With four new chapters, this second edition has been revised throughout to include analyses of new case law and clinical techniques, important recent research on competency and dangerousness, and ethical rules developed by the American Psychological Association and the American Psychiatric Association. The contexts examined include insanity and competence determinations; sentencing and civil commitment proceedings; probate and guardianship hearings; personal injury, workers' compensation, and Social Security claims; juvenile delinquency and status offense adjudications; custody and neglect disputes; and, new with this edition, Federal discrimination claims and educational "mainstreaming" issues. In each of these areas, the book first summarizes the relevant legal rules and their jurisprudential underpinnings. It then analyzes the law's approach, both to increase the mental health professional's understanding of the issues and to enhance the lawyer's ability to argue for change. Additionally, the book incorporates or refers to research on each topic, from studies concerning the reliability of clinical opinions and specific evaluation techniques to actuarial data on the persons subject to evaluation and empirical assessments of the manner in which the legal process works. Suggestions are offered on evaluation procedures and ways of communicating information to the courts. Fact-based case studies are presented in nearly every chapter, along with 17 sample evaluation reports, detailed footnotes, chapter bibliographies, and an extensive glossary of medical and legal terms.