The papers of Saleem A. Shah document his work in forensic psychology and law, a specialized field he helped establish. The files, dating from the early 1960s to the time of his death, concern his many research and writing projects, work he did for various organizations including NIMH, international projects and travel, and correspondence with colleagues.

The Shah papers richly complement other collections in mental health and law donated by Richard Bonnie, Harvey Fireside, and Browning Hoffman.