Interest in Mental Health and Civil Matters
As an undergraduate, Zak obtained a B.S. in Psychology from the Ohio State University. Though Zak originally planned to further pursue these studies at the graduate level, he found that a legal career provides unique opportunities to learn about how law and psychiatry interact. Zak’s present interests in mental health and law focus on civil matters.
In the Summer of 2009, Zak worked as a law clerk for Judge West at the Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas, an experience that let him see first-hand how courts make use of psychiatric input. In addition to being a Weaver Fellow, Zak is an article editor for Human Rights Quarterly and a student ambassador at the University of Cincinnati College of Law.
Interest in Mental Health and Child Advocacy
Sarah’s interest in mental health law and child advocacy stems from high school classes and her undergraduate work in psychology at the University of Kentucky. She tailored her B.A. in Psychology to children’s mental health issues and worked with children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.
Sarah’s decision to become an attorney stems from her special interest in how the legal system treats and affects people with mental illnesses and disabilities. Sarah believes lawyers can assist mentally ill persons in ways that complement the services provided by mental health professionals. She is especially interested in how criminal law matters and civil rights work affect mental health.
Interest in Law and Psychology
As an undergraduate student at Vanderbilt University, Allison completed an Honors thesis in the area of clinical psychology. She also developed a strong interest in the intersection of the law and psychology that has continued to influence her legal education.
As a law school student, Allison has focused her interests in mental health issues on criminal law and indigent defense. Following her first year of law school, she interned with the Mental Health Division of the Public Defender Service in Washington, D.C., where she worked with individuals facing involuntary civil commitment and dispositional proceedings after insanity acquittals or findings of incompetence to stand trial. During the Summer of 2009, Allison has worked as an intern for the New Hampshire Public Defender. Allison’s scholarship as a Weaver fellow has examined psychological issues of interest to criminal law practitioners.
Interest in Mental Health Law
Daniel Brown holds a B.S. in Chemical Science and a B.A. in Spanish from Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio. While at Xavier, Daniel completed the University Scholars honors program and also earned a minor in Natural Science. In addition to being a Weaver Fellow, Daniel is the Secretary of the College of Law’s Intellectual Property Legal Society, and is also involved with Student Ambassadors and Student Court.
Daniel’s technical background and personal experiences have helped to develop a strong interest in mental health. He is especially interested in movement disorders, compulsive behavior, and the delicate biochemical balances of the human mind. As a Weaver Fellow, Daniel hopes to explore the intricacies of the interplay between legal theory and human behavior, learning more about himself, humanity and the law along the way.
It is truly amazing how often psychiatry intersects with the law! Mental health matters arise in tort law, criminal law, family law, and other areas, and lawyers have to understand these issues to provide the best representation for their clients. For example, studies in neuropsychology and memory have taught us about various problems associated with eyewitness testimony, which have huge implications for the criminal justice system. Psychiatry also has a valuable role in improving Workers Compensation programs. Workers in high-stress occupations are at risk for developing psychiatric problems. Should Workers Compensation recognize mental injuries as well as physical ones?
I know that my experiences as a Weaver fellow will be intellectually stimulating and thought-provoking. The fellowship will not only enhance my legal education but will greatly help develop my abilities as a future practicing attorney. I feel very fortunate to be a part of such a great Institute.
Interest in Mental Health Law
Angela Chang graduated from the Ohio State University with a double major in Marketing and International Business. Subsequently, she spent time providing living assistance for adults with mental and physical disabilities, as well as working as an Applied Behavioral Analysis Therapist for a child with autism. Her interest in advocacy for persons with mental health issues has developed through this experience, as well as a number of personal experiences throughout her life.
Angela graduated from the University of Cincinnati College of Law in May 2008. She currently is a Deputy State Public Defender at the Colorado State Public Defender’s Office, where she is a criminal defense attorney for the accused who cannot afford legal representation. Her time as a Weaver Fellow has enhanced her ability to represent and advocate for her clients, many of whom suffer from mental health conditions and are caught in the criminal system as a result.
Interest in Education Law, Criminal Law and Mental Health
Amanda ("Mandy") Shoemaker special interests include education law, criminal law, and the intersections between mental health and the legal field. She became interested how psychiatry and the law were related during her first year criminal law class. There, discussions about mental states and culpability led her to think about her own understanding of right and wrong, and about how persons suffering from mental illness often live or experience their lives in very different ways.
As a second year student, Mandy was both a Weaver fellow and a fellow with the Rosenthal Institute for Justice Ohio Innocence Project. In her studies on the role that mental illness plays in criminal justice matters, she was particularly struck by the lack of mental health services offered to persons affected by legal and prison systems.
In her third year, Mandy will participate in the Indigent Defense Clinic, where UC law students work with supervising attorneys and the Ohio Justice and Policy Center to represent indigent clients in Cincinnati. Mandy hopes this work will enhance her experiences as a Weaver fellow by giving her practical experience in how the justice system approaches issues that arise from mental health problems.
In her free time, Mandy serves as an adviser to her undergraduate sorority at Miami University. She enjoys reading, decorating, and color-coordinating things.
Interest is in Mental Health Law
Jill graduated from the University of North Carolina (Chapel Hill) in 2006 with a major in English and a minor in Creative Writing. Her interest in mental health law stemmed from growing up in a family of doctors and nurses.
As a Weaver fellow, Jill authored a manuscript with Dr. Douglas Mossman on litigation related to second-generation antipsychotic drugs. Jill hopes that their article, which appears in the Michigan State Journal of Medicine and Law (Vol. 13, Issue 2), will become a valuable resource for both the legal and medical communities.
Jill is now in the Banking, Corporate, & Finance LL.M. program at Fordham University School of Law in August 2009, where she’s furthering her knowledge about health law and the healthcare industry.
Interest in Mental Health Law
Before becoming an attorney, Denise obtained a Master’s Degree in Counseling Psychology. During graduate school, she treatment center where she treated clients with psychotherapy who had various psychiatric diagnoses. Through law school, Denise pursued her interests in mental health through several courses that addressed the overlap between psychological and psychiatric issues with the legal system.
Denise now is a felony prosecutor for the Commonwealth of Kentucky. As a prosecutor, she encounter cases each day that involve mental health issues — competency to stand trial, criminal responsibility, and mitigation evidence. She writes, “My experience as a Weaver Fellow has been invaluable and has better prepared me as an attorney in the criminal law field.”