Michael J. Saks is a professor

Professor

A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...

 of law

Law

Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...

 at the Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law

Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law

Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law is one of the professional graduate schools at Arizona State University, located in Tempe, Arizona. Founded in 1964, the law school has held American Bar Association accreditation since 1969. The school is currently located in , adjacent to the architecturally...

 at Arizona State University

Arizona State University

Arizona State University is a public research university located in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area of the State of Arizona...

; he holds a secondary appointment in the department of psychology

Psychology

Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...

.

Saks served as president of the American Psychology-Law Society

American Psychology-Law Society

The American Psychology-Law Society is an academic society for legal and forensic psychologists, as well as general psychologists who are interested in the application of psychology to the law. AP-LS serves as Division 41 of the American Psychological Association and publishes the academic journal...

 and as editor of the scientific journal

Scientific journal

In academic publishing, a scientific journal is a periodical publication intended to further the progress of science, usually by reporting new research. There are thousands of scientific journals in publication, and many more have been published at various points in the past...

, Law and Human Behavior

Law and Human Behavior

Law and Human Behavior is a bimonthly academic journal published by the American Psychology-Law Society. It publishes original empirical papers, reviews and meta-analyses on how the law, legal system, and legal process relate to human behavior, particularly legal psychology and forensic...

. For his early work on jury research

Jury research

Jury research is an umbrella term for various methods of research associated with jury trials. It could include prospective jurors demographic research, mock trials, jury selection, shadow jury or post-trial jury interviews...

, he earned the Award for Distinguished Contribution to Psychology in the Public Interest from the American Psychological Association

American Psychological Association

The American Psychological Association is the largest scientific and professional organization of psychologists in the United States. It is the world's largest association of psychologists with around 154,000 members including scientists, educators, clinicians, consultants and students. The APA...

.

Saks's primary area of expertise is in the Law and Social Science

Empirical legal studies

Empirical Legal Studies is a relatively new approach to the study of law, legal procedure, and legal theory through the use of empirical research...

 field, in which he is the fourth most cited current scholar. He has authored over 200 articles and book chapters, and is co-editor of the book series, Modern Scientific Evidence.

Saks holds a B.A.

Bachelor of Arts

A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...

 from Pennsylvania State University

Pennsylvania State University

The Pennsylvania State University, commonly referred to as Penn State or PSU, is a public research university with campuses and facilities throughout the state of Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1855, the university has a threefold mission of teaching, research, and public service...

, a M.S.L.

Master of Studies in Law

A Master of Studies in Law is a master's degree offered by some law schools to students who wish to study the law but do not want to become attorneys. M.S.L. programs typically last one academic year and put students through the same regimen as a first-year J.D. student. M.S.L...

 from Yale Law School

Yale Law School

Yale Law School, or YLS, is the law school of Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Established in 1824, it offers the J.D., LL.M., J.S.D. and M.S.L. degrees in law. It also hosts visiting scholars, visiting researchers and a number of legal research centers...

, and a Ph.D.

Ph.D.

A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...

 in Social Psychology from Ohio State University

Ohio State University

The Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States...

. Prior to his appointment at Arizona State, he was on the faculty at the University of Iowa

University of Iowa

The University of Iowa is a public state-supported research university located in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. It is the oldest public university in the state. The university is organized into eleven colleges granting undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees...

, Georgetown University

Georgetown University

Georgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States...

, and Boston College

Boston College

Boston College is a private Jesuit research university located in the village of Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA. The main campus is bisected by the border between the cities of Boston and Newton. It has 9,200 full-time undergraduates and 4,000 graduate students. Its name reflects its early...

.