Lawyers On Psychology Psychologists

The primary goal of this book is to expose lawyers and law students to some of the key insights offered by the field of psychology and to illustrate the ways in which understanding these insights can improve the practice of law.

Lawyer, Know Thyself explores what some consider to be a three-part crisis in the legal profession. Despite the many perks of being a lawyer - among them intellectual challenge, social status, and high salaries - job dissatisfaction, poor mental health, and substance abuse are surprisingly common among lawyers. In addition, the public arguably has less respect for attorneys than for any other professional group. Finally, there seems to be a crisis of professionalism among lawyers, as borne out by frequent complaints of incivility, combative litigation, and ethically questionable conduct.

The second edition of this popular international handbook highlights the developing relationship between psychology and the law. Consisting of all-new material and drawing on the work of practitioners and academics from the UK, Europe, North America and elsewhere, this volume looks not only at the more traditional elements of psychology and the law - the provision of psychological assessments about individuals to the courts - but also many of the recent developments, such as the interaction between psychologists and other professionals, decision-making by judges and juries, and the shaping of social policy and political debate. Contemporary and authoritative in its scope, the second edition of The Handbook of Psychology in Legal Contexts will again prove to be a valuable resource for scholars and students, as well as being a vital tool for all professionals working in the field. * Well known editors and an international list of authors, most of whom are leaders in their field * Focus on psychological concepts and knowledge that will enlighten best practice and research * The focus on process and issues ensures that the book is not limited in interest by specific legal codes or legislation, it is international * More than an updating of the old chapters, really a rethinking of the field and what is now important and emerging

A collaboration between legal scholars and practicing psychologists, Psychology and Professional Practice attempts to define the role of the psychologist who takes a position alongside traditional human service professionals such as physicians, dentists, lawyers, and educators. This volume focuses on the legal and ethical responsibilities of clinical, counseling, school, and community psychologists, as well as other members of the mental health profession. License requirements, malpractice and defamation suits, the privilege of confidential communications, conflicting concepts of mental capacity, and other complex and controversial issues are considered from the perspective of both the lawyer and the psychologist.

This important book captures contemporary attempts to build bridges between the two very different disciplines of law and psychology and to establish the true nature of the interaction between the two. Including international contributions from lawyers, psychologists, sociologists and criminologists, the book bridges the inherent gap between the practice of law and the profession of psychology at an international level. It throws light on how psychology connects with, inter alia, the courts, prisons, community care, clinics, long-stay hospitals, police investigations and legislative bodies. More recent contributions of social science to legal proceedings are also covered, such as the liability that arises from lack of crime prevention, or the systematic prediction of likely violence by an offender. The book will be essential reading not only for academics and professionals in psychology, the law and related disciplines wishing to understand the broadening base of psychology within the legal process, but also for students trying to form an understanding of the emerging science and the associated career opportunities for this exciting field.

"Since the first Master Lectures in Psychology focusing on psychology and law were given more than a decade ago (Scheirer & Hammonds, 1983), interest in using psychological knowledge, and in involving psychologists in the legal process, has continued to grow. It is appropriate, therefore, that another volume in the Master Lecture in Psychology series be devoted to the interface of psychology and law. But in doing so, it was necessary to limit the coverage to manageable terrain. The field today encompasses concerns ranging from environmental policy (e.g., Pitt & Zube, 1987; Ribe, 1989) to mental health policy (e.g., Shah & Sales, 1991; Tor & Sales, in press) and from sexual harassment in the workplace (e.g., Gutek & O'Connor, in press) to psychological distress in law students and lawyers (e.g., Benjamin, Darling, & Sales, 1990; Benjamin, Kaszniak, Sales, & Shanfield, 1986). Thus, the Master Lecture Series, and the chapters in this volume, can no more cover all of the major issues in psychology and law than they could cover all of the issues in any other major subfield of psychology (e.g., clinical psychology, social psychology). The decision was made, therefore, to focus on a range of critical issues that have been raised by the intersection of psychology with two of the most visible legal systems--the courts and legislatures--and with two critical legal processes--adjudication and the creation of legislation. Because the Master Lectures in Psychology and the ensuing publications are typically limited to five presentations, this volume cannot cover the full range of issues even in this subdomain. On the other hand, the topics selected for inclusion admirably raise fundamental issues that should be of concern to psychologists who interact with lawyers, judges, and juries in litigation and who interact with legislators in drafting legislation. Relevance of Psychological Science to Litigation and Legislation Litigation provides an opportunity for parties to resolve a dispute when less adversarial means have failed. Because it often involves disagreement over what the true facts that are involved in a case may be, the resolution of this issue can constitute an important part of the trial"--Preface.

This manual presents lawyers with advice on understanding the applications of psychology in law. It seeks to help the reader analyze psychological reports, determine the strengths of arguments presented, and understand the various types of psychotherapies and biological treatments.