In its roughly 25 years of existence, the trial consulting profession has grown dramatically in membership, recognition, and breadth of practice. What began as a small activist group of social scientists volunteering their expertise to assist in the defense of Vietnam War protestors has evolved into a diverse set of professionals from a range of educational and professional backgrounds. In spite of such enormous growth, the work of trial consultants has gone largely unexamined. Trial Consulting takes an in-depth look at the primary activities of trial consultants, including witness preparation, focus groups and mock trials, jury selection, change of venue surveys, and attorney presentation style. It also examines the profession's struggle to define itself, resisting certification and licensure requirements and settling instead for a set of practice standards. The authors draw upon empirical and other scholarly work in the social sciences, recommended "best practices" from trial lawyers, and the written and spoken recommendations and reflections of the trial consultants themselves. Addressing a broad spectrum of topics ranging from handwriting analysis to medical malpractice cases, they also suggest reforms for improving the profession and the efficacy of the trial consultant in the courtroom. The result is a critical analysis of what trial consulting truly adds to, and detracts from, the administration of justice. This book is an indispensable guide for practicing and aspiring trial consultants as well as the judges, attorneys, and psychologists who work with them. Trial Consulting provides a thought-provoking statement on the state of the profession, and students and professionals alike will benefit from the challenges it offers.

Trial Consulting (American Psychology-Law Society Series)

Business & Money

Wrightsman, Lawrence S.

Posey, Amy J.

Industries

Oxford University Press

With the media spotlight on the recent developments concerning the Supreme Court, more and more people have become increasingly interested in the highest court in the land. Who are the justices that run it and how do they make their decisions? The Psychology of the Supreme Court by Lawrence S. Wrightsman is the first book to thoroughly examine the psychology of Supreme Court decision-making. Dr. Wrightsman's book seeks to help us understand all aspects of the Supreme Court's functioning from a psychological perspective. This timely and comprehensive work addresses many factors of influence including, the background of the justices, how they are nominated and appointed, the role of their law clerks, the power of the Chief Justice, and the day-to-day life in the Court. Dr. Wrightsman uses psychological concepts and research findings from the social sciences to examine the steps of the decision-making process, as well as the ways in which the justices seek to remain collegial in the face of conflict and the degree of predictability in their votes. Psychologists and scholars, as well as those of us seeking to unravel the mystery of The Supreme Court of the United States will find this book to be an eye-opening read.

The Psychology of the Supreme Court (American Psychology-Law Society Series)

Health, Fitness & Dieting

Mental Health

Where did Miranda go wrong? The purpose of this book is to identify and describe four problems with the implementation of the Miranda decision and to suggest remedies in order to have it achieve its original purpose. The four problems identified in the book are: 1. The justices, in placing restrictions of the questioning of suspects, limited these rights only to those suspects who were "in custody." The term "in custody" is vague-legally vague as well as vague to the layperson. It permits the police to question suspects without giving them their Miranda rights in those settings where it is unclear whether custody is present. 2. The Miranda warnings may not be fully understood by many suspects. There is no country-wide standardization of what is said; there are literally thousands of different versions of "the" Miranda warnings in use by different police departments in the United States. 3. Police training manuals, while recognizing the right to a "Miranda warning," have developed many ways to circumvent giving the warnings or ignoring a response in which a suspect does decide to remain silent or ask for an attorney. 4. In the 40 years since the Miranda law was established, the Supreme Court and lower courts have made decisions eroding their application. Can the original goal of the authors of the Miranda law be salvaged? This book examines the state of interrogations and the state of the law before the Miranda decision was made, the purposes and nature of the decision, and proposes recommendations for reinstituting the original goals.

The Miranda Ruling: Its Past, Present, and Future (American Psychology-Law Society Series)

Reference

Pitman, Mary L.

Words, Language & Grammar

In the mid-1970s, as a social psychologist dedicated to the application of knowl edge, I welcomed our field's emerging interest in the legal system. I have al ways been fascinated by jury trials-something about the idea that two con ceptions of the truth were in irrevocable conflict and jurors could choose only one of them. More important, the criminal justice system is a major social force that has been ignored by social psychologists for most of the twentieth century. As I systematically began to explore the applications of social psycho logical concepts to the law 20 years ago, I experienced the delight of discovery similar to that of a child under a Christmas tree. It has been satisfying to be among the cohort of researchers who have studied the legal system, especially trial juries, from a psychological perspective. I believe we have learned much that would be useful if the system were to be revised. Hlf the system were to be revised" . . . there's the rub. As I have stated, my original motivation was the application of knowledge. Like other social scien tists, I believed-perhaps arrogantly-that the results of our research efforts could be used to make trial juries operate with more efficiency, accuracy, and satisfaction. Qver the last two decades, much knowledge has accumulated. How can we put this knowledge to work? Judges are the gatekeepers of the legal system.

Judicial Decision Making: Is Psychology Relevant? (Perspectives in Law & Psychology, 11)

Springer

Written by two of the leading authorities in the field, FORENSIC PSYCHOLOGY, Third Edition introduces you to the practice of forensic psychology by showing how psychologists aid the legal system by serving as expert witnesses, criminal profilers, and trial consultants for jury selection and child custody hearings. Wrightsman and Fulero present the roles and responsibilities of forensic psychologists, and address both the opportunities and temptations inherent in those roles. Through this lens, the authors explore the ethical issues facing practicing forensic psychologists, such as promising clients too much, the possibility of becoming advocates rather than objective scientists, and the pitfalls associated with substituting one's values for data. The authors provide an accurate and candid picture of the field, and the range of careers in forensic psychology.

Forensic Psychology

Fulero, Solomon M.

Self-Help

Cengage Learning'

This book should be of interest to undergraduates in psychology.

Psychology and the legal system

Brooks/Cole

Book by Deaux, Kay, Dane, Francis C., Wrightsman, Lawrence S., Sigelman, Carol K.

Social Psychology in the '90s

Politics & Social Sciences

Dane, Francis C.

Sigelman, Carol K.

Deaux, Kay

Social Sciences

Brooks/Cole Pub. Co.

Psychology & Counseling

This engrossing text examines the legal system through the use of psychological concepts, methods, and research results. It seeks to clarify the basic dilemmas that persist in the legal system and looks at the ethical, moral, legal, and psychological "gray areas" of the law including coverage of such topics as: competence to stand trial, pretrial publicity and resulting changes in venue, criminal profiling, civil case law and civil procedures, the rights of children, capital punishment, the psychology of criminal trials, the insanity defense, expert forensic testimony, and analysis of eyewitness identification and lineup procedures. This edition balances discussion of the legal system with psychological theory, concepts, and research.

Psychology and the Legal System

Nietzel, Michael T.

Fortune, William H.

Wadsworth Publishing

This engrossing text examines the legal system through the use of psychological concepts, methods, and research results. It seeks to clarify the basic dilemmas that persist in the legal system and looks at the ethical, moral, legal, and psychological "gray areas" of the law, including coverage of such topics as: competence to stand trial, pretrial publicity and resulting changes in venue, criminal profiling, civil case law and civil procedures, the rights of children, capital punishment, the psychology of criminal trials, the insanity defense, expert forensic testimony, and analysis of eyewitness identification and lineup procedures. This thoroughly updated edition balances discussion of the legal system with psychological theory, concepts, and research. This edition includes compelling new coverage of many topics, research issues, and recent trials.

Psychology and the Legal System (with InfoTrac)

Lawrence S. Wrightsman, Michael T. Nietzel, William H. Fortune

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Books by Wrightsman, Lawrence S.