Current Students

Program Requirements

Law-Psychology students are required to meet the expectations of the Department of Psychology and the accompanying psychology graduate program they were admitted to (e.g., Developmental, Clinical, Social-Cognitive).

Law-Psychology students pursuing either an M.L.S. or J.D. must also meet the College of Law expectations for that degree.

The requirements described below provide an overview of interdisciplinary law-psychology requirements of the Law-Psychology program that are in addition to the core department, graduate program, and College of Law requirements. While they likely overlap substantially with the requirements of the Core Discipline program, they are not intended to replace those requirements. Ultimately, a student's doctoral Supervisory Committee (normally appointed near the end of the master's completion) determines what coursework requirements are necessary for the student to complete the Ph.D. in psychology.

M.A. Expectations

Interdisciplinary Coursework

In addition to meeting the expectations of the Department of Psychology and the Psychology graduate program, Law-Psychology students are expected to complete two interdisciplinary Law-Psychology courses, chosen from the following:

  • Law and Behavioral Sciences (PSYC 985; LAW 762).  (This is required for the Ph.D.)
  • Mental Health Law (PSYC 988; LAW 763).  
  • Topics in Law and Psychology (PSYC 989; LAW 764).  This course is offered for various topics; it can be taken up to three times for credit in Psychology; It can be counted up to twice for dual credit (i.e., for Psychology and Law degrees).

Research Expectations

Law-Psychology students are required to complete either a Masters Equivalent Research Project (MERP; PSYC 995, 995A) or a more formal Master’s Thesis, which has additional Graduate Studies paperwork and processes.  Most students choose to do the MERP.  The MERP is acceptable for earning the M.A. by choosing Option B (non-thesis masters) when filing the Memorandum of Courses for the M.A

The MERP and the thesis require approval by a committee of three faculty (i.e., the advisor and two additional faculty).  For Law-Psychology students at least one of those three faculty must have either a primary or courtesy appointment as faculty in the College of Law.

Ph.D. Expectations

Courses taken in pursuit of the M.A. also count toward the Ph.D. 

Interdisciplinary Coursework

In addition to meeting the expectations of the Department of Psychology and the Psychology graduate program, Law-Psychology students are expected to complete a total of four interdisciplinary Law-Psychology courses (counting those taken while earning the M.A.).

Required course

  • Law and Behavioral Sciences (PSYC 985).

Additional three courses chosen from: 

  • Mental Health Law (PSYC 988; LAW 763). 
  • Topics in Law and Psychology (PSYC 989; LAW 764).  This course is offered for various topics; it can be taken up to three times for credit in Psychology; It can be counted up to twice for dual credit (i.e., for Psychology and Law degrees).

Ethics Coursework

All Psychology graduate students are required by the Department and their specific graduate program (e.g., Developmental, Social-Cognitive, Clinical) to take a graduate Ethics class (1 credit minimum, e.g., PSYC 925, Ethics for Psychologists; PSCY 922, Ethics for Clinical Psychologists).

Historically, Law-Psychology has also required an additional course, Ethics for Psychology and the Law (PSYC 925B; 1 credit).  This requirement is currently suspended while the need for additional ethics coursework is being evaluated by the program.

Supervisory Committee Expectations

The Supervisory Committee has the role of formally approving the doctoral Program of Studies, the Comprehensive Examination, and the dissertation.  For Law-Psychology students at least one of the four faculty members serving on the Supervisory Committee must have a primary faculty appointment as faculty in the College of Law.

Research Expectations

All Psychology Ph.D. students are required to complete a dissertation (PSYC 999) that is formally approved by their Supervisory Committee.

Interdisciplinary Courses

The core coursework for the Law-Psychology program consists of a series of Interdisciplinary Courses. The following cross-listed courses are available to dual degree students and credits in these courses count toward degrees in both programs. For M.L.S. students, 12 credits can count toward both degrees; for J.D. students, 18 credits can count toward both degrees.

Mental Health Law
3 credits
Critical review of the mental health laws throughout the nation and their psychological foundations. Emphasis is placed on research that illuminates problems encountered by the mental health system and the relevant law. Topics include the insanity defense, competency to stand trial, guardianship/conservatorship and civil commitment. This course can fulfill the seminar requirement for J.D. students.

