The Reading Room
Resources for Those Going Deeper into Neurolaw
This is a curated list of books, articles, videos, databases, and organizations for students who want to go beyond Mind on Trial's published content and explore neurolaw more deeply. Everything listed here is real, publicly accessible, and chosen because it directly connects to the questions Mind on Trial covers. We update this list regularly. If you have a resource to suggest, email info@mindontrial.org.
Section 1 — Start Here
If you are new to neurolaw, start with these.
What Is Neurolaw and Why Should You Care?
Mind on Trial's own introduction to the field. The best starting point for anyone who has never encountered neurolaw before.
mindontrial.org/blog
Elizabeth Loftus — How Reliable Is Your Memory?
A TED Talk by the world's leading memory researcher. Loftus spent decades proving that human memory is reconstructive, not reproductive — and that eyewitness testimony is far less reliable than courts assume. Essential viewing for anyone interested in how neuroscience challenges legal procedure.
ted.com/talks/elizabeth_loftus_how_reliable_is_your_memory
James Fallon — Exploring the Mind of a Killer
A TED Talk by a neuroscientist who discovered his own brain scan matched the pattern associated with psychopathy. Fallon's talk is one of the most accessible and provocative introductions to the neuroscience of antisocial behavior available anywhere.
ted.com/talks/jim_fallon_exploring_the_mind_of_a_killer
Section 2 — Books
These are the books that matter most in neurolaw. Some are written for professionals but are accessible to motivated students.
Brain Science for Lawyers, Judges, and Policymakers
Francis X. Shen, Owen D. Jones, Jeffrey D. Schall, Morris B. Hoffman, and Anthony D.
Wagner - Oxford University Press, 2024
The most current and accessible introduction to neuroscience for a legal audience. Written by the leading neurolaw scholars in the country, including Dr. Francis Shen of the MGH Center for Law, Brain and Behavior. Clear illustrations, plain language, and comprehensive coverage of how brain science intersects with legal decision-making.
Available at Oxford University Press and major booksellers.
Law and Neuroscience
Owen D. Jones, Jeffrey D. Schall, and Francis X. Shen - Aspen Publishing
The first and only university casebook dedicated entirely to neurolaw. Used in law school courses across the country. Chapter 1 and the table of contents are available free online. An essential reference for anyone serious about the field.
Chapter 1 available free at: aspenpublishing.com
The Psychopath Inside
James Fallon - Current, 2013
A neuroscientist discovers his own brain scan matches the pattern associated with psychopathy. Part memoir, part neuroscience, part legal and ethical meditation on what brain structure tells us about moral responsibility. Readable, provocative, and directly relevant to the questions Mind on Trial covers.
Picking Cotton
Jennifer Thompson-Cannino and Ronald Cotton - St. Martin's Press, 2009
The story of a wrongful conviction from both sides the woman who identified the wrong man with total certainty, and the man who spent eleven years in prison as a result. The book that best illustrates the neuroscience of memory and eyewitness testimony at a human level.
Neurolaw
Gregg D. Caruso - Cambridge University Press, 2024
A rigorous philosophical and scientific examination of neurolaw's implications for criminal responsibility, free will, and the future of justice. Caruso synthesizes neuroscience, philosophy, and legal analysis to argue for a compassionate reform of retributive justice. For advanced readers.
Available at Cambridge University Press.
Section 3 — Free Online Resources
These are free, publicly accessible databases and libraries built specifically for neurolaw.
CLBB NeuroLaw Library
The Center for Law, Brain and Behavior at Massachusetts General Hospital has built the most comprehensive free neurolaw library in existence. It includes journal articles, amicus briefs, educational videos, a neurolaw dictionary, and toolkits for attorneys and advocates.
Plain language throughout. An extraordinary resource.
clbbneurolawlibrary.com
MacArthur Foundation Research Network on Law and Neuroscience
The MacArthur Network maintains a searchable bibliography of neurolaw research, an active email newsletter called Neurolaw News, and a wealth of introductory resources on the field. Free to access.
lawneuro.org
The Innocence Project
The Innocence Project has documented wrongful convictions overturned by DNA evidence across the United States. Their eyewitness misidentification resources are the most comprehensive public collection of data on memory and wrongful conviction available.
innocenceproject.org
Oyez
A free, plain-language database of every Supreme Court case ever decided, with audio recordings of oral arguments. Essential for any student researching landmark neurolaw cases including Roper v. Simmons, Graham v. Florida, Miller v. Alabama, and Daubert v.
Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals.
oyez.org
ProPublica Machine Bias Investigation
ProPublica's original 2016 investigation into racial bias in the COMPAS risk assessment algorithm. The single most important piece of investigative journalism in neurolaw's recent history. Free to read in full.
propublica.org/article/machine-bias-risk-assessments-in-criminal-sentencing
Section 4 — Academic Journals
These are the journals where the most important neurolaw research is published. Many articles are available free through PubMed or Google Scholar.
Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law (JAAPL)
The premier academic journal at the intersection of psychiatry and law. Covers forensic psychiatric evaluations, criminal responsibility, risk assessment, and mental health law. Many articles freely available.
jaapl.org
Law and Human Behavior
The official journal of the American Psychology-Law Society. Publishes research on eyewitness testimony, jury decision-making, risk assessment, and the psychology of legal processes.
apa.org/pubs/journals/lhb
Trends in Cognitive Sciences
A leading neuroscience journal that frequently publishes research directly relevant to neurolaw, including work on impulse control, decision-making, memory, and psychopathy.
cell.com/trends/cognitive-sciences
Section 5 — Organizations to Know
These are the institutions and organizations doing the most important work in neurolaw today.
MGH Center for Law, Brain and Behavior (CLBB)
Based at Massachusetts General Hospital and affiliated with Harvard Medical School. The leading research and advocacy center at the intersection of neuroscience and the law.
Directed by Dr. Robert Kinscherff and Dr. Francis Shen.
clbb.mgh.harvard.edu
Neurotech Justice Accelerator at Mass General Brigham (NJAM)
A Dana Foundation Center for Neuroscience and Society focused specifically on neurotechnology and justice. Led by Dr. Francis Shen, Dr. Gabriel Lázaro-Muñoz, and Dr. Theresa Williamson. Hosts an annual summit open to students.
neurotechjustice.org
The Petrie-Flom Center at Harvard Law School
A bioethics and health law research center at Harvard Law School with active programming on neurolaw, neurotechnology, and criminal justice. Hosts public events throughout the academic year.
petrieflom.law.harvard.edu
American Psychology-Law Society (AP-LS)
The premier academic organization at the intersection of psychology and law. Publishes Law and Human Behavior, hosts an annual conference, and has a student committee with programming specifically designed for students entering the field.
ap-ls.org
The NeuroRights Foundation
Founded by neuroscientist Rafael Yuste at Columbia University, the NeuroRights Foundation advocates for legal protections for human brain data and mental privacy. Their consumer neurotechnology audit is the most comprehensive public report on neural data privacy available.
neurorightsfoundation.org
The Reading Room is a living document. We add resources regularly as the field develops. If you have read something that changed how you think about neuroscience and law and want to share it, email info@mindontrial.org.
Last updated: August 2026