Welcome to the April 2026
American Psychology-Law Society (AP-LS) Newsletter
Our monthly Newsletter provides information about activities, upcoming events, and resources to connect the psychology-law community.
AP-LS aspires to excel as a valuable, effective, and influential organization advancing the science of psychology-law and the translation of psychology-law knowledge into practice and policy.
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AP-LS Undergraduate Grants-in-Aid Winners
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Congratulations to the winners of the newest AP-LS Undergraduate Grants-in-Aid!
Dylan Chatterley, University of Wyoming
Juror Decision-Making in an Intimate Partner Violence Trial: Impact of Victim Gender and Borderline Personality Disorder Diagnosis
Advisor: Dr. Kayla A. Burd
Award: $1,000
Research indicates victim gender significantly predicts mock juror decision-making in intimate partner violence (IPV) cases. Additionally, individuals with borderline personality disorder (BPD), an extremely stigmatized disorder, are at increased risk for being victims of IPV. The current study will examine the effects of victim gender and BPD psychoeducation on mock juror biases/decision-making in IPV cases. Researchers hypothesize that mock jurors presented with the female victim and no psychoeducation will render more guilty verdicts compared to the male victim with psychoeducation. This research will increase understanding of the stigma victims of IPV with BPD face due to their gender and diagnosis.
Anne Newlin-Custard, University of Wyoming
Juror Comprehension of Death Penalty Instruction
Advisor: Dr. Hannah Phalen
Award: $985.70
This project investigates juror comprehension of capital sentencing instructions and the interpretation of aggravating and mitigating evidence. Despite decades of reform efforts, empirical research demonstrates that jurors often misunderstand key legal standards, leading to sentencing disparities and the overevaluation of aggravating evidence. This study examines whether simplified, strategically timed jury instructions improve comprehension and equitable application of mitigating evidence in order to advance understanding of juror comprehension in capital trials and offers empirically grounded recommendations for instruction reform and fairness in capital trials.
Audrey Larsen, Vancouver Island University
Children’s Memory for Conversations About a Staged Event
Advisor: Dr. Becky Earhart
Award: $1,000
Limited developmental research has examined destination memory (remembering whom one shared information with), despite its vital role in abuse investigations, where children are often asked to remember details of prior disclosure conversations. This project will utilize a novel paradigm involving an adult’s minor transgression, about which children (N = 160, age 5 to 10) will be questioned on two occasions, followed by a memory test about the conversations. We expect that children will be less accurate at remembering what was said to whom when they dishonestly conceal the transgression. Results will advance developmental memory research in psychology and law.
Taylor M. Matthew, University of Manitoba
How Language and Immigration Status Impacts Clinicians’ Competency and Malingering Judgements
Advisor: Dr. Alicia Nijdam-Jones
Award: $900
Clinicians must conduct culturally appropriate assessments to reduce the impact of bias and ensure equitable evaluations across various forensic contexts. This two-part mixed-method project will survey 150 forensic psychologists to examine cultural biases in malingering evaluations and to describe current forensic assessment practices. Study 1 will use a 2x2 experimental vignette design to test how immigration status and English proficiency influence clinicians’ malingering opinions and competency judgments. Study 2 will explore clinicians’ approaches to cross-cultural feigning assessment and estimates of malingering across psycholegal contexts. Findings will clarify potential sources of bias and inform culturally and linguistically responsive forensic assessment practices.
Madelynn Telkamp, University of Wyoming
Examining Perceptions of Surrogates and Sex Workers
Advisor: Dr. Hannah Phalen
Award: $944.11
Stigmatizing attitudes towards both surrogate mothers and sex workers can impact various mental and physical health outcomes (Platt et al., 2018; Rodríguez-Jaume, González-Río, & Jareño-Ruiz, 2021). This study examines how similarities in the arguments in favor of and against surrogacy and sex work influence perceptions of the person engaging in these professions and downstream legal consequences, using a three-cell design (Conception of Child: Surrogate, Sex worker, One-night stand). This research aims to identify a potential connection between perceptions of these two populations and address how those might influence child custody cases. Addressing this possible connection is crucial to informing public policy on the laws regulating these professions.
Lauren Kois, PhD
Undergraduate Grants-in-Aid Committee Chair
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Minutes from the November 2025 AP-LS Executive Committee Meeting
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To read the minutes from the November 2025 AP-LS Executive Committee meeting, please click HERE.
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Consider Joining the Spanish-Speaking Forensic Psychology Network
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Call for applications for the Grant-in-Aid for Early Career Professionals
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The Early Career Professionals Committee is opening a call for Grants-in-Aid for Early Career Professionals. The purpose of this award is to support AP-LS members who are ECPs in conducting research related to psychology and law. It is the committee’s desire that these awards are not limited only to members who are psychologists, but instead open to AP-LS members from all backgrounds. The deadline for submissions is May 15. The purpose of this award is to support AP-LS members who are ECPs in conducting research related to psychology and law. It is the committee’s desire that these awards are not limited only to members who are psychologists, but instead open to AP-LS members from all backgrounds. Applications are open to all AP-LS members who are within ten years of receiving their last degree. For further information regarding eligibility criteria, proposal guidelines and templates, please visit: https://ap-ls.org/awards/grants/ecgrantinaid.
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American Academy of Forensic Psychology Dissertation Grants in Applied Law/Psychology
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A committee of AAFP fellows reviews applications and grants of up to $2,000 will be awarded based on the following criteria:
- Potential contribution of the dissertation to applied law-psychology
- Methodological soundness/experimental design
- Budgetary needs, review of applicant’s personal statement
Students in the process of developing a dissertation proposal and those collecting dissertation data as of April 14, 2026 are eligible for the grants for the coming year.*
To apply, students must submit electronic copies of the following no later than April 14, 2026 (incomplete applications will not be considered):
- A letter from the applicant including:
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- A summary of interest and career goals in the area of law and psychology
- The proposed research and its timeline
- The dissertation budget, award amount requested, and how the award will be used
- Current status of approval from the relevant committees and IRB (funds cannot be awarded until IRB approval is complete, if necessary).
- A current CV
- A letter (no longer than one page) from the applicant's dissertation chair/supervisor offering their support of the applicant, confirming that the dissertation proposal has been or is expected to be approved and will be conducted as detailed in the applicant's letter.
Submissions should be e-mailed no later than April 14th to the President-Elect of AAFP at guyton@nwforensic.org. Applicants will receive a confirmation of receipt within five business days from the deadline. Questions or inquiries regarding the award competition or receipt of application should be directed to the President-Elect of AAFP. Contact information appears below.
*Please note that this is a grant for original research, rather than an award for research that has been completed.
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The AP-LS Conference Advisory Committee (CAC) is seeking interested professionals to co-chair the AP-LS programming for the APA Annual Convention from 2027-2028. The APA co-chair role requires a two-year commitment. The first year (2027) involves shadowing and supporting the senior co-chair. In the second year (2028), the co-chair will take a leadership role in selecting content for the program. We encourage self-nominations, particularly in the experimental (non-clinical) area this year. The CAC will select one representative to co-chair programming for the 2027-2028 term.
Typical periods in which co-chairs have increased workloads include September through October when preparing collaborative programs with other divisions; December through January when assigning reviewers, making selections, and building the program schedule; and, August during the APA Convention.
Please submit your nomination including Letter of Intent and CV by April 15, 2026. Decisions will be made soon after. Nominations may be submitted here: https://forms.gle/BxysH7VNiw9EknmX7
Please contact Emily Haney-Caron, CAC Chair, at ehaney-caron@jjay.cuny.edu with any questions.
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Newsletter Editor Position
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AP-LS is seeking applications for the position of Newsletter Editor. The 3-year term begins in August, 2026. This is a non-voting appointment on the AP-LS Executive Committee.
