THE LEGAL DECISION
MAKING LAB
OUR
TEAM
Get Involved
Interested in working with us? Fill out the lab application (click here) and submit one letter of recommendation, sent by the letter writer directly to Drs. Zottoli & Daftary-Kapur (Zottoli.msulab@gmail.com). The number of students accepted each term will vary according to lab needs.
Prospective PhD students should apply to the MSU Clinical Psychology doctoral program, listing Dr. Zottoli and/or Dr. Daftary-Kapur as your desired mentor.
DIRECTOR
Tina Zottoli, Ph.D
Dr. Tina Zottoli is an Associate Professor of Psychology at Montclair State University and a licensed clinical psychologist in the state of New York. Her scholarship centers on decision making in legal contexts, with a focus on outcomes for adolescent defendants. She has particular expertise in guilty plea decision making, of both youth and adults, and has consulted on several cases involving suspected or proven false admissions. Her work on recidivism risk in persons released from life sentences for crimes committed as youth has garnered national attention, and she has testified before the legislatures of several states with respect to proposed second-chance legislation for youth. Dr. Zottoli’s scholarship has been funded by several organizations including The Vital Projects Fund, Inc., the American Psychology-Law Society, and the American Bar Endowment, and she is regularly invited to speak or write on matters related to her scholarship. Dr. Zottoli’s clinical practice focuses on issues pertaining to legal competencies, violence risk and sentencing mitigation, and she frequently consults on cases involving youth and young adults. When not working, she can be found rock climbing, kayaking and cross-country skiing (though, not all at the same time).
CO-DIRECTOR
Tarika Daftary-Kapur, Ph.D
Dr. Tarika Daftary-Kapur is a Professor of Justice Studies at Montclair State University. Her interests lie primarily in adolescent decision making and legal competencies presently focused on plea deal decision making and innocence in plea bargaining. Her work on recidivism risk in persons released from life sentences for crimes committed as youth has garnered national attention, and she has testified before the legislatures of several states with respect to proposed second-chance legislation for youth, as well as consulted on several cases of individuals seeking resentencing. Dr. Daftary-Kapur’s scholarship has been funded by several organizations including The American Bar Endowment, The Vital Projects Fund, Inc., the American Psychology-Law Society, the Spencer Foundation, and the National Science Foundation. She has worked and consulted with jurisdictions around the country on their juvenile and criminal justice policies.
DOCTORAL STUDENTS
Ryan Schneider
Ryan Schneider is a sixth year PhD student in the Clinical Psychology program, forensic emphasis. His research interests center on legal decision making, contributors to wrongful conviction and the etiology of criminal behavior. His master’s thesis examined the influences of potential trial sentence and plea discount on guilty plea decisions of mock guilty and innocent defendants. Ryan's clinical interests include forensic mental health assessment and treatment of individuals with criminal offending histories.
Tristin Faust
Tristin Faust is a fifth year PhD student in the Clinical Psychology program, forensic emphasis. Tristin’s research interests are in adolescent and adult legal decision making, juvenile legal competencies, and false confessions. Her master's thesis explores how innocent and guilty mock defendants use evidence to estimate likelihood of conviction at trial. Tristin’s clinical interests are in forensic mental health assessment and treatment for justice-involved individuals.
Aliya Birnbaum
Aliya Birnbaum is a third year PhD student in the Clinical Psychology program, forensic emphasis. Aliya’s research interests are in adolescent legal decision making, juvenile justice policy reform, parental involvement in youth legal decision making, and race in the legal system. Her master's thesis examined the impact of attorney race on parental acquiescence to attorney plea bargain recommendations in a juvenile justice setting. Aliya’s clinical interests are in forensic mental health assessment and treatment for justice-involved youth.
Julia Stratton
Julia Stratton is a second year Ph.D. student in the Clinical Psychology program, with a forensic emphasis. Julia’s research interests include wrongful convictions, plea deals, legal and risky decision-making, and criminal justice policy reform. Julia's clinical interests include forensic mental health assessment, risk assessment, expert testimony, and treatment for justice-involved individuals.
RESEARCH ASSISTANTS
Miguel Murillo | MA student; Clinical psychology, forensic specialization
Jamie Buren | MA Student; Clinical psychology, forensic specialization
Twisile Kalinga | MA Student; Clinical psychology
Drew Melancon | MA Student; Clinical psychology, forensic specialization
Brandon Shintani | Senior, Ridgewood High School
Kimberly Echevarria | MA student; Clinical psychology, forensic specialization
Sarah Hitchcock | MA student; Clinical psychology, forensic specialization
Stephanie Salmento | MA student; Clinical psychology, forensic specialization
Olivia Costello | BA student; Psychology
Leah Dolin | MA student; Clinical psychology, forensic specialization
Julia Donatien | MA student; Clinical psychology, forensic specialization
DOCTORAL ALUMNI
Jennifer Bartlett
Jennifer Bartlett graduated from Montclair State University in August of 2022. Her dissertation explored the relationship between trauma exposure, trauma symptoms, and the likelihood to accept a plea deal when innocent. Currently, she is a post-doctoral fellow at a state psychiatric hospital conducting forensic assessments full-time (e.g., competency to stand trial assessments). She ultimately plans to work in a private practice conducting forensic assessments and providing individual evidence-based therapeutic services.
Lauren Grove
Lauren Grove graduated from Montclair State University in May 2023. Her dissertation assessed differences in developmental maturity and criminal sophistication among justice-involved and non-justice-involved adolescents and young adults. Currently, she is completing a pre-doctoral internship in the Child Guidance Clinic with the DC Superior Court. Following internship, she has accepted a position with South Carolina's Department of Juvenile Justice, where she will be completing court-ordered evaluations for youth (e.g.,violence risk, psychosexual, and waiver to adult court).
LAB ALUMNI
Conor Hogan
Conor Hogan graduated from Montclair State University in January of 2023. His dissertation examined the guilty plea experiences of persons charged with sex crimes. Currently, he works as a clinician through Rutgers University Correctional Health Care at the Adult Diagnostic and Treatment Center (ADTC), providing treatment and assessment to individuals convicted of sex crimes.
Yaritza Diaz, BA/MA '17 | Victoria Gehring, BA '18 | Rossol Gharib, BA '19 | Christina Lagomarsino, MA '19 | Sohil Malik, Edison High School | Kimberly Perez, (Ramapo College) BA '18 | Daniel Salazar, BA '18 | Elizabeth Tahan, MA '18 | Ashlyn O'Halloran, BA '20 | Rosemary Ventura, BA '19 | Ayna Virk, (Purdue University) BA '20 | Alexandra Arnold, MA '20 | Emma Jehan, MA '21 | Abby White, MA '21 | Amanda Palardy, MA '21 | Amy Albin, MA '22 | Allison Echeverria, (Loyola) BA '20 | Zoe Ferguson, Columbia High School | Olivia Kramer, Columbia High School | Kathryn Derby, MA '22 | Nicole Smith, MA '22 | Whitney Dartnell, PhD '22 | Latisha Robinson, MA '22 |