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Neuroscience and Law

As neuroscience deepens our understanding of the brain, behavior, and decision-making, it is also reshaping the practice of law. For those working within neurolaw, this evolving field offers a critical opportunity to examine how scientific insights can, and should, inform legal reasoning, from assessments of criminal responsibility and capacity to the evaluation of pain, memory, and risk. It equips legal professionals to navigate these questions with greater precision, fairness, and ethical awareness. Yet this opportunity also presents challenges: Interpreting neuroscientific evidence requires not just legal acumen, but a clear grasp of what the science can and cannot reliably tell us.

Ongoing education and ethical reflection are needed to ensure that neuroscience serves justice not just as a tool, but as a lens through which we refine what justice can and should look like. As neuroscience becomes more integrated into civil and criminal proceedings, those trained at this intersection can ensure the responsible application of neuroscience within the law.

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