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.

The Adolescent Brain: What Lawyers and Parents Must Know

On Sunday, August 10, 2014, at the Annual Meeting of the American Bar Association (ABA), the ABA Commission on Youth at Risk presented an important panel to frontline legal practitioners on the latest research and legal developments related to the adolescents offenders. The forum addressed the following questions:

  • What is reasonable juvenile behavior under the law?
  • What does research tell us about teens’ brains and how it influences their behavior?
  • How is a young person affected long term when the legal system harshly treats and places stigmatizing labels on him or her?
  • How do we ensure the legal system does not further traumatize or inappropriately punish juveniles who enter the courts?

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