User:Julishaw

EAPL-S
The European Association of Psychology and Law - Student Society (EAPL-S) is an international student society dedicated to supporting students and professionals in the field of Psych-Law. It's parent organization, the European Association of Psychology and Law is internationally renown for it's academic journal "Psychology, Crime and Law", it's annual conference , and it's leadership in promoting the field of psychology and law.

The EAPL-S aims to encourage awareness on issues pertaining to psychology and law, from providing basic information on the practices of forensic psychologists to funding opportunities. The EAPL-S currently has local chapters in Canada, the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, Scotland and England, with local representatives responsible for hosting educational and fundraising events.

History
The EAPL-S launched it's first series of events at the EAPL conference in 2008. The EAPL-S co-founders are Jenny Shell and Julia Shaw, who completed their masters together at the University of Maastricht in the Netherlands.

The EAPL-S was established because it's founders recognized a lack of community and student-oriented events for students in psychology and law outside of the United States. In an attempt to change the status quo, the EAPL-S was founded, and joined alliance with all major professional psych-law organizations: the American Psychology - Law Association (AP-LS), the Australia and New Zealand Association of Psychiatry, Psychology and the Law (ANZAPPL) and the Nordic Network for Research on Psychology and Law (NNPL). These organizations have since worked with the EAPL-S in hosting awareness-raising events and networking events. Future endeavors include co-hosting events at the various annual conferences and striving to highlight the importance of psychology and law world-wide.

Psychology and Law
Psychology and Law, encompassing the more familiar [| forensic psychology], is an area of psychology that deals with legal issues. From working with criminal offenders in clinical settings to educating jurors and judges as expert witnesses in court, psychology and law specialists can help improve the criminal justice system. For example, forensic Psychologists can give testimony in court that puts a more objective and scientific perspective on evidence raised in court, which can prevent poor judicial decisions pertaining to a suspects guilt or innocence. In some respects, using a psychology and law specialist can help prevent innocent individuals from being sentenced to a prison term so that organizations such as the Innocence Project do not have to pick up the pieces post hoc.

James R.P. Ogloff uses the term "Legal Psychology" over Psychology and Law, defining the field as:

"Legal Psychology is the scientific study of the effect of the law on people; and the effect people have on the law. Legal Psychology also includes the application of the study and practice of psychology to legal institutions and people who come into contact with the law." (pp. 13; Ogloff, 2002)