Welcome to the January 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.
|
CEO Artur Evans held a town hall for APA Council members on December 11, 2025, to provide an update of the organization. He noted that, although there have been some recent staff losses, the administrative structure is working well. He mentioned that APA has been strategically navigating a changing policy landscape yet has prioritized APA’s values and mission. In that regard, APA has sent over 113K messages to Congress citing psychological research/science on issues affecting individuals. They have an active APA/APASI resource center, which has provided resources, published policy insights, and been visited over 150K times. Dr. Evans cited a steadiness in APA membership, currently at 189K, expressing excitement at the growth in international members, and student membership at 62K. Dr. Evans mentioned APA’s outreach to the public through social media, podcasts, and media mentions, and ensuring that research/science information is packaged well in partnership with other organizations and social media platforms. APA’s advocacy staff have been active in getting psychology a “professional" designation to prevent cap/limits on student loans, have advocated for not having a 4-year limit on international student visas, and have continued to support diversity standards in the accreditation standards. In addition, APA has been working with the FTC to address mental health chatbots, noting that APA is attempting to stay current with the effect of AI. APA’s draft revisions to the Model Licensing Act will hopefully be out for public comment in early 2026, so please respond with comments as this is being revised.
|
Law and Human Behavior 2026 Editorial Fellow
|
Law and Human Behavior’s Editorial Fellowship Program seeks to elevate leadership opportunities for early-career psychologists from communities that have been historically underrepresented in research and publishing leadership roles. The Editorial Team of Law and Human Behavior is pleased to announce that Dr. Lindsay Healey was selected as the Law and Human Behavior Editorial Fellow for 2026. Dr. Healey is an early-career Scientist with the Integrated Forensic Program at the University of Ottawa Institute of Mental Health Research at The Royal in Ottawa, Canada. After completing a PhD in Forensic Psychology at Carleton University in 2023, she completed a postdoctoral fellowship in the Department of Psychological Science at the University of California, Irvine. Her program of research broadly focuses on the intersection of serious mental illness and the criminal justice system, with particular interest in advancing the rehabilitation and outcomes of individuals involved in the courts and the forensic mental health system. Dr. Healey will work closely with Dr. Jennifer Perillo, an Associate Editor for Law and Human Behavior, to develop editorial leadership skills. Dr. Healey will serve as an Editorial Fellow for calendar year 2026.
|
AP-LS March 2025 Executive Committee Meeting Minutes
|
August’s Executive Committee meeting minutes can be found HERE.
|
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.
The editorial board members are:
|
Interested in showcasing your work at APA’s annual convention?
|
Submit a proposal! We are accepting proposals from NOW until Wednesday, January 14. Presenting at APA 2026 is a great way to share your work with other psychologists, enhance your CV, and build your reputation.
Do you know colleagues that should speak at APA 2026? Please help us spread the word! Great presenters help us deliver a great event.
APA 2026 will be held August 6–8 in Washington DC. To learn more about the Convention, visit https://convention.apa.org. For questions, reach out to the Co-Chairs at (apaconference@ap-ls.org).
Please consider serving as a proposal reviewer—we welcome student reviewers! Visit https://tinyurl.com/Div41APA2026Reviewers to sign up.
Conference Co-Chairs:
Krystia Reed, J.D., Ph.D., University of Texas at El Paso, kmreed2@utep.edu
Amor Correa, Ph.D., UT Southwestern Medical Center, (amor.correa@utsouthwestern.edu)
|
AP-LS 2026 Pre-conference Workshop Descriptions and Grants
|
The AP-LS Continuing Education (CE) Committee is pleased to offer 10 grants to students and/or early career psychologists (defined as 10 years or less since last terminal degree was awarded) to attend pre-conference CE workshops. For the latest information about the pre-conference workshops and the conference, please check the AP-LS conference website. For information about the pre-conference workshops, please see here.
To apply for a pre-conference grant (which covers the workshop registration fee), please complete the application by Sunday, January 11th, 2026, 11:59 PST. Grant recipients will be notified by January 27th (prior to the early registration rate deadline). Note: if you have already registered for a workshop, you can still apply and receive a refund for your registration fee.
Contact Sara Millspaugh, Ph.D., at (ce@ap-ls.org) with any questions. We look forward to receiving your applications!
|
Call for Co-Chairs for 2028 AP-LS Conference
|
The American Psychology-Law Society Conference Advisory Committee (CAC) invites applications from individuals interested in co-chairing the March 2028 AP-LS Annual Conference. We encourage self-nominations across all areas of clinical and research expertise.
The CAC will select one representative from the clinical/clinical research arena and one from the experimental/non-clinical research arena to co-chair the conference. Co-chairing the AP-LS conference is a great way to get involved in AP-LS leadership, contribute to the organization, and build connections.
The 2028 co-chairs will begin shadowing the 2027 co-chairs beginning in summer 2026 and will begin planning the 2028 conference beginning in summer 2027. Co-chairs receive travel and hotel reimbursement to attend both the March 2027 AP-LS Conference, as well as the March 2028 AP-LS Conference.
Please submit your nomination, including a curriculum vitae and a letter of intent describing your interest in and qualifications for the role, by the end of the day January 20, 2026, at https://forms.gle/rZ893ARik57yL3hF7.
Please contact Dr. Emily Haney-Caron, CAC Chair, at (ehaney-caron@jjay.cuny.edu) with any questions.
|
Seeking Nominees: AP-LS Executive Committee Positions
Due by Friday, January 16, 2026
|
In mid-April, an election will be held to fill the Division 41 positions of President-Elect, Secretary, and Member-at-Large. We are seeking nominations for these positions. Nominees must be a member of Division 41. Self-nominations are welcome. If you are nominating someone for the election slate, please ensure that they are willing to run if they are selected to be on the ballot.
The Society welcomes applications from AP-LS members who represent the full range of areas of interest within the broad intersection of psychology and law. We particularly welcome those whose vision includes an awareness of the challenges and opportunities faced by the Society’s mission to "enhance well-being, justice, and human rights through the science and practice of psychology in legal contexts."
All nominations are due by Friday, January 16, 2026.
The following materials must be submitted in a single PDF to our nominations portal:
If you have an interest in one of these positions and have questions, we encourage you to speak with any member of the Nominations & Awards Committee (listed below).
Christian Meissner (cmeissner@iastate.edu), Chair & Past-President
Randy Salekin (rsalekin@ua.edu), Member & President
Virginia Barger Rioja (Vibarber@hotmail.com), Member & President-Elect
Jason Cantone (cantone@gmail.com), Member
Sarah Miller (Sarah.L.Miller@maine.gov), Member
Lavita Nadkarni (lavita.nadkarni@du.edu), Member
Kyle Scherr (scher1kc@cmich.edu), Member
|
Broadening Representation, Inclusion, Diversity, and Global Equity for AP-LS (BRIDGE) Awards Notice
|
Request for proposals for Chapters and Essays
|
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. Email submissions to Monica Miller at (mkmiller@unr.edu).
|
REMINDER: Webinars: Learning from Lived Experience
SAVE THE DATE: January 28, 2026 (3:00 EST / 12:00 PST)
|
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.
|
For more information or if you wish to contact a member of the AP-LS Executive Committee, details can be found HERE.
|
On The Job or Postdoc Market? AP-LS Job Postings
|
Newsletter Editorial Board
|
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.
|
|
