News and Commentary Archive

Explore recent scientific discoveries and news as well as CLBB events, commentary, and press.

Mission

The Center for Law, Brain & Behavior puts the most accurate and actionable neuroscience in the hands of judges, lawyers, policymakers and journalists—people who shape the standards and practices of our legal system and affect its impact on people’s lives. We work to make the legal system more effective and more just for all those affected by the law.

CLBB is Hiring! Project Manager/Research Coordinator

The MGH Center for Law, Brain & Behavior is pleased to announce that it is now accepting applications for a full-time Project Manager / Research Coordinator. CLICK HERE TO APPLY

The Project Manager / Research Coordinator will play a critical role in facilitating the success of CLBB projects by providing substantive and administrative assistance to the Center’s Directors in all CLBB-related endeavors. Primary research functions are conducting research in law and neuroscience, including scientific literature reviews, original writing, and supporting Center-related materials such as briefs and scholarly articles. Key administrative functions involve web content management, grant proposal preparation, and event coordination, among a wide and varied range of duties that support the needs of the Center.


The start date for this position is January 1, 2023 (negotiable). Please submit a resume (with cumulative undergraduate GPA), cover letter, and transcript when applying.


Qualified applicants must have a Bachelor’s degree, with coursework or formal training in neuroscience, as well as expert administrative skills. Strong organizational and interpersonal skills are essential.


The Center for Law, Brain, and Behavior works at the vanguard of applied neuroscience: makingneuroscience is actionable for the legal community in order to ensure just and positive outcomesfor all those affected by the law. Though the brain and the law are both complex, our work is quite simple: helping judges, lawyers, case workers, enforcement agents, and many other actors across the legal ecosystem determine the right solutions for the right people and cases. We promote and enable the sound application of accurate neuroscience to critical areas of the legal process: criminal trials and sentencing, juvenile justice, elder protection, and immigration enforcement and asylum.


The deadline to apply is December 1, 2022. Applicants will be asked to interview on a rolling basis. More details about the directions for applying can be found on the MGH website posting by clicking below. Inquiries about this position can be directed to erehmet@mgh.harvard.edu.


APPLY HERE

Dr. Bruce Price Presents at 2nd Dubai Neurology Hybrid Congress

Dubai Neurology Hybrid Congress | February 25-27, 2022

CLBB Co-Founder and Co-Director Dr. Bruce Price presented at the 2nd Dubai Neurology Hybrid Congress, held in Dubai Festival City, UAE. Dr. Price spoke at the Dementia Session in a lecture titled “Alzheimer Disease: A Neuropsychiatric Syndrome?”


Workshops at this conference included topics on movement disorder and Parkinson’s, dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, headache management, multiple sclerosis, stroke, and epilepsy.


View a recording of Dr. Price’s lecture on Vimeo here.

Juvenile (in) Justice: The Role of Science and Advocacy in Juvenile Sentencing Post-Jones

In Fall 2021, law students at Northeastern University School of Law (NUSL) under the direction of Professor Stevie Leahy began investigation into the current state of law and public policy regarding the sentencing of juvenile offenders across the United States.  This investigation was prompted by the Spring 2021 decision by the US Supreme Court in Jones v. MississippiMany experts consider Jones to signal the end of increasing 8th Amendment protections for juveniles under a series of cases since 2005. In its wake, Jones will now leave the requirements of juvenile sentencing to the discretion of individual courts and/or legislatures. The NUSL students (known as Law Office 7) completed this project in March 2022 and released their analysis and recommendations as Juvenile (in) Justice: The Role of Science and Advocacy in Juvenile Justice Post-Jones.  CLBB served as a partner organization for this project, which coincided with their publication of a detailed whitepaper aligning scientific research with prior factors considered by courts in juvenile sentencing. CLBB Executive Director Dr. Robert Kinscherff and Affiliated Faculty Judge Jay Blitzman (ret.) consulted with the students, with Judge Blitzman bringing his nationally recognized expertise in this area.  Armand Coleman, Executive Director at the Transformational Prison Project, also provided his guidance and expertise to the students. The research by Law Office 7 confirms that a lack of clarity and specific requirements within juvenile sentencing decisions increases disparities in “justice by geography” when it comes to sentencing outcomes.

Please click here to view the guide: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1KOf3pFJ7ANmT8o47xPowW65vJrejuTxo/view?usp=sharing

Neuroscience and Cannabis: Implications for Law and Policy

April 20, 2022, 12:00 PM
Online

 Register for this Event

Online Viewing

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, this panel discussion will be held virtually, as an online webinar. The event will be recorded, captioned, and distributed at a later date for registrants who are unable to watch live. To ensure that you receive access to the livestream and the recording, register now. We will send out a link to the livestream of the event to all registrants the day before and day of the event. Last registration is 11:30am on the day of the event.

Event Description

The legalization of cannabis has raised significant questions for law and public policy. In this public event, neuroscientist Dr. Yasmin Hurd will explore the science of cannabis, CBD, and the future of substance use disorder treatment. Dr. Stephanie Tabashneck will then moderate a discussion and audience Q&A about the implications for law and policy.

Join the conversation or submit questions on Twitter @PetrieFlom using #LawAndNeuro.

Panelists

  • Introduction: Carmel Shachar, Executive Director, Petrie-Flom Center
  • Yasmin Hurd, PhD, Ward-Coleman Chair, Translational Neuroscience, Professor Psychiatry and Neuroscience, and Director, Addiction Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
  • Stephanie Tabashneck, PsyD, JD, Senior Fellow in Law and Applied Neuroscience, CLBB and the Petrie-Flom Center

This event is part of the Project on Law and Applied Neuroscience, a collaboration between the Center for Law, Brain and Behavior at Massachusetts General Hospital and the Petrie-Flom Center for Health Law Policy, Biotechnology, and Bioethics at Harvard Law School.

Center for Law, Brain and Behavior Annual Report, 2020-21

To download the Center for Law, Brain and Behavior Annual Report, 2020-21, please click here.