ABSTRACT
Psychologists are frequently called into the legal arena to provide opinions in cases such as the ones described above. Whether clinical psychologists like it or not, the chances of being called into court at some point in their careers are quite high. And it is not only clinical psychologists who attorneys and judges look to for expert advise. A cognitive psychologist may be asked to testify about the validity of “repressed memories” (Loftus, 1993). A defense attorney might call upon an expert on perception to testify about factors that may have influenced the reliability of an eye witness’s testimony (see Box 16.1). Psychologists have special knowledge and expertise that the courts value.
