the psychology and law Studies (PALS) Lab

July 2025 update: The PALS Lab is not currently taking research assistants.

If you would like to be considered for a research assistant position in the future, please send Laura Brubacher an email with your resume, and she will be in touch about next steps. Laura can be reached at lbrubach[at]umich[dot]edu. In the meantime, we invite students interested in learning more about cutting-edge research at the intersection of law and psychology to attend the PALS Lab Speaker Series on Zoom. Sign up for the mailing list here. Undergraduates at the University of Michigan are additionally encouraged to participate in the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (UROP).

Attending the PALS Lab Speaker Series on Zoom

If you are interested in conducting, discussing, or learning more about research at the intersection of psychology and law, consider attending the PALS Lab Speaker Series! Co-directed by Prof. Hajin Kim of the University of Chicago Law School and Prof. Roseanna Sommers of the University of Michigan Law School, the PALS Lab provides opportunities to present work at various stages; seek feedback on studies, papers, and ideas; and learn more about how to design and carry out behavioral research.

In the past, lab members have presented work on the psychology of compliance and police searches; visual attention and video evidence; constitutional reasoning and perceptions of legitimacy; and “paper contracts” vs. “real contracts.” Presenting at a lab meeting is particularly useful for those who are planning to conduct empirical research and would like feedback before data collection begins.

If you would like to be added to our mailing list or if you are interested in presenting to our group, please sign up here.