An important aspect of forensic psychology courses is the description of evaluation and assessment conducted by forensic psychologists. Clinical-forensic psychologists evaluate defendants to determine their competency to plead guilty or stand trial, assess defendants' risk of being dangerous in the future for court sentencing, and assess a defendant's criminal responsibility when he is making an insanity plea. Clinical psychologists evaluate children who are the focus of a custody dispute or children who might have been victims of child abuse. Forensic psychology classes describe how psychologists assess a child's competency to testify in court and prepare children to testify. Forensic psychologists frequently testify in court as expert witnesses.
Forensic psychology classes present research conducted by psychologists in different areas (for example, social psychology, developmental psychology, cognitive psychology) that is applied to the legal system. These courses describe research on the accuracy of eye-witness identification, the reasons for false confessions, believability of testimony by child witnesses, recovered memories, influences on jury decisions, and the death penalty. Forensic psychologists file amicus (friends of the court) briefs with the United States Supreme Court based on their research findings.
Forensic psychology courses describe the function of psychologists as consultants to different members of the legal establishment, such as courts, law enforcement, corrections, and lawyers. Judges frequently ask forensic psychologists to provide expert testimony on a specific case, such as a child custody case, or one in which there is a question about the accuracy of memory or the detection of deception. Forensic psychologists consult with law enforcement on the selection and training of law enforcement personnel, and evaluate law enforcement officers' fitness for duty after officers suffer work-related trauma. They also work in correctional settings or secure forensic institutions where they provide evaluation and treatment of people incarcerated. Some forensic psychologists work full time as consultants to trial attorneys, conducting mock trials, providing advice about jury selection, and preparing witnesses to testify.