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Review of Forensic reports and testimony: A guide to effective communication for psychologists and psychiatrists

Many psycholegal reference materials are limited in their scope: They might focus solely on effective forensic report writing, or alternatively, best practices in testifying. As a result, forensic clinicians must use a variety of materials to gain expertise in the substantive and stylistic aspects of conducting forensic evaluations. In their new book, Forensic Reports and Testimony: A Guide to Effective Communication for Psychologists and Psychiatrists, Otto, DeMier, and Boccaccini address this limitation set forth by other forensic books. They make the argument that many of the tasks in which forensic clinicians engage (e.g., testifying, report writing), can all be considered forms of communication. As such, it would best serve the forensic clinician to have one resource where clinicians can learn to best communicate their findings to legal professionals The authors successfully combine their vast expertise to create a comprehensive reference source, which intertwines effective report writing and testimony skills, with other critical tasks required of the forensic clinician when working with those in the legal world. The book begins with a persuasive foreword by Dr. Thomas Grisso before delving into the various chapters that describe the particulars of forensic evaluations. The first several chapters elaborate on the function, structure, and content of forensic reports and the psycholegal principles that guide forensic report writing. Importantly, the authors clearly describe how to write strong forensic reports and provide stylistic advice for practitioners. Further, throughout these earlier chapters, the authors provide examples and anecdotes to emphasize sometimes misunderstood forensic report writing concepts (e.g., “ultimate issue opinions,” “frequency of psychological test usage in forensic evaluation,” “scope of the referral question”). These topic areas are discussed in depth within gray boxes to provide the reader with a well-articulated and concise explanation of how practitioners might approach these concepts, many of which are specific to forensic report writing. The middle chapters provide explanations on topics not often discussed in psycholegal texts (e.g., depositions and affidavits), and the final chapters focus on forensic testimony. Within these concluding chapters, the authors describe forensic testimony in a variety of settings. In particular, in addition to more traditional times when forensic practitioners might testify (e.g., during a trial), the authors also describe forensic testimony during depositions and admissibility hearings. They also provide advice as to how a forensic mental health professional prepares for and carries out testimony. The book concludes with sample reports and affidavits in the form of appendices. Forensic Reports and Testimony: A Guide to Effective Communication for Psychologists and Psychiatrists has numerous strengths, and it is a particularly valuable resource for burgeoning forensic clinicians. First, the authors do a particularly nice job of making complicated topics easy to comprehend. They do not assume that the readers are acquainted with the specific legal processes or legal jargon. As a result, the authors often define psycholegal processes. They also include clear learning points throughout the text, often in the form of highlighted gray boxes that reiterate or detail critical points. Further, their definitions and examples within the text itself help the reader better learn novel concepts. Additionally, the authors’ prose flows nicely and is entertaining to read. Although the authors clearly rely on peerreviewed research in the writing of this text, they also include anecdotes from their professional lives, which provide a welcome break from reading about the many psycholegal concepts. These stories contribute to making the authors relatable and turn what would be a traditional academic text into a fun-toread book. Finally, the samples at the conclusion of the text make it particularly comprehensive. When texts have samples, they often come solely in the form of forensic reports. Thus, by aptly including sample affidavits, in addition to sample reports, the authors have succeeded in further helping new psychologists and psychiatrists navigate their way through the legal landscape. Although this book mostly excels in its attempt to be a primary reference material, it lacks the ability to describe comprehensively more complex psycholegal topics and specific types of reports. In particular, it lacks some information regarding specific statutes and case law, which the authors acknowledge as a limitation. As this book primarily acts as a beginning resource tool, and provides general information regarding forensic evaluations, those clinicians who are seeking information regarding very specific types of evaluations (e.g., competency, insanity), should use supplemental materials. Further, this text is particularly well suited for early career practitioners who are looking for general information regarding their roles in the forensic arena. Instructors will also value this text as it provides excellent examples and explanations, which then can be used when creating lesson plans for a new generation of forensic mental health professionals. Those more advanced practitioners looking for more sophisticated material might not find this book quite as helpful.