Live Virtual Training via Zoom

Maureen Reardon, PhD, ABPP, presents a live virtual professional training program on From Precedent to Practice: Evolving Standards and Functional Assessment of Insanity Defense Constructs in partnership with the American Academy of Forensic Psychology (AAFP).

As the first in a series on best practices in criminal responsibility evaluations, this program traces the evolution of insanity-defense jurisprudence to contextualize modern legal standards within a robust conceptual framework for evaluating even the most complex case presentations. Emphasis is placed on operationalizing the abstract constructs of insanity—nature, quality, wrongfulness, and volitional control—into measurable functional capacities.  With a reinforced conceptual foundation, practitioners will be better equipped to conduct evidence-based assessments of criminal responsibility and produce clear, well-structured forensic work products that more effectively inform and assist the fact finder.

This workshop would most benefit advanced, predoctoral trainees to doctoral level providers who conduct forensic assessments within the criminal justice system.

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this training, participants will be able to:

  • 1 Describe the influence of British case law on U.S. insanity standards
  • 2 Describe 3 landmark SCOTUS decisions with implications for current insanity laws
  • 3 Describe modern insanity constructs of nature, quality, wrongfulness, and volitional control

  • Intended Audience

    This workshop is designed for individuals who conduct forensic assessments within the criminal justice system and are engaged in evaluating criminal responsibility. Participants are those who seek a deeper understanding of the evolution of insanity-defense jurisprudence, the operationalization of legal constructs such as nature, quality, wrongfulness, and volitional control, and the implications of landmark legal decisions for current forensic practice.

    Examples of Relevant Professionals:

    • Mental Health Professional
    • Forensic Psychologist
    • Forensic Psychiatrist
    • Predoctoral Trainee in Psychology or Psychiatry
    • Doctoral-Level Provider in Psychology or Psychiatry
    • Criminal Justice Consultant

  • Experience Level

    This training is designed for licensed and pre-licensed mental health professionals with varying levels of experience in forensic assessment, particularly those seeking to strengthen their understanding and application of criminal responsibility evaluations.

    • Beginner: New to forensic mental health or criminal responsibility evaluations; seeking foundational knowledge of insanity-defense jurisprudence, historical context, and basic legal constructs.

    • Intermediate: Some experience conducting forensic assessments; familiar with general legal standards but seeking to deepen understanding of landmark case law, operationalization of insanity constructs, and application to complex cases.

    • Advanced: Experienced forensic evaluators; proficient in criminal responsibility assessments and seeking advanced conceptual frameworks, nuanced application of legal standards, and strategies for producing clear, evidence-based forensic opinions.

  • Practice Setting

    Professionals who conduct forensic assessments of criminal responsibility typically work in environments where mental health and legal systems intersect. These settings require a high level of collaboration with legal professionals, structured protocols for evaluation, and secure, confidential spaces for interviews and assessments. The work often involves reviewing legal and clinical records, conducting in-depth interviews, and preparing detailed forensic reports for courts or legal stakeholders.

    Examples of Practice Settings:

    • Forensic units within psychiatric hospitals or state hospitals
    • Correctional facilities (jails, prisons)
    • Private forensic mental health practices
    • Court clinics or court-appointed evaluation centers
    • Academic medical centers with forensic divisions
    • Government agencies (e.g., departments of mental health, public defender’s offices)
    • Consulting roles for legal teams or criminal justice agencies
Presented By

Maureen Reardon, PhD, ABPP

Dr. Reardon is a board-certified specialist in forensic psychology with over 20 years of experience conducting comprehensive forensic evaluations.   In the course of her tenure with the Federal Bureau of Prisons, she completed numerous evaluations of competency, sanity, and violence risk and, for over two years, oversaw the institution’s forensic evaluation program.   During the past 10 years, she has owned and operated a national forensic practice based in Raleigh, North Carolina, providing evaluation and consultation services to adults and justice-involved youth in criminal matters and select civil cases.  She specializes in complex questions of criminal responsibility, including capital cases, and is honored to be co-authoring the updated volume on criminal responsibility in the Oxford Best Practices Series in Forensic Mental Health Assessment.   She previously served on the ABFP Board of Directors (Past President, 2019) and, for 10 years, served on the examination faculty for candidates seeking specialty board certification.  She is the current Chair of In-Person Continuing Education Workshops for the American Academy of Forensic Psychology.


Click the Icon Below to View More Programs by this Presenter

Training Outline

Key topics covered in this training include:

  • Historical context, including (a) criminal law broadly recognizing degrees of culpability (“blameworthiness”) that may reduce or even eliminate criminal culpability, (b) historically, offenders with mental conditions compromising rationality or free choice, the judicial response from punishment to treatment/protection from the public, (c) origins of US insanity laws in British common law (d) evolution of modern insanity standards in the US, with emphasis on key landmark decisions by SCOTUS

  • Applying historical context to inform the meaning of insanity constructs

  • Operationalize insanity laws into measurable constructs to provide a conceptual framework for assessment, and clarity in rationale / support for forensic opinions

Live Event Policy

Registration for our live events is covered for one (1) person per purchase. If you would like to purchase for a group, please purchase more than one registration for this event.

  • Event Communications

    When registering, use an email that is active and that you check regularly. We are not responsible for communications not being received; if you do not add [email protected] to your email safe sender list, our emails are likely to end up in your spam or junk folders.

  • Cancellation Policy

    Have a sudden change of plans and are unable to attend live? No worries; you will be given access to the on-demand version of the program once available. Please note that if you attend live, no access to the recording will be given.

  • Event Conduct

    Professional conduct is expected during our live programs. Our goal is to make our events as interactive as possible for all participants. We reserve the right to remove any participants who are disruptive, act unprofessionally, or who we are unable to verify their purchase.

We are proud to partner with

American Academy of Forensic Psychology (AAFP)

American Academy of Forensic Psychology (AAFP)

We are proud to partner with the American Academy of Forensic Psychology (AAFP) for this training. AAFP is a non-profit organization of board-certified forensic psychologists whose mission is to contribute to the development and maintenance of forensic psychology as a specialized field of study, research, and practice. The Academy does this by providing high-quality continuing education workshops, providing a forum for the exchange of scientific information among its members, and conferring awards upon outstanding students and practitioners in the field of forensic psychology.

Learn More About Our Partner

CE Sponsorship Information

Palo Alto University, Continuing & Professional Studies (CONCEPT) is approved by, recognized by, or maintains sponsorship provider status with the following boards and agencies. We maintain responsibility for all content in our CE/CPD programs. For more information, visit here. 

  1. American Psychological Association (APA): Approved sponsor of continuing education for psychologists.

  2. Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB): Approved continuing education provider (ACE program, Provider #1480), 11/22/2023–11/22/2026.

  3. Canadian Psychological Association (CPA): Approved to sponsor continuing education for psychologists.

  4. National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC): Approved Continuing Education Provider (ACEP No. 7190).


Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT) is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT), is approved by the Canadian Psychological Association to offer continuing education for psychologists. Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT) has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 7190. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. Palo Alto University, #1480, is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved as ACE providers. State and provincial regulatory boards have the final authority to determine whether an individual course may be accepted for continuing education credit. Palo Alto University maintains responsibility for this course. ACE provider approval period 11/22/23-11/22/26. Social workers completing this course receive (clinical or social work ethics) continuing education credits. Continuing and Professional Studies, Palo Alto University, is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Psychology as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed psychologists #PSY-0103. Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT) is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs. Palo Alto University, Continuing & Professional Studies (CONCEPT), is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers #SW-0356. Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies, is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed mental health counselors. #MHC-0073.