On Friday I gave a short presentation, “How Employment Law and I/O Psychology Exemplify the Value of Law and Psychology Cross-Pollination,” at the annual meeting of the American Psychology-Law Society (AP-LS) in New Orleans. AP-LS is an affiliate of the American Psychological Association.
Despite the wordy title, my remarks were a conversational effort to build more bridges between the worlds of industrial/organizational psychology and employment law. As an example of how such partnerships can enrich both law and psychology, I discussed my recent work with the APA’s Center for Organizational Excellence in helping to develop a webpage and educational video on workplace bullying and my ongoing participation in the biennial “Work, Stress and Health” conference co-sponsored by the APA.
I was part of a panel that examined how AP-LS can attract more participation from lawyers and legal academicians. My fellow panelists were all noteworthy members of the therapeutic jurisprudence community: Law professors David Wexler, Michael Perlin, and Heather Ellis-Cucolo, and psychologist Astrid Birgden.
AP-LS presidential address
I was delighted that our panel was preceded by a morning address by AP-LS president Jennifer Skeem, who urged the organization to become more innovative and broad-ranging in its appeal and its work. Her talk was largely an elaboration upon these three points:
- “Target a broader audience” — This includes legislators and policy makers.
- “Tackle bigger problems” — The AP-LS should practice its mission to advance individual well-being, justice, and human rights.
- “Make ‘interdisciplinary’ real” — The AP-LS should interact more with legal scholars, public policy analysts, and scientists.
Dr. Skeem’s remarks set the stage nicely for our panel discussion later that afternoon. I hope that we made a strong case for greater collaboration between psychologists and lawyers.
***
David Wexler and Michael Perlin will be among those speaking in Boston on Friday, April 11, as part of a symposium on therapeutic jurisprudence. For more details, see my blog post from last Monday.