Each month, the Editor solicits news submissions from the AP-LS leadership. The Editor will work closely with the Associate Editor, Taylor Petty, who coordinates regular column submissions from content editors (i.e., Research Briefs, Legal Update, Teaching in Psych & Law, Career Corner, and Clinical & Forensic Practice). Interested individuals are encouraged to contact the outgoing Editor Meg Ternes (meg.ternes@smu.ca) to discuss the position.
To apply, please send a cover letter and Curriculum Vita to Chair of the Communications Committee, Ana Belmonte: webeditor@ap-ls.org.
The application deadline is April 15, 2026.
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The American Psychology-Law Society invites proposals for new titles in its book series, which is now published by Oxford University Press. We publish authored and edited volumes on current issues at the intersection of psychology and law. Books are typically a state of the science synthesis of a body of existing research with implications for practice and/or policy. Authors and editors should have a substantial and recent track record of publication and/or practice in psychology or law, and at least one should hold a doctorate in psychology or closely related behavioral science. If you have a proposal for a new book in the series or you would simply like more information, please reach out to a member of the editorial team. We would be happy to discuss possible topics and fit for the series. Inquiries are accepted on a rolling basis.
The editorial board members are:
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Request for Proposals for Chapters and Essays
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Monica K. Miller, David DeMatteo, and Daniel Krauss are editors of the book series
“Advances in Psychology and Law,” which seeks to enhance understanding of the connections between these disciplines, present “state of the science” summaries for current researchers, and provide a starting point for scholars wanting to delve into a new topic of study by reading an up-to-date review chapter or brief essay on that topic. All areas of psychology (e.g., developmental, social, cognitive, clinical, neuroscience) and law (e.g., criminal, civil, contracts, property, family) are appropriate for inclusion.
Chapters and essays will be primarily reviews or meta-analyses. Although they might provide some data to illustrate a new phenomenon, they are not meant to be data-driven like a journal article. Review chapters and essays will be on particular topics relevant to psychology and law and will be of current interest to the field. Chapters (and especially essays) will typically summarize research on one particular topic, rather than focusing on the entire body of research in an area (e.g., focusing on the Weapon Focus effect rather than the entire body of eyewitness memory). Chapters will be relatively long (30-40 pages d.s.), which will allow authors to provide in depth analysis and take calculated risks (e.g., engaging in informed speculation about future research or the consequences of particular legal policies). Essays will be shorter (approximately 10 pages d.s.) because they discuss a topic that is new and/or has less previous research to synthesize.
The book series has an editorial board of distinguished scholars who are experts in various areas in psychology and law. The editorial board will offer guidance about the development of topics and serve as expert reviewers of chapters and essays. The editors strive to produce one volume in the series approximately every 12-18 months.
Overviews of the previous volumes can be viewed here to ensure topics have not been already included in the series and to see examples of chapters: http://www.springer.com/series/11918?detailsPage=titles
Submit an approximately 300 word description and title of your proposed topic and indicate if you want to write an essay or chapter. Specify both the legal component and the psychological component of your topic. Inquiries are accepted on a rolling basis. Email submissions to Monica Miller at mkmiller@unr.edu.
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AP-LS Student Committee’s New Mentorship Program
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The AP-LS Student Committee is launching a new mentorship program! Sign up here: https://forms.gle/GDXnreiPd5ciBtrn9
We’re excited to launch a supportive, community-driven mentorship program designed to connect emerging scholars with experienced peers in the field. Participants can sign up either as mentors, open to anyone in their second year or beyond in a graduate program or as mentees, including undergraduates, prospective applicants, and first-year graduate students (or those about to begin). Because this program is new, we’ll be learning and shaping it together. We anticipate bi-annual virtual meetings for mentors and mentees, and we ask that mentors remain available throughout the year for occasional emails or smaller questions that may arise. The commitment is one year minimum, with the option to continue as long as you’d like. We’ll do our best to match participants thoughtfully, though there may be a brief waiting list as we get the program up and running. We appreciate your enthusiasm and patience and we can’t wait to build this community with you!
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For more information or if you wish to contact a member of the AP-LS Executive Committee, details can be found HERE.
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On The Job or Postdoc Market? AP-LS Job Postings
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Newsletter Editorial Board
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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.
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