Social workers are well-equipped by experience and education to play a pivotal role in death penalty mitigation teams. They offer expertise in researching complete social histories, providing for people under threat of execution, and helping those individuals cope with that threat. The social worker's primary role is to develop the client's story through an extensive empirical inquiry into the person's life. An equally important role for social workers is to work with the multidisciplinary defense team to ensure that the client's life story becomes a part of the defense. This article, through a case example of a condemned prisoner, examines the mitigation team concept, focusing on the social work role.

Practicing independently as a psychologist in the United States requires licensure in each of the 50 states in which one wishes to practice as well as the District of Columbia. Although attempts to establish interstate reciprocity have met with some level of success, psychologists licensed to practice independently in one state have no assurance that other states will recognize and grant equal status. The author's experience of applying for licensure in 3 states is discussed as a way of identifying areas of difficulty encountered by psychologists in this process. Suggestions are made to improve the process so that licensing board activity might be more in line with its designated function, which is the protection of the consumer.The administrative code covering professional and occupational standards allows the board to issue, in addition to a generic license, THOMAS S. MERRILL received his PhD in counseling psychology from the University of Texas at Austin in 1981. He is in independent clinical and forensic practice in Honolulu, HI. His professional interests include psychotherapy, forensic assessment, family psychology, and relationship dynamics.

In recent years there has been an increasing demand for clinicians to conduct independent psychological examinations (IPEs) of persons involved in work-related injuries, with referrals coming from insurance carriers and attorneys. This article discusses the role of the psychologist in the workers' compensation system, specifically focusing on the challenges facing psychologists who accept the IPE assignment. Potential abuses of the workers' compensation process by psychologists and ethical considerations are also discussed. Several recommendations for improving the system are offered.

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