Growing Pains: The Integration vs. Specialization Question for Therapeutic Jurisprudence and Other Comprehensive Law Approaches

Abstract

Therapeutic jurisprudence is by now well-established as a force to be reckoned with in the law. No longer relegated to a law-and-psychology movement, or to an approach relevant only to mental disability law, it has established its efficacy in a variety of areas, including criminal law, family law, employment law, estate planning, immigration law, corporate planning, