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Home Graduate Admissions»Muhammad Sarahne
Muhammad Sarahne

Email

msarahne@pennlaw.upenn.edu

Muhammad Sarahne

Current work:
Muhammad serves as an Attorney at the Criminal Department of the State Attorney’s Office in Israel, where he represents the state in all criminal proceedings before the Supreme Court, mainly in appeals. The Criminal Department determines in what cases appeals against the acquittal or sentence will be filed on behalf of the State. Likewise, it decides in which cases an appeal will be filed against a decision to release from detention or an application will be filed for the extension of detention of an accused who has been in detention for more than nine months and whose trial has not yet concluded. Furthermore, the Department’s attorneys participate in the work of the headquarters carried out at the Ministry of Justice, in the formulation of directives and the formulation of national policy in the criminal field. Between July 2020 and July 2021 Muhammad had been seconded to serve as the assistant of the Deputy Attorney General for criminal law. Muhammad also co-teaches the seminar “The High-Tech Industry in Israel” at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem Law School, along with Prof. Gideon Parchomovsky and they co-taught a similar seminar at Penn Carey Law in the fall of 2021.

Background:
Muhammad joined the SJD program at Penn Carey Law School in 2017. Prior to that, Muhammad graduated with distinction from the Penn Law LLM program which he joined as a Fulbright Scholar. Before coming to Penn Law, he worked as an Attorney at the Economic Crime Department at the State Attorney’s Office in Israel, which is a criminal prosecution division specializing in white collar crimes and public corruption. He earned a double degree in Law and Psychology from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. During his studies, Muhammad worked in non-governmental organizations, such as the Public Committee Against Torture in Israel and the Movement for Quality Government in Israel. 

SJD program:
Dissertation Topic: Criminal Omission Liability: A Few Steps on the Road to Justice. Advisor: Prof. Paul H. Robinson. Committee members: Prof. Stephen Morse and Prof. Leo Katz. Graduation: May 2020.

Impact of SJD program in your career:
The SJD program and the academic experience at Penn Carey Law, which included working with and learning from leading scholars and experts, have remarkably honed my legal thinking and provided me with new perspectives of the law that help me address the legal issues and dilemmas that I tackle at work. It has also greatly improved my ability to analyze cases and articulate persuasive arguments.

What makes the SJD program at Penn unique:
What sets Penn Law School’s SJD program apart is the close-knit community formed by SJD candidates, enabling them to freely share ideas and seek advice and help; the friendly and approachable nature of everyone at the school, whether they’re staff or professors; and the wide range of resources on offer. One standout feature is the opportunity to take classes in other parts of the university and conduct and interdisciplinary research. All of these things make the SJD experience at Penn Carey Law School truly unique and unforgettable.

Advice to SJD candidates:
First, never hesitate to ask for help, whether it’s from your peers, staff, professors, or anyone else at the university. Second, stay in close contact with your advisor; they will continually assist you in refining your research and honing your ideas. Third, choose topics that genuinely interest you. Your passion for your research will definitely motivate you throughout the challenging journey of the SJD program.