Bringing Psychology to the Courtroom, with Dr. Monica Delgado

What started as a classroom spark for psychology has become Dr. Monica Delgado’s voice in the courtroom.

With a Ph.D. in multicultural psychology, Dr. Delgado lends her expertise to clients, attorneys and law firms – applying a psychological lens to trial strategy, firm culture and leadership development. At Harris St. Laurent Wechsler (HSW), she serves as Litigation Strategist and Director of Professional Development.

HSW Managing Partner Jonathan Harris says: “Monica has been instrumental in some of our most notable matters and has transformed how we approach our cases and teams – from building client relationships to preparing for testimony.”

Over time, Delgado has faced the challenge of translating psychological theory into legal practice – adjusting methods case by case, learning from missteps and refining her approach. Her work extends beyond trial settings: On the firm leadership side, she draws on her experience in executive development, program creation and technology integration. She earned a Leadership Coaching credential from Harvard’s Executive Program, and she also writes and speaks on the evolving intersection of AI and law. For instance, she recently co-authored “AI-Generated Evidence in Litigation: New York State and Federal Perspectives,” published in the New York Law Journal.

Delgado’s approach is grounded: decades of courtroom experience, deep psychological training and a willingness to iterate. She describes her role now not as an infallible “fix-it tool,” but as a collaborator who helps sharpen narrative, anticipate risk and bring clarity to complex cases.

With a unique blend of distinguished psychological training, decades of real-world trial experience and technological savvy, Delgado is something of a surprise Swiss Army Knife – a multifaceted, unexpected and indispensable legal partner.

She is a member of the Lawdragon 100 Global Leaders in Legal Strategy & Consulting.

Lawdragon: You initially started your Ph.D. in pediatric neuropsychology. How did that pivot into a legal context?

Monica Delgado: By getting tapped on the shoulder and hearing, “Hey, Monica, we need help.”

LD: Who needed help?

MD: A teenager who had been falsely accused of strong-armed robbery. His parents were not U.S. nationals, and there was a culture clash within their neighborhood.

LD: Right – and your Ph.D. is in multicultural psychology. Can you explain what that means and how it informs your approach to working with clients?

MD: Multicultural psychology takes the lid off the American Psychological Association diagnostic criteria, allowing you to pop your head up a little bit and look around and see if the Cinderella slipper fits everybody, is how I describe it. And if it does not, how can you respectfully address that bridge?

LD: Interesting. So, tell me more about the case.

MD: I was eager to help – and I learned so much: from the lawyer, from the case itself, from the young person accused and from his family. Because of the cultural variables that we were able to fully understand and present to the court, all charges were dropped.

LD: Wow.

MD: After my first case, I thought I was done. I didn't have any thoughts about next steps. But the phone did. When we finished that first case, other lawyers heard. And then I got another call. And then another. From there I developed a structured methodology that has proved very successful in mitigating negative perceptions.

LD: What brought you to working with Jonathan Harris and the team at Harris St. Laurent Wechsler?

MD: Jonathan was representing Stanley ‘Tookie’ Williams in a death-penalty clemency case in California. He handled the case pro bono, and the ACLU shared my name. Almost no one had ever spoken with the victims’ families before – Jonathan asked me to reach out so their voices could be heard, and I did. Many years later, he turned to me again to help support HSW through the lockdown, to guide the team during a stressful and unprecedented time.

Lawyers expect me to help their clients – and I do – but often they underestimate their own psychological load.

LD: What stood out to you about working with him?

MD: He was incredibly sharp. He knew how to lead a team with clarity, even when the spotlight was intense. He stayed composed under pressure, welcomed feedback, heard what was happening around him – and we adapted together, moving forward in sync and with purpose.

LD: To that end, what do you enjoy about working with lawyers in general?

MD: They are a group of people that have raised their hands and are willing to put their life toward helping somebody else.

LD: Now, with years of criminal trials under your belt, can you walk me through your typical involvement in the life cycle of a case?

MD: My involvement depends on the nature of the case, the client and the lawyers I’m working with. Sometimes I’m asked in right at the start – when the client is first spoken to. Other times, I step in later, just before a deposition or cross-examination, when lawyers realize they need focused support. In all cases, my goal is to reduce risk, deepen preparation, sharpen the narrative and ensure every piece of evidence is presented with intention. These moments of involvement often make all the difference.

LD: What assistance are you able to provide that maybe lawyers don't expect?

MD: Lawyers expect me to help their clients – and I do – but often they underestimate their own psychological load. The real world of litigation is much harsher than law school teaches – relentless deadlines, adversarial stress, decision fatigue and the mental wear of frequent high-stakes judgments. I help lawyers recognize and manage those pressures – regulate their stress, recover before and after trial, build mental resilience. Doing so not only preserves well-being, but also prevents costly errors, improves performance and strengthens the narrative in court. Recent studies show that high workload and low decision control are strongly correlated with burnout, and that up to 70 percent of attorneys will suffer burnout during their career.  When you bring in psychological strategy early, the difference shows – in clarity, confidence, credibility and outcome.

LD: Tell me about your working relationship with clients.

MD: I stay deeply connected with each client. Often, I sit down one-on-one with someone facing serious allegations – not always about violence, but cases involving finances, loyalty, betrayal or false accusations. My role is to help them come to terms with what they’ve lived through and then guide them in presenting the evidence of that experience as clearly and powerfully as possible. Clients report that my support improved the process and verdict outcomes.

LD: We were touching on your work within the law firm, and you're heading up the professional development programs. So, can you tell me a bit about how you designed those programs to align with firm goals and then how psychology comes into their creation?

MD: We began by taking a close look at HSW’s culture and conducting a thorough needs analysis. Drawing on my background in program design and psychology, we crafted a bespoke professional development program that aligns tightly with firm goals. We have historically maintained a high retention rate. Under this program, a strong majority of our team show meaningful training integration (around 63 percent of those enrolled apply learning directly in their day-to-day work). The program has optimized the use of in-house resources – generating high ROI in both value to individual lawyers and improved operational efficiency for HSW.

In all cases, my goal is to reduce risk, deepen preparation, sharpen the narrative and ensure every piece of evidence is presented with intention.

LD: Tell me about how tech and AI play into those needs.

MD: I’ve long been interested in AI, drawing on my background in cognitive science. Decades ago, telemedicine was controversial – yet I’ve seen how technology enables people in remote or constrained settings to thrive. For me, AI tools are not replacements for lawyers; they are enhancements – precision boosters, oversight safeguards, and ways to free up attorneys’ time so they can focus on strategy, advocacy and client relationships. At HSW, we’re exploring and implementing tools for evidence review, case analysis and more – always with human oversight built in. These tools help us catch issues earlier, reduce risk and allow our lawyers to spend more time on high-impact work rather than being overwhelmed by process. For example, research shows lawyers using AI in routine legal tasks like document review, contract review and legal research can save hundreds of hours annually and help maintain accuracy while boosting speed.

LD: Finally, over the course of your career, what have you found the most fulfilling about your work?

MD: To see someone who was unjustly accused – whose entire life was under question by their community – then have a jury find them not guilty is truly extraordinary. Through those outcomes, clients evade not only major damages and reputational harm, but also the emotional toll of protracted litigation. There is deep fulfillment in witnessing truth prevail, in participating in the fight to tell a person’s story. To stand there knowing the right outcome was achieved – nothing beats that.