AP-LS Monthly Newsletter

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I want to start by wishing everyone a happy and continued successful Fall and I hope you all had some rest and relaxation over the summer to build up some energy for this upcoming year with the American Psychology-Law Society (AP-LS). It is my distinct privilege to begin my term as President of AP-LS, and I hope to be able to interact with many of you over the course of the year and to participate in some great work together for the betterment of AP-LS and its members. Please click HERE to continue reading.

Conducting correctional research is challenging in the best of times, but recent policy changes have made it even more daunting. In this article, which stems from our invited symposium at the 2025 APA convention, we discuss why it is imperative that correctional researchers stay the course in light of these changes. Using the APA ethical principles as a guide, we argue that conducting correctional research is a moral imperative. We also provide some suggestions for researchers to help each other in the current climate. Please click HERE to read more.

The  AP-LS Professional Development of Women (PDW) Committee is thrilled to offer Caregiving Grants of $250-$700 for 20-30 attendees of AP-LS 2026 in Reno, Nevada. We will give priority to first authors, presenters, students, and early career professionals. This grant is open to any AP-LS member (student and non-student) who serves as a caregiver in any capacity (e.g., child, parent). Funds can be used for any caregiving needs that arise during the conference, including needs at the conference or at home. Please apply using this link: https://forms.gle/uMV4hKh5R4Hq7vco7

Deadline to apply: December 31, 2025. We will notify grantees in late January 2026. Please contact PDW Chair, Sarah Fishel (srp2yc@uvahealth.org) with any questions.

This is a reminder that nominations for outstanding teaching and mentoring awards are due by the end of the day on December 15, 2025. These awards recognize teaching excellence in the field of psychology and law in a variety of contexts, specifically through the Outstanding Teaching and Mentoring Award and the Early Career Teaching and Mentoring Award.

For more information about the awards, eligibility, and how to nominate yourself or others, please click: Teaching and Mentoring Awards

This year the TTC Committee is specifically soliciting nominations for individuals who have taught or mentored undergraduate or terminal Master's students (i.e., Category 1).

Winners will be announced at the 2026 AP-LS Conference. Award recipients receive $500, a plaque at the AP-LS conference, and the option to serve as a guest columnist for the AP-LS Newsletter.

Please note, in the previous announcement, the email address for nomination was incorrect. Please use ttc@ap-ls.org. For more information, please visit: https://ap-ls.org/awards/awards/teachingaward  

These are part of the Presidential Initiative from Past-President Daniel Murrie.

The mission of AP-LS is “to enhance well-being, justice, and human rights through the application of psychological science and practice in legal contexts.” Our members often bring substantial clinical and scholarly expertise to this important mission. But another critical source of expertise in enhancing well-being, justice, and human rights is the expertise of persons with lived experience.

How might we better learn from those with lived experience? How might we collaborate on scholarship, policy, or clinical services in ways that honor their rights, dignity, and genuine expertise?

To begin considering these questions, a series of webinars will share examples of fruitful collaborations that rely on experts with lived experience.  Our webinars in May of 2025 addressed lived experience in clinical services and training, as well as informing policy.  This session is more specific to research.

Incorporating Lived Experience into Psychology-Law Research

Join us for a 90-minute webinar on strategies for meaningfully incorporating the voices of people with lived experience (PWLE) in research related to the criminal legal system and substance use. Presenters will outline the benefits of engaging PWLE, introduce a practical framework grounded in community-based participatory research (CBPR), share real-world case studies, and offer actionable guidance for AP-LS researchers. Following a series of presentations, attendees will have the opportunity to engage in an open panel discussion. This session is designed for researchers across career stages and offers continuing education credit.

Please save the date if interested. A registration link will be forthcoming.

The Diversity in Psychology and Law Research Award is sponsored by the Broadening Representation, Inclusion, Diversity, and Global Equity (BRIDGE) committee of the American Psychology-Law Society (APA, Div-41).

 The award is intended to support student research on psycholegal issues related to diversity or conducted by individuals from underrepresented groups.

The purpose of the award is to promote diversity within the American Psychology-Law Society by supporting student research on psycholegal issues related to diversity as well as research by students from underrepresented groups. Projects are eligible for consideration for this award if they investigate topics related to psychology, law, diversity, and/or multiculturalism (e.g., research pertaining to psycholegal issues on race, gender, culture, sexual orientation, etc.), or if the principal investigator is a member of an underrepresented group, including racial and ethnic minorities, first-generation college students, LGBT individuals, and students with disabilities. Consistent with the mission of the BRIDGE Committee, these awards are intended to facilitate the research of individuals from groups that are underrepresented in AP-LS, as well as research about issues of potential interest and importance to such groups.

 Each year the BRIDGE Committee will award up to three grants in the amount of $2,000, with an option to divide two of the awards into two $1,000 mini-grants.

The deadline for applications is January 15th of 2026.

Information on award eligibility and how to apply can be found at the web address below: https://ap-ls.org/awards/grants/diversityresearch 

Congratulations to Dan Murrie, Kyle Scherr, and Maggie Stevenson for recently becoming Division 41 Fellows. Would you like to see your name here next year? If so, read on for information about how to become a Fellow or Distinguished Member of AP-LS.

According to our bylaws, “Full Members nominated for Fellow in the Society must provide evidence of unusual and outstanding contributions in the area of psychology and law. All candidates for Fellow must be endorsed by at least two Fellows of the Society. In addition, all candidates for Fellow must meet the requirements of the bylaws of the Association. Full Affiliates nominated for Distinguished Member in the Society must provide evidence of unusual and outstanding contributions in the area of psychology and law. All candidates for Distinguished Member must be endorsed by at least two Fellows or Distinguished Members of the Society.”

Members nominated for Fellow or Distinguished member status through AP-LS must provide evidence of unusual and outstanding contributions in the area of psychology and law. The deadline for receipt of all application materials (nominee’s materials and endorsers’ materials) is December 1.

For Fellow status (unless you are already a Fellow in another division), apply through the APA Fellow portal (https://www.apa.org/members/your-membership/fellows/apply).

For Distinguished Member status and if you are already a Fellow in another APA division, email materials to ebrank2@unl.edu

The AP-LS Distinguished Service Award recognizes members that have contributed exceptional meritorious professional service to the Society and/or the field of legal/forensic psychology.  Examples might include (but are not limited to): extensive committee service and leadership for the Society, community outreach/advocacy, services provided to state, local, or federal governments, or uncompensated consultation in legal or clinical services. Nominees must be members of AP-LS, have been in the field for at least 10 years since their doctoral degree, and have demonstrated a sustained track record of leadership and service.  Up to two individuals may be recognized each year.

Recipients will be formally recognized at the AP-LS Annual Conference.  Awardees will receive a plaque, complimentary registration to that year’s conference, and up to $1,000 in travel reimbursement upon request. 

All nominations should be submitted to: https://tinyurl.com/APLSAwards by November 15, 2025.  Self-nominations will not be considered.  The nomination packet should be a single PDF document that includes:

• A copy of the nominee’s CV;

• A letter detailing the nominee’s distinguished contributions to psychology and law; and

• Any additional letters of support that address the nominee’s service to the field.

More information about the award can be found at: https://ap-ls.org/awards/awards/distinguishedservice.

The AP-LS Award for Distinguished Contributions to Psychology and Law honors one who has made distinguished theoretical, empirical, and/or applied contributions to the field of psychology and law. This award will not be presented on a regular basis. Rather, it will be reserved for those individuals whose contributions are so unusual as to merit special commendation. This award is not exclusively for AP-LS members, and anyone who meets these criteria may be nominated (but self-nominations are not considered).

Recipients will be formally recognized at the AP-LS Annual Conference.  Awardees will receive a plaque, complimentary registration to that year’s conference, and up to $1,000 in travel reimbursement upon request.

All nominations should be submitted to: https://tinyurl.com/APLSAwards by November 15, 2025.  Self-nominations will not be considered.  The nomination packet should be a single PDF document that includes:

• A copy of the nominee’s CV;

• A letter detailing the nominee’s distinguished contributions to psychology and law; and

• Names and addresses of four individuals who are familiar with the nominee’s work and who would be able to address the nominee’s contributions to the field of psychology and law (or additional letters from these four individuals). 
  
  

More information about the award can be found at: https://ap-ls.org/awards/awards/distinguished

The AP-LS Mid-Career Award recognizes members whose work has already substantially contributed to the fields of forensic and legal psychology.  Up to three awards may be given each year to recognize scholars who have contributed through research, theory, and/or practice within these fields (e.g., experimental, forensic, corrections, etc.).

Nominees will have completed their terminal degree 10 - 25 years before the nomination deadline. The nominee should be a member of AP-LS.

Recipients will be formally recognized at the AP-LS Annual Conference.  Awardees will receive a plaque, complimentary registration to that year’s conference, and up to $1,000 in travel reimbursement upon request. 

All nominations should be submitted to: https://tinyurl.com/APLSAwards by November 15, 2025.  Self-nominations will not be considered.  The nomination packet should be a single PDF document that includes:

• A copy of the nominee’s CV;

• A letter detailing the nominee’s distinguished contributions to psychology and law; and

• Any additional letters of support that address the nominee’s contributions to the field.

More information about the award can be found at: https://ap-ls.org/awards/awards/midcareer

The Saleem Shah Award is an annual award co-sponsored by the American Academy of Forensic Psychology and the American Psychology-Law Society recognizing early career excellence and contributions to the field of psychology and law.  Please see https://aafpforensic.org/awards/saleem-shah-award-for-early-career-excellence-in-psychology-and-law/ for more information.

AAFP and AP-LS leadership elected to expand their recognition of emerging talent in our field by potentially honoring up to two (2) early career forensic or legal psychologists annually for this prestigious award. This modification aims to provide greater opportunities for acknowledging outstanding contributions from professionals in the early stages of their careers.

The focus of a nominee's contributions may be in any area of forensic/legal psychology practice, research, or public policy. The selection committee will prioritize one winner from more applied clinical domains and one winner from field or experimental research that can include less clinical domains. Of course, we recognize that excellent work (like Saleem Shah’s) may span these broad categories or be difficult to categorize.

The recipient(s) must have received a doctoral degree (or law degree, whichever comes later, if both have been earned) within the last 10 years (as defined by APA, Year 2015 or later, inclusive of 2015). The award includes $2,000, as well as the opportunity to give the Saleem Shah Address at the next meeting of the American Psychology-Law Society.  

All nominations should be submitted to: https://tinyurl.com/APLSAwards by November 15, 2025.  Self-nominations will not be considered.  The nomination packet should be a single PDF document that includes:

• a letter detailing the nominee’s contributions to psychology and law, and 

• a copy of the nominee’s vita.

More information about the award can be found at: https://ap-ls.org/awards/awards/saleemshah

The AP-LS Book Award Committee is now accepting nominations for the 2026 Book Award, which recognizes exceptional scholarship in psychology and law. The Book Award alternates annually between edited and authored books. This year, we are seeking nominations for edited books published in 2023 or 2024. Please submit your nominations (including self-nominations) by November 1, 2025. We kindly ask for at least two copies of the book to be submitted—electronic versions are preferred. Nominations and e-versions of the book should be sent to the Chair of the Committee: Elizabeth Foster, PhD eefoster@widener.edu

For more information or if you wish to contact a member of the AP-LS Executive Committee, details can be found HERE.

EDITOR

Meg Ternes
meg.ternes@smu.ca

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Taylor Petty

tepetty@usi.edu 

STUDENT ASSISTANT EDITOR

Jennifer McArthur

jennifer.mcarthur@dal.ca 

CONTENT EDITORS–RESEARCH BRIEFS

Kelly McWilliams
kmcwilliams@jjay.cuny.edu

Veronica Johnson
vjohnson@jjay.cuny.edu

CONTENT EDITOR–LEGAL UPDATE

Lori Hoetger
lhoetger@gmail.com

CONTENT EDITOR–TEACHING IN PSYCH & LAW

Casey LaDuke

ttc@ap-ls.org

CONTENT EDITOR–CAREER CORNER

Cassidy White
aplsstudent@gmail.com 

CONTENT EDITOR–CLINICAL & FORENSIC PRACTICE

Danielle Rynczak
danielle.rynczak@umassmed.edu

AP-LS seeks to advance the science of psychology - law and the translation of psychology - law knowledge into practice. Our mission is to enhance the well-being, justice, and human rights though science and practice of psychology in legal contexts.

Archives of the newsletter are available at https://ap-ls.org/newsletter.

American Psychology-Law Society

www.ap-ls.org | (704) 456-7276 | office@ap-ls.org

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 Division 41 of the American Psychological Association All rights reserved.