Amicus Curiae Brief Request Form

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Amicus curiae (“friend-of-the-court”) briefs allow the American Psychological Association (APA) to share important and relevant psychological science with key judicial decision-makers.

APA will consider requests for cases with issues relating to:

An area of psychological science or research.
An official APA Council Policy or APA-Approved Standard or Guideline.
Other issues related to the practice or profession of psychology that benefit society and improve lives.

APA only submits briefs for cases that have reached the appellate level (i.e., APA does not file amicus curiae briefs in state trial courts or U.S. District Courts).ⁱ

Select one of the following to begin a new amicus brief request. Someone from APA’s Office of General Counsel will contact you once your request has been reviewed. For questions, please email amicus@apa.org.

ⁱNote: A request for a case that has not reached the appellate level will be reviewed, but work will not begin on the brief until a hearing on the appeal has been granted.

Request type:

Request for APA to draft/file a new amicus curiae brief. Request for APA to join/sign an existing amicus curiae brief.

Contact information

I am requesting this brief as an:

Name of organization or law firm:

Title:

First name:

Last name:

Address line 1:

Address line 2:

City:

State/Province/Region:

Postal/Zip code:

Country:

Email:

Alternate email:

Phone (include country code outside U.S.):

Alternate phone (include country code outside U.S.):

Request for APA to join/sign an existing amicus curiae brief

Case information

Amicus brief due date:

Link to case online:

Case name

Case number:

Case status:

Pending court:

Psychological issue(s) presented/considered (check all that apply):

Criminal or Juvenile Justice — i.e., Policing, Prosecution, Sentencing, Incarceration, Conditions of Confinement, Death Penalty. Mental Health Issues in Court — i.e., Legal Insanity/Insanity Defense, Diminished Capacity, Competency to Stand Trial; Mental Health Courts and Drug Courts; Civil Commitment.Psycho-Legal Issues — i.e., Wrongful Convictions, Conviction Integrity, Eyewitness Testimony, False Confessions, Cultural Competence for Accurate Interpretation of BehaviorsFamily & Juvenile Court — i.e., Divorce, Child Custody, Child Welfare, Adoption/Foster Care.Rights Violations — i.e., Civil Rights, Disability Rights, Employment Rights, Reproductive Rights and Freedoms.Discrimination — i.e., LGBTQ+, Gender Identity, Pregnancy, Sex, Race-Ethnicity, National Origin, Religion, Age, Disability, or Genetic Information.APA Policy — i.e., Association-Approved Resolutions, Standards, or Guidelines.Professional Issues Related to the Benefit of Society or Improvement of Lives — i.e., Practice, Treatment, or Healthcare; Confidentiality/Privilege, Professional Duty, or Ethical Concerns; Research or Educational Instruction Other (please explain)

Please explain psychological issue(s):

File uploads (optional)

If possible, please include the following documents with your request (PDF or Word files only):

A copy of the brief: