Abstract
The neuropsychological assessment of brain development in adolescence and early adulthood reveals continued, substantive development of various skills related to executive functions beyond late adolescence and into various stages of adulthood. Here information is presented regarding the fundamental psychological construct of intelligence followed by a discussion of the psychological/neuropsychological construct of executive functioning. Following a review of research specific to developmental changes of certain neuropsychological assessments of executive skills, a discussion is presented linking the development of executive functioning in the late adolescent class (18–20-year-olds) and their decision-making to best case treatment of this late adolescent class in the legal system generally and in capital cases specifically.