Law is a profession centered on human interaction. Virtually every aspect of the practice of law can be enhanced by a well-grounded understanding of psychology--the science of how people think, feel, and behave. Lawyers who harness the insights of psychology will be more effective interviewers and counselors, engage in more successful negotiations, conduct more efficient and useful discovery, communicate more ably, better identify and avoid ethical problems, and even be more productive and happy.
Psychology for Lawyers, Second Edition introduces lawyers to some of the key insights offered by the field of psychology, drawn from research on perception, memory, judgment, decision making, emotion, persuasion and influence, communication, and the psychology of justice. It then applies these insights tasks to the daily tasks of lawyering, including interviewing, negotiating, counseling, and conducting discovery.
Case studies and examples throughout the text illustrate concepts in an approachable, relatable way. The authors also include recommendations for relevant books, podcasts, and other media for further exploration.
Robbennolt, Jennifer K.: - Jennifer K. Robbennolt is the Alice Curtis Campell Professor of Law and Professor of Psychology at the University of Illinois. A lawyer and Ph.D. social psychologist, Dr. Robbennolt has won numerous awards for both her teaching and writing and is well known for her integration of psychology into the study of law and legal institutions.
Sternlight, Jean R.: - JEAN R. STERNLIGHT is the Michael and Sonja Saltman Professor of Law and also Founding Director of the Saltman Center for Conflict Resolution at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas Boyd School of Law. She teaches courses on dispute resolution, including both litigation and alternatives thereto, as well as on psychology and lawyering. Frequently cited by courts and the media, Sternlight is co-author of Psychology for Lawyers: Understanding the Human Factors in Negotiation, Litigation, and Decision (ABA 2d ed. 2021), Dispute Resolution: Beyond the Adversarial Model 2d ed. (Aspen 2011), Mediation Theory and Practice 2d ed. (Lexis 2006), and Arbitration Law in America: A Critical Assessment (Cambridge Univ. Press 2006). She has published articles in numerous well-respected journals including Stanford Law Review, University of Pennsylvania Law Review, Journal of Law & Contemporary Problems, William & Mary Law Review, and The Ohio State Journal of Dispute Resolution. She was named Outstanding Scholar by the ABA Section on Dispute Resolution in 2015, and also awarded the 2015 Lifetime Achievement Award by the American College of Civil Trial Mediators. Sternlight received her B.A. (High Honors) from Swarthmore College, and her J.D. (cum laude) from Harvard Law School. She then worked as a law clerk for Honorable Marilyn Hall Patel (N.D. Cal.). After practicing law in Philadelphia at a plaintiff-side employment firm for eight years she then taught at Florida State University College of Law and the University of Missouri-Columbia before moving to the University of Nevada-Las Vegas in 2003.
