That is, skills like clinical assessment, interviewing, report writing, strong verbal communication skills (especially if an expert witness in court) and case presentation are all very important in setting the foundation of the practice of forensic psychology. Therefore, although it is necessary to have training in law and forensic psychology, the most important skills a forensic psychologist must possess are solid clinical skills. Thus, the practice of forensic psychology, and perhaps the most frequent duty of forensic psychologists, is the psychological assessment of individuals who are involved, in one way or another, with the legal system. Cronin labels this definition “legal psychology” or “The scientific study of the effect of the law on people, and the effect people have on the law.” Two good examples include Elizabeth Loftus’ many studies on eyewitness identification and Stephen Ceci’s research on children’s memory, suggestibility and competence to testify. This would include applying results from studies in areas such as cognitive psychology to legal questions. The broad definition of forensic psychology emphasizes the application of research and experimentation in other areas of psychology (e.g., cognitive psychology, social psychology) to the legal arena. 5), again emphasizing the application of clinical skills such as assessment, treatment, evaluation to forensic settings. Christopher Cronin, who has written a well-known textbook on forensic psychology, defines it as “The application of clinical specialties to legal institutions and people who come into contact with the law” (p. This definition emphasizes the application of clinical psychology to the forensic setting. Forensic psychology, as defined by the American Psychological Association, is the application of clinical specialties to the legal arena. Most forensic psychology textbook authors describe forensic psychology as having a broad definition and a narrow definition. Thus, it would probably be best to start with a definition. Since forensic psychology is a relatively new field within psychology, it is still having growing pains. This is a misconception of the role that forensic psychologists play and leads to confusion about who is a forensic psychologist. Interest in forensic psychology has surged in recent years, primarily due to such television programs as “Criminal Minds,” where criminal profilers have an almost psychic ability to give elaborate personality and behavioral descriptions of perpetrators (“UNSUBs”).