ABSTRACT
Psychology in the United States has become increasingly characterized by the development of applied specialty areas (Drum & Blom, 2001). The emergence of neuropsychological assessment within legal contexts is one illustration of this trend (Heilbrun et al., 2003). Forensic psychology is a specialty area within psychology broadly concerned with the various intersections among law and psychology (Heilbrun, Grisso, & Goldstein, 2009); forensic neuropsychological assessment is one of these juncture points. Forensic neuropsychological assessment generally focuses upon the relationship between cognitive parameters, such as memory or decision-making ability, and legal issues. It is one of the fastest-growing areas within clinical neuropsychology, with an increasing number of neuropsychologists presenting and evaluating the results of neuropsychological assessments in court. In turn, this activity has also led to a definable area of research activity (e.g., Sweet, Condit, & Nelson, 2008; Sweet, Ecklund-Johnston, & Malina, 2007; Sweet, King, Malina, Bergman, & Simmons, 2002). In fact, it has become common even for non-forensic neuropsychologists to be periodically confronted with forensic issues throughout their careers.
