Jennifer Piel, MD, JD

Jennifer Piel, MD, JD is a clinical and forensic psychiatrist with Board Certification in General Psychiatry, Forensic Psychiatry, Brain Injury Medicine and Sports and Performance Psychiatry. Her professional roles include being the director of the UW Center for Mental Health, Policy, and the Law; associate professor in the UW Department of Psychiatry; and a staff psychiatrist at the VA Puget Sound. In addition to her medical training, Dr. Piel earned her law degree from the UW. As a member of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law (AAPL), she serves on the Ethics, Research, and Resident Education Committees and twice earned AAPL’s Young Investigator Award. Dr. Piel is the legal digest editor for the Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law. She has served as an expert witness and consultant in legal cases involving criminal and civil competencies; criminal responsibility; malpractice; personal injury; sexual and gender harassment; and fitness for duty, among others. She teaches courses in forensic mental health at the UW and speaks locally and nationally on topics related to psychiatry and the law.

Featured Projects

Workforce Innovation and Leadership in Forensic Mental Health

Funder: Sozosei Foundation

Role of Criminal Defense Attorneys in Suicide Prevention Following Defendant Arrest

Funders: Mary. E Nelson Charitable Remainder Trust, Heidi Combs Trustee

Select Publications

Barnes, C. & Piel J. (2023). Understanding deliberate indifference to suicide in corrections facilities: A review of recent legal cases. Journal of Forensic Sciences, 68(3), 972–977. 

Bryson, W.C., Piel, J. & Thielke, S.M. (2021). Arrest and non-fatal suicide attempts among men: Analysis of survey data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health. BMC Psychiatry, 21, 537.

Bryson, W.C., Piel, J., & Thielke, S. (2020). Associations between parole, probation, arrest, and self-reported suicide attempts. Community Mental Health Journal. 57, 727–735.

Kopelovich S.L., Piel, J., Michaelsen, K., Reynolds, S.E., & Cowley, D.S. (2020). Forensic psychology postdoctoral training in the United States: How do programs meet national guidelines and standards? Training and Education in Professional Psychology, 14(3), 185–192.

Piel, J. (2023). Assessment of competence and criminal responsibility. In D. Lorandos (Ed.), Litigator’s handbook of forensic medicine, psychiatry, and psychology. Thomson Reuters.

Piel J.L., Kopelovich S.L., Michaelsen, K., Reynolds, S.E., & Cowley, D.S. (2019). Creating a State-Academic Partnership to Advance a Forensic Teaching Service: Benefits and Barriers. Journal of Forensic Sciences, 64(6), 1743-1749.

Sheehy, J., & Piel, J. (2024). Criminal defense attorneys and client suicide: Survey and recommendations from Washington state. Journal of Correctional Health Care, 30(3), 153–157.

Calhoun, J., & Piel, J. (2025). How to interpret the role of the forensic psychiatrist in order to promote ethical work. In W.C. Darby, & R. Weinstock (Eds.), Forensic neuropsychiatric ethics: Balancing competing duties in and out of court. American Psychiatric Publishing.

Recent Presentations

Ghossoub, E., Parker, G., Piel, J. & Webster, K. (2024, October). High-Quality Research for Forensic Psychiatry. American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law Annual Meeting, Vancouver, B.C.

Piel, J. (2022, November). TeleMental Health and Professional Liability [Invited speaker]. TeleBehavioral Health 301 Series, Seattle, WA.

Piel, J. (2022, October). Is it Time for Further Expansion of Slayer Laws? American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA.

Piel, J. (2022, October). Criminal Legal Involvement for Persons with Co-occurring and Serious Mental Illness [Plenary speaker]. Washington State Co-Occurring Disorder and Treatment Conference, Yakima, WA.

Piel, J. (2022, October). Invited Speaker, Discussion on the Interface Between Behavioral Health and the Criminal Legal System [Invited speaker]. Washington State Co-Occurring Disorder and Treatment Conference, Yakima, WA.

Piel, J. (2024, October). Words Matter: Stigmatizing Language in State Codes. American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law Annual Meeting, Vancouver, B.C.

Reisner, A. & Piel, J. (2024, October). Chronic Substance-Induced Psychosis and Insanity. Ohio Forensic Centers Consortium, online.

Zuchowski, S. Piel, J., Arabski, J., Lopez, S.M., Boldon, A. & Czerniski, B. (2024, October). The Legal Lens: Surveying Judges and Attorneys on Forensic Reports. American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law Annual Meeting, Vancouver, B.C.