Julia McLawsen, PhD

10/13/2025

“How do you turn what is lost
into something worth it to carry on?”
- Suzzallo

This line from “Keep It Together” resonates with me, personally and professionally. As a forensic psychologist, I have the privilege of working with people who shoulder unbearable truths: finding moment-by-moment ways to keep it together, and sometimes even inching forward. Resilience doesn't erase loss; it teaches us how to hold it. And as we do, absence metamorphoses into a retextured presence we braid into our lives, carrying forward the legacy of what we loved.

And that, friends, is a huge part of why I felt proud to lift up Suzzallo’s message on their West Coast tour.

10/11/2025

🎉 I’m thrilled to share that what seemed headed for the dreaded “eternally in-progress” manuscript status has finally found a home 🙌

“Ethical and legal challenges in forensic psychological evaluations resulting from three Washington State Supreme Court rulings” kept hitting a classic Goldilocks snag inherent to interdisciplinary scholarship: too Washington-specific for major journals, too psych-forward for law, and too legal for psychology. Cheers to persistence (and multiple rewrites) for the win ✨

I’m also sending out much gratitude to brilliant colleagues and reviewers whose conversations and commentary helped shape the final version 💗

10/05/2025

“What greater gift or better can we offer to the state than if we teach and train up the youth?”
– Cicero

Last night I had the privilege of taking one of my longtime now-graduate student assistants (and her amazing partner!) out for a delish dinner followed by an epic Suzzallo show. I’ve felt so honored to watch her grow into a skilled, thoughtful clinical/forensic psychologist-in-training.

The Cicero quote carved above the venue door felt especially fitting: mentorship is both a responsibility and a gift. Investing in the next generation of clinical/forensic psychologists isn’t just about professional growth: it expands access to evidence-driven evaluations, raises standards of practice, and advances equitable outcomes across the justice systems we serve

And for sure, the top-notch soundtrack was the perfect exclamation point that lit up a stellar evening 🎶🐉

09/30/2025

News I'm grateful for 🎉

Through the American Psychology-Law Society's Leadership Program, I’ll be serving on the AP-LS Professional Development of Women Committee. I’m excited to collaborate with forensic colleagues I admire and pay it forward. Do you have ideas that need a boost? I’d love to hear them!

09/17/2025

Garth Brooks may have 🎶friends in low places 🎶 but I'm partial to my forensic psychologist friends/colleagues in Suzzallo places! And bonus, we can skip the boots in favor of comfy sneakers.

Spokane's show was out of this world. Albuquerque, Phoenix, LA, SanFran, + Portland are on the horizon! 's 🐉energy chases away blues far better than any whiskey or beer.

Tix: https://www.suzzallo.com/

9/17 - Boise, ID @ Neurolux
9/18 - Provo, UT @ Velour
9/20 - Denver, CO @ Lost Lake
9/21 - Albuquerque, NM @ Revel Backstage
9/22 - Phoenix, AZ @ Rebel Lounge
9/23 - San Diego, CA @ Soda Bar
9/24 - Santa Ana, CA @ Constellation Room
9/26 - Los Angeles, CA @ Permanent Records*
9/27 - San Francisco, CA @ Make-Out Room^
9/28 - Napa, CA @ Folklore
10/4 - Portland, OR @ Show Bar
10/11 - Seattle, WA @ Tractor Tavern
11/26 - Seattle, WA @ Showbox Market

09/09/2025

Another forensic psychologist and I are super psyched (groan!!!) to take an evening off duty so that we can be in the front row cheering our heads off at Suzzallo's 9/16 Spokane show! We're the perfect pairing for a band that radiates grit and healing ☺️ Music + community = resilience 🎶🫶

08/19/2025

✨Throughout some alarmingly contentious summer depositions and trials, I’ve been holding onto a lyric from "Where We Started" (Rocky Votolato's True Devotion): “No one is your enemy, you can choose peace.”

As a forensic psychologist, my role is to provide impartial, evidence-driven opinions, *NOT* to spar with attorneys. And yet, too often, the process becomes unnecessarily combative.

Cross-examination should test the strength of an expert’s opinions, not the limits of civility. Instead of revealing the truth, heated tactics waste time and erode respect for the process and those whose wellbeing is at stake.

Here’s to remembering that even in adversarial proceedings, we can choose peace!

08/13/2025

Cheers to many more years of FAST-style evidence-driven excellence (and 🍰)!

🥳Happy 1st Birthday to FAST!🍰 Year #1 sure flew by... *fast* (groan!). In the last 12 months, we’ve blossomed from a tiny practice of two forensic psychologists who dared to dream big to a thriving team of 20 top-notch evaluators and world-class affiliates. And we’re just getting started...

From our first referral to our first birthday, thank you for trusting FAST with your most complex cases. The verdict is in: this year was sweet.

Now it's time for your testimony: What’s been your favorite FAST moment from our 1st year?

07/25/2025

Starting this Fall, Forensic Assessment Services Team is bringing the kiss-cam energy to continuing education, subbing the PDA for APA (CE, that is). Mark your calendars for some lawfully good psycholegal learning!

🔥 FAST Forward 🔥 FAST's inaugural Fall/Winter speaker lineup, is right around the corner! Mark your calendars for cutting-edge psycholegal topics presented by renowned speakers.

While we may lack Coldplay’s pyrotechnics, with a lineup this good, we’re expecting kiss-cam-level enthusiasm (minus the PDA and scandal).

Consider this your front-row invitation to forensic brilliance... with the bonus of APA-approved CEs 🎤⚖️

06/23/2025

Introducing April Votolato's "Those Who Move Mountains," which channels the confluence of grief, beauty, and purpose.

It was an honor to support Rocky Votolato's Kickstarter for Suzzallo's debut album "The Quiet Year," which my family has played on repeat since its May release😊 And my favorite part? How this painting paved the way for more art to come into the world. Learn more at: www.aprilvotolato.com

06/04/2025

Today I had the chance to testify about a true “unicorn” referral question: What’s the standard of practice for conducting a competency evaluation? It's always an honor to stand up (or Zoom in) on behalf of professional integrity and evidence-driven practice in forensic psychology!

05/30/2025

Tonight, husband and I got to appreciate a masterclass in channeling pain into purpose: Rocky's acoustic Suzzallo set at KEXP’s "Music Is the Remedy" event. As the panelists noted *hope is a behavior* and Suzzallo shows us how to live that out loud. Kintsugi for the soul, honoring the damage in gold.