MGH Center for Law, Brain & Behavior

Recovery changes the brain.

Neuroplasticity allows healthy pathways to strengthen and drug-related circuits to weaken during treatment and recovery.

The CLBB NeuroLaw Library's newest module, Addiction & the Law, helps translate the science of addiction and recovery into accessible, practical information for attorneys, judges, policymakers, clinicians, and individuals navigating substance use disorders. It is available for free at https://clbbneurolawlibrary.com/addiction-and-the-law.

The new Addiction & the Law module from the CLBB NeuroLaw Library includes toolkits designed to support science-informed legal decision-making related to addiction. Key resources include a guide to understanding the science and law of providing medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) in American prisons and jails, as well as "Fast Facts on Addiction," which compiles critical information about addiction, substance use, and neuroscience.

Explore these resources—along with a database of more than 600 curated scientific articles and cases and additional practical toolkits related to addiction and recovery—for free at https://clbbneurolawlibrary.com/addiction-and-the-law.

Access to addiction treatment in correctional settings carries major legal, ethical, and public health implications.

The Addiction & the Law module explores the intersection of neuroscience, disability law, addiction medicine, and corrections, providing practical resources for legal professionals and the public alike. It is available free of charge at https://clbbneurolawlibrary.com/addiction-and-the-law.

Substance use disorders are deeply intertwined with the criminal legal system, yet access to evidence-based treatment remains inconsistent.

The Addiction & the Law module explores the neuroscience of addiction and the legal and policy issues surrounding incarceration, treatment, and recovery. Available free of charge, the module provides evidence-based resources for legal professionals, mental health practitioners, educators, and others seeking to better understand the intersection of addiction and the law: https://clbbneurolawlibrary.com/addiction-and-the-law.

The new Addiction & the Law module within the CLBB NeuroLaw Library includes a free, 10-lesson educational video course exploring critical intersections between addiction and the American legal system. Emphasizing evidence-based approaches to recovery and reducing harmful substance use, this comprehensive course aims to equip legal professionals, mental health professionals, educators, and anyone involved in the legal system with the knowledge and skills needed to best serve people with substance use disorders.

Explore "Understanding Addiction and the Legal System," along with a database of more than 600 curated scientific articles and cases and practical toolkits pertaining to addiction and recovery, for free at https://clbbneurolawlibrary.com/addiction-and-the-law.

Medication-assisted treatment saves lives.

Buprenorphine, methadone, and naltrexone are evidence-based treatments that reduce overdose risk and support recovery for opioid use disorder.

The Addiction & the Law module provides accessible neuroscience and legal resources for attorneys, courts, policy makers, clinicians, and individuals impacted by addiction. It is available for free at https://clbbneurolawlibrary.com/addiction-and-the-law.

Addiction affects multiple brain systems involved in reward, stress, and executive functioning—changes that can impact behavior, decision-making, emotional regulation, and recovery.

The new Addiction & the Law module from the CLBB NeuroLaw Library helps attorneys, judges, policy makers, clinicians, individuals with substance use disorders, and the broader public better understand the neuroscience of addiction. It is available for free at https://clbbneurolawlibrary.com/addiction-and-the-law.

On May 31st, 2026, CLBB Founding Co-Director Judith Edersheim, MD, JD, delivered a lecture titled “Dementia & the Law: Clinical Pearls on Testamentary Capacity and Undue Influence” as part of Dementia: A Comprehensive Update, a three-day Continuing Education course presented by Harvard Medical School. Her presentation focused on the intersection of cognitive decline, testamentary capacity, and undue influence, providing senior neurologists and psychiatrists with practical guidance for recognizing signs of elder financial exploitation in individuals experiencing cognitive impairment.

On May 27th, 2026, CLBB Executive Director Robert Kinscherff, PhD, JD, and Equal Justice Works Fellow Rohan Kandashwarath, JD, participated in the Implantable Brain-Computer Interfaces Collaborative Community (iBCI-CC) NJAM Expert Workshop on Neural Data Privacy Under HIPAA in Washington, D.C., which convened experts from industry, government, and research to address emerging regulatory questions raised by implantable brain-computer interfaces and the governance of neural data under existing privacy frameworks.

Introducing the new Addiction & the Law module within the MGH Center for Law, Brain & Behavior (CLBB) NeuroLaw Library.

Addiction is deeply intertwined with the American legal system, yet treatment access remains limited, and many legal frameworks continue to reflect outdated assumptions about substance use disorders.

The Addiction & the Law module translates current neuroscience into accessible, plain language to help judges, attorneys, policymakers, clinicians, educators, and the public better understand addiction, recovery, treatment, incarceration, and disability rights through an evidence-based lens.

Explore a curated database of more than 600 scientific articles and legal cases, concise educational videos from subject matter experts, and practical toolkits designed to support informed decision-making grounded in the science of addiction and recovery rather than stigma. The module is available free of charge at https://clbbneurolawlibrary.com/addiction-and-the-law.