The Journal, published by the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law, is intended to be a forum for the exchange of multidisciplinary ideas. Manuscripts are welcomed that deal with the interfaces of psychiatry and the legal system and the theory and practice of forensic psychiatry.

Content includes correctional psychiatry, psychiatric evaluation of individuals involved with the criminal or civil legal system, ethics, the philosophy of law, legal regulation of psychiatric practice, education and training in the field, and research into causes and treatment of  behavioral problems that manifest themselves particularly in individuals who are in contact with the legal system.