Kayla
I am interested in how and what in the brain makes people react certain ways but i am also interested in law, what career should I follow?
My life is moving, and I cannot think of something that I would love to do everyday as a job unless it contains those two aspects in some way. #psychology #law #lawyer #brain
4 answers
Kim Igleheart
Kim’s Answer
Kayla,
The mentally ill, and the developmentally challenged, often fall victim to our criminal justice system. To have an attorney who will advocate for them, who truly understands their situation, would be awesome! While you cannot be both the attorney and the expert witness, to have a foundation in brain science would really help you to handle their case, reduce your reliance on experts in the early stages of the case, and allow you to know what type of experts you need to retain.
Alternatively, you could become that professional who is the expert witness that lawyers call. But, it takes a lot of work before you are recognized by the courts as an "expert."
Anything you could do to help open people's minds to mental illness will be appreciated!
Now, the flip side, is that sometimes criminals try to get acquitted by faking mental illness. So you would need to watch out for that, and get a reputation for separating out the two.
So, I think you should find an undergrad program that offers a strong neuroscience background, and then go to law school!
thanks, I'll go do some research and see what I can find
Kayla
On the law side, it has mostly to do with criminal defense and civil rights law, but there could be other areas as well. best of luck!
Kim Igleheart
Jennifer Richards
Jennifer’s Answer
I would agree with Mrs. Caliendo's advice. Law school and being an attorney aren't really going to touch on brain science. Try some internships in different areas to see what you think about each profession. As a side note, there is a great book you might be interested in reading by a neurosurgeon that was on the best seller list recently called "When Breath Becomes Air." I highly recommend it. Best of luck.
Totally agree with Jennifer. And law school is a BIG commitment. It takes 3 years of schooling, is very expensive (when I left school my loans totaled $200,000), and is useful only if you want to be a lawyer. So focus on the internships in other areas first.
Camille Edwards Bennehoff
Courtney Caliendo
Courtney’s Answer
I would suggest Social Work or Psychology with a specialization in something related to Criminal Justice if offered. Otherwise, double major in any of these.
Linda Ann Robinson, Ph.D.
Linda Ann’s Answer
I would recommend Forensic Psychology. There are several graduate programs that specialize in this sub-discipline of psychological science. These programs are situated in school which have both doctoral level psychology programs AND law schools!
For more information about forensic psychology, go to the website of the American Psychological Association (www.apa.org) and put the term "forensic psychology" in the search box. It will provide thousands of links that you can explore to learn more about this specialty.
I wish you the best in your education and in your future career!