Neurolaw has been featured in The New York Times, Science, Scientific American, The Charlie Rose Show, NPR, and many other outlets.
Law and Neuroscience is the first law casebook to cover the emerging and exciting field of law and neuroscience. Currently the book is in the latter stages of development.
The core structure of the book is straightforwardly presented in four main parts. Each chapter has a galvanizing example at the beginning, to focus interest and highlight key features of legal relevance. The balance of each chapter then explores various issues naturally arising from consideration of the opening example.
Students will find Law and Neuroscience to be accessible and user-friendly. No science background is assumed or required, and the examples in each chapter vividly illustrate the relevance of scientific findings to law. The book is being developed for cross-platform use and will incorporate multimedia content and e-reader capabilities.
There are four parts to the book:
Part I provides introductions and overviews. To spark student interest and to start raising salient issues, it begins with a high-profile case involving a man who, after killing his wife, mounted a “brain defect” defense.
Part II provides the basic tools at the intersection of neuroscience, psychology, and law. It introduces: the relationship between law and science; the fundamentals of brain organization and function; the basics of brain-imaging technology; the promise and limitations of that technology; how to read and understand brain imaging studies; and the like.
Part III is the “core” content, where faculty and students will spend most of their time during the course. If a professor chose to cover only these core themes, there is ample material for a semester. Core themes include: Evidence; Responsibility; Memory; Lie Detection; Adolescent Brains; Emotions; Neuroscience and Tort Law; Addiction; and Brain Death.
Part IV provides a series of less central but engaging special topics, which represent cutting-edge but optional coverage. These include: Neuroprediction; Psychopathy; Health Law; Artificial Intelligence & Neuroprosthetics; Coercion and Drugs; Moral and Legal Reasoning; Behavioral Genetics; Neuroethics and Neuroeconomics.
