On January 14, the Flaschner Judicial Institute hosted Neuroscience and the Law: An Introduction for Judges. This half-day educational program was presented in collaboration with the Center for Law, Brain & Behavior (CLBB), Harvard Medical School, and the Neurotech Justice Accelerator at Mass General Brigham (NJAM). Forty judges participated.
The curriculum examined recent and significant developments at the intersection of neuroscience and the legal system. As neuroscientific evidence is increasingly introduced in courtrooms, judges are being asked to consider complex issues related to culpability, capacity, memory, injury, and decision-making.
The presentations included:
Law & Neuroscience 101
Francis X. Shen, JD, PhD, Member, Harvard Medical School Center for Bioethics; Chief Innovation Officer, MGH Center for Law, Brain & Behavior; Co-Director, Neurotech Justice Accelerator at MGB
The Science of Traumatic Stress: Connections to Law and Judicial Wellness
Lisa M. Rocchio, PhD, Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Alpert School of Medicine at Brown University
Law and the Developing Brain
Leah Somerville, PhD, Grafstein Family Professor of Psychology, Harvard University
Law and the Aging Brain
Judith G. Edersheim, JD, MD, Co-Founder and Co-Director, Center for Law, Brain & Behavior, Harvard Medical School
All sessions emphasized applied neuroscience and its relevance to real-world courtroom decision-making. Discussion throughout the program focused on how judges can thoughtfully assess, contextualize, and respond to neuroscientific evidence.