Reform Commission (1998-99).

Member, ABA American Jury Project (2003-2004).

Reporter, Tennessee Bar Association’s Commission on Jury Reform (1998-99).

Member, Consultative Committee, American Law Institute, Revision of Sentencing Provisions in Model Penbal Code.

Special Assistant District Attorney, Knox County, 1996-98.

Referee, Duke Law School’s Private Adjudication Center.

Ad hoc member, Tennessee Sentencing Commission, 1985-95 (commission redrafted state penal code).

Carden Award for Outstanding Achievement in Scholarship, 1995, 2005.

Tennessee Supreme Court’s Award for Outstanding Service, 1995.

UT National Alumni Association Public Service Award, 1990.

Drafted Tennessee Supreme Court rule governing the appeal of abortion cases.

Drafted gender-neutral Tennessee Rules of Appellate, Civil, Criminal and Juvenile Procedure and the revised Tennessee Rules of Criminal Procedure, all enacted into law.

Chair, Association of American Law School Criminal Justice Section.

Harold C. Warner Outstanding Teacher Award, 1987.

Harry W. Laughlin Award for Outstanding Service, 1986.

Member, American Law Institute; Lecturer, West Bar Review Courses (evidence and criminal law).

February 14 , 2006