Monica Miller, Ph.D., J.D.

Foundation Professor; Judicial Studies Graduate Program Director
Monica Miller
she, her, hers

Summary

Monica Miller is a foundation professor and director of the Judicial Studies Graduate Program.

Miller received her Juris Doctorate from the University of Nebraska College of Law and her doctorate in social psychology from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Her interests involve the application of psychological theories and justice principles to laws and policies. Specifically, she is interested in social cognitive biases (i.e., gender and religion-based prejudice) and individual differences in moral and legal decisions (e.g., jury decisions); how the law regulates the family; how community sentiment and science relate to the law; juror responses to hate crimes and conspiracy theories; and the well-being of those who interact with the legal system (including the use of therapy dogs).

Selected publications

(Students in bold)

Books

  • Miller, M. K., Holbrook, M. A., & Yelderman, L. A., & Kulak, K. (2025). Science, society, and problem-solving courts. Oxford University Press.
  • Miller, M. K., Yelderman, L. A., Huss, M. T., & Cantone, J. A. (Eds.) (2024). The Cambridge handbook of legal decision making. Cambridge University Press.
  • Miller, M. K. (2024). The social science of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A call to action for researchers. Oxford University Press.
  • Miller, M. K. (2023). The social science of QAnon: A new social and political phenomenon. Cambridge University Press.
  • Miller, M. K., Blumenthal, J. A., & Chamberlain, J. (Eds.). (2015). Handbook of community sentiment. Springer.
  • Miller, M. K., Chamberlain, J., & Wingrove, T. (Eds.). (2014). Psychology, law, and the wellbeing of children. Oxford University Press.
  • Bornstein, B. H., & Miller, M. K. (2009). God in the courtroom: Religion’s role at trial. Oxford University Press.

Journal articles

  • Snider, K. M., Devereux, P. G., Miller, M. K., & Edwards, C. P. (2026). Social support type and source as buffers for judicial stress: Examining the moderating role of gender and identity. Frontiers in Law, 5, 1-5.
  • Cunius, M. K., Miller, M. K., Murphy, E., & Kruger, S. A. (2025). International survey about perceptions of courts’ role in addressing social issues through problem-solving courts. Frontiers in Law, 4, 65-78.
  • Giannetta, T. S., Cunius, M. K., Miller, M. K., & Patel, D. (under contract). Survey investigating judges’ confidence in their understanding of hate crime laws. Willamette Journal of Journal of Social Justice and Equity.
  • Miller, M. K., McCall, B., & Healy, J. (in press). Law and Psychology of Lie Detection: Judges’ perspectives on their ability to detect a liar. Cleveland State Law Review.
  • Hammond, T. B., & Miller, M. K. (2026). Judges’ perceptions of self-represented litigants: Addressing a growing concern for the judiciary. St. Mary’s Law Review, 54, 678-717.
  • Palmer, P., & Miller, M. K. (2026). Protecting judges’ mental health through reducing safety threats: Judges’ perspectives on judicial safety in and out of the courtroom. California Western Law Review, 62, 272-302.
  • Prager, N. W., Giannetta, T. S., Miller, M. K., & Burke, J. L. (2025).  Do plea bargains advance justice? A content analysis of judges’ perceptions of plea bargaining. University of Illinois Chicago Law Review, 58(4), 899-927.
  • Cerfoglio, A. L., Petrie, E. M., & Miller, M. K. (2024). Is “reasonable” reasonable? A content analysis on judges’ perceptions of the "Reasonable Person” Standard. University of Illinois Chicago Law Review, 57(4), 743-780. Giannetta, T. S., Cerfoglio, A. L., & Miller, M. K. (2024). Eliminating bias in the courtroom? A content analysis of judges’ opinions regarding implicit bias training. Memphis Law Review, 54(1), 1-41.
  • Giannetta, T. S., Cunius, M. K., & Miller, M. K. (under review).  A qualitative study investigating people’s lay theories and stereotypes about hate crimes
  • Fine, A., Miller, M. K., & McDermott, C. M. (2024). Interviewee lay theories and social categorization of robot therapy dogs. International Journal of Technology, Knowledge, and Society, 20(1), 17-33. 
  • Cunius, M. K., & Miller, M. K. (2023). The effects of an apology’s timing and type on parole board decision-making. Criminal Justice Studies, 36 (1), 83-100. 
  • Meyer, A. R., McDermott, C. M., Miller, M. K., & Marsh, S. (2022). Judges’ perceptions of facility dogs in the courtroom. Juvenile and Family Court Journal, 73, 41-55.
  • Kirshenbaum, J. M., & Miller, M. K. (2020). Judges’ experiences with mitigating jurors’ implicit biases. Psychiatry, Psychology, and Law. 
  • Miller, M. K., Clark, J., & Alvarez, M. J. (2020). Exploring the boundaries of societally acceptable bias expression toward Muslim and atheist defendants in four mock-juror experiments. The Social Science Journal. 
  • Edwards, C. P., & Miller, M. K. (2019). An assessment of judges’ self-reported experiences of secondary traumatic stress. Juvenile and Family Court Journal, 70, 7-29. 
  • Wood, S. M., DeVault, A. , Miller, M. K., Kemmelmeier, M., & Summers, A. D. (2019). Decision-making in civil litigation: effects of attorney credibility, evidence strength, and juror cognitive processing. Journal of Applied Social Psychology. 
  • Miller, M. K., Lindsey, S. C., & Kaufman, J. (2014). The religious conversion and race of a prisoner: Mock parole board members' decisions, perceptions, and emotions. Legal and Criminological Psychology, 19, 104-130. 
  • Miller, M. K., Wood, S., & Chomos, J. C. (2014). Relationships between support for the death penalty and cognitive processing: A comparison of students and community members. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 41, 731-750. 

    • Curriculum Vitae

    Ph.D. students

    Education

    Professional certifications