MGH Center for Law, Brain & Behavior

06/11/2026

The new Addiction & the Law module within the CLBB NeuroLaw Library includes a free, 10-lesson educational video course exploring critical intersections between addiction and the American legal system. Emphasizing evidence-based approaches to recovery and reducing harmful substance use, this comprehensive course aims to equip legal professionals, mental health professionals, educators, and anyone involved in the legal system with the knowledge and skills needed to best serve people with substance use disorders.

Explore "Understanding Addiction and the Legal System," along with a database of more than 600 curated scientific articles and cases and practical toolkits pertaining to addiction and recovery, for free at https://clbbneurolawlibrary.com/addiction-and-the-law.

06/08/2026

Medication-assisted treatment saves lives.

Buprenorphine, methadone, and naltrexone are evidence-based treatments that reduce overdose risk and support recovery for opioid use disorder.

The Addiction & the Law module provides accessible neuroscience and legal resources for attorneys, courts, policy makers, clinicians, and individuals impacted by addiction. It is available for free at https://clbbneurolawlibrary.com/addiction-and-the-law.

06/04/2026

Addiction affects multiple brain systems involved in reward, stress, and executive functioning—changes that can impact behavior, decision-making, emotional regulation, and recovery.

The new Addiction & the Law module from the CLBB NeuroLaw Library helps attorneys, judges, policy makers, clinicians, individuals with substance use disorders, and the broader public better understand the neuroscience of addiction. It is available for free at https://clbbneurolawlibrary.com/addiction-and-the-law.

06/03/2026

On May 31st, 2026, CLBB Founding Co-Director Judith Edersheim, MD, JD, delivered a lecture titled “Dementia & the Law: Clinical Pearls on Testamentary Capacity and Undue Influence” as part of Dementia: A Comprehensive Update, a three-day Continuing Education course presented by Harvard Medical School. Her presentation focused on the intersection of cognitive decline, testamentary capacity, and undue influence, providing senior neurologists and psychiatrists with practical guidance for recognizing signs of elder financial exploitation in individuals experiencing cognitive impairment.

06/02/2026

On May 27th, 2026, CLBB Executive Director Robert Kinscherff, PhD, JD, and Equal Justice Works Fellow Rohan Kandashwarath, JD, participated in the Implantable Brain-Computer Interfaces Collaborative Community (iBCI-CC) NJAM Expert Workshop on Neural Data Privacy Under HIPAA in Washington, D.C., which convened experts from industry, government, and research to address emerging regulatory questions raised by implantable brain-computer interfaces and the governance of neural data under existing privacy frameworks.

06/01/2026

Introducing the new Addiction & the Law module within the MGH Center for Law, Brain & Behavior (CLBB) NeuroLaw Library.

Addiction is deeply intertwined with the American legal system, yet treatment access remains limited, and many legal frameworks continue to reflect outdated assumptions about substance use disorders.

The Addiction & the Law module translates current neuroscience into accessible, plain language to help judges, attorneys, policymakers, clinicians, educators, and the public better understand addiction, recovery, treatment, incarceration, and disability rights through an evidence-based lens.

Explore a curated database of more than 600 scientific articles and legal cases, concise educational videos from subject matter experts, and practical toolkits designed to support informed decision-making grounded in the science of addiction and recovery rather than stigma. The module is available free of charge at https://clbbneurolawlibrary.com/addiction-and-the-law.

05/27/2026

This month, CLBB NeuroLaw Library Director Stephanie Tabashneck, PsyD, JD, and CLBB Senior Research Associate Andrew Charroux hosted an exhibitor booth for the CLBB NeuroLaw Library at the 2026 ABA/National Legal Aid & Defender Association Equal Justice Conference in Charlotte, NC. This annual gathering brought together hundreds of legal services and pro bono advocates to discuss innovations in providing accessible legal services. CLBB formed several partnerships at the conference, which will expand access to actionable neuroscience to advance fairer and more effective outcomes in the legal system.

05/14/2026

Today, Thursday, May 14th, 2026, CLBB NeuroLaw Library Director Stephanie Tabashneck, PsyD, JD, spoke at the Massachusetts Probate and Family Court Department Spring Conference alongside Hon. Geoffrey R. German, Hon. Kathleen Sandman, and Hon. Elizabeth Teixeira.

Dr. Tabashneck’s presentation focused on child development and the neurobiological impact of separation from caregivers, including the ways disrupted attachment and chronic stress can affect children’s emotional, cognitive, and physiological development.

05/05/2026

CLBB participated in Together for Hope 2026, the third annual conference hosted by Boston Medical Center’s Grayken Center for Addiction, held April 29–30 at the Hynes Convention Center in Boston.

CLBB NeuroLaw Library Director Stephanie Tabashneck, PsyD, JD and CLBB Senior Research Associate Andrew Charroux hosted a booth highlighting the newest CLBB NeuroLaw Library module, Addiction and the Law.

03/31/2026

🧠 Defeating Brain Myths in the Courtroom

As part of the Weaver Program's Distinguished Lectures, CLBB Founding Co-Director Judith Edersheim, MD, JD, joined the conversation "Defeating Brain Myths in the Courtroom: From Nonsense to Neuroscience," exploring how certain pseudoscientific neuroscience concepts have been wrongly applied to the study of law and the manner in which these assumptions can be corrected through further study and advocacy.

🎥 Watch the full discussion:

As part of the Weaver Program's Distinguished Lectures, we present Defeating Brain Myths in the Courtroom: From Nonsense to Neuroscience.In this conversation...