Psycholegal Research
3 credits - may be taken twice
A substantial research and writing project on a psycholegal topic generally including a law review quality legal analysis, an empirical study, and their integration. The research is supervised and approved by a faculty member in the Law-Psychology Program with joint appointments in both the Law College and the Psychology Department (currently Brank, Schopp, Votruba, or Wiener). These credits are typically used to complete the requirements for the MERP. Note that no credit will be awarded for projects undertaken for 6 credits until the entire project has been completed.

Law and Behavioral Science
3 credits
General issues in the interaction between law and behavioral sciences; discussion of the use/misuse/nonuse of behavioral sciences in the law, with attention to ways of making behavioral science input most useful; evaluation of the contribution of theory and research in psychology to the policy formulation process.

Topics in Law and Psychology
3 credits - may be taken twice for dual credit and a third time for psychology credit only
In-depth analysis of specific psycholegal topics. Previous courses have included: Legal Decision Making, Eyewitness Memory, Jury Decision Making, Psychology of Family Law, and Psychology of Conflict Resolution.

Practicum

Students may participate in a practicum for up to 2 semesters (6 credits). The purposes of the practicum are as follows:

  • To familiarize students with real-world settings, in order to generate research questions of applied significance.
  • To give students experience in working in organizations to build an appreciation of the practical problems of field research, knowledge diffusion, and application.

These placements are pursuant to arrangements with state and community agencies. Previous placements have included: Courts, Governor's Office, Health and Human Services, Department of Public Institutions, Nebraska Mental Health Association, Department of Social Services, the legislature's Health and Social Services Committee, and Lancaster County Public Defender's Office.

Placements should be multidisciplinary and educational. The nature of the practicum training must be consistent with the focus of the Program. Agency staff and Law-Psychology faculty provide student supervision.

J.D. Information

The requirements set out below are intended to provide a general overview of the requirements for the J.D. All law students should consult the Law Student Handbook for a list of the official requirements for their class. If you have questions, contact the Dean's Office at the Law School.

A total of 93 credit hours are required for a J.D., including the following:

First Year Curriculum (33 credits)

  • Civil Procedure 
  • Contracts 
  • Criminal Law 
  • Foundational Legal Skills: Research, Writing, and Professionalism 
  • International Perspectives in the U.S. Legal System: Practicing Law in a Global Legal Environment 
  • Property
  • Torts 

Upper-Level Courses (60 credits)

  • Constitutional Law I
  • Legal Profession
  • A seminar with a substantial writing requirement
  • Six hours of professional skills
  • Electives

Recommendations for Electives

  • Good foundational courses include but are not limited to: Corporations, Criminal Procedure, Evidence, Remedies, Wills and Trusts and a statutory course (Tax, Environmental Law, a course examining the Uniform Commercial Code, etc.)
  • Electives commonly chosen include but are not limited to: Administrative Law, Advanced Torts, Capital Punishment, Elder Law, Employment Law, Family Law, Juvenile Law, Alternative Dispute Resolution, Negotiations, Mediation, Law and Medicine, Statutory Interpretation, and Trial Advocacy.

MLS Information

A total of 30 credit hours are required for the Master of Legal Studies degree if concurrently enrolled:

  • Torts, Contracts, or Property (students earning a PhD typically take Torts)
  • Legal Research and Writing I (3 credit hours)
  • Electives (22-23 credits)

Electives are chosen in consultation with advisor and/or supervisory committee. Popular choices include:

  • Topics in Psychology and Law (3 credit hours, may be taken twice for up to 6 credits hours; recent offerings include: Eyewitness Testimony, Psychology of Family Law, Legal Decision Making, and Jury Decision Making)
  • Psycholegal Research (Up to 6 credit hours)
  • Criminal Law, Criminal Procedure, Evidence, Constitutional Law I, Constitutional Law II, Advanced Torts, Legal Profession, Juvenile Law, Elder Law, Family Law, and Law and Medicine

M.L.S. Degree Checklist