While the legal profession poses many challenges, Cornell Law School has teamed up with the Department of Human Development in the College of Human Ecology to offer students a dual degree that they can add to their resumes in order to prepare them to work in the emerging field of legal psychology. The university said the 6-year doctorate program will combine a research-based Ph.D in developmental psychology with the legal training needed to practice and teach scientifically-based law, as well as the skills necessary to work in the fields of mental health and lie detection, judgement and witness prejudice. Law professor Valerie Hans told the Cornell Daily Sun that the program was designed to help professionals pursue both fields in a more manageable time frame. "Many people are training in only one area of psychology and have limited knowledge of law," Hans added. "The major strength of this program is that it provides the opportunity to integrate both." Hans said that she believes that people with advanced dual degrees in the field will be well poised to compete in the job market. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that job opportunities for lawyers are expected to grow by 13% through 2018. |