Phillip J. Resnick is a world-recognized expert in forensic psychiatry, consulting on some of the nation’s most infamous mass-murder cases, including those involving the Unabomber and the bombing of the federal building in Oklahoma City.
Whether asked to diagnose a mental illness, determine an accused killer’s motivation, or give testimony in a death-penalty case, Resnick has a keen knowledge of case law and an ability to distill tens of thousands of pages of documents or complex situations into cogent summaries.
He also has had an indelible impact as an educator working with fellows in his specialty for decades. “The most gratifying part of my work has been teaching and influencing people in terms of how they approach forensic cases,” Resnick said.
He’s director of forensic psychiatry at University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, and a decades-long professor of psychiatry at Case Western Reserve. One of his gifts to CWRU established the Phillip J. Resnick, MD Professorship in Forensic Psychiatry.
“I certainly feel indebted to Case [Western Reserve],” Resnick said, “and see it as kind of the springboard of my career.”
This piece, written by Steve Neumann, originally appeared in the Fall 2023 issue of Think Magazine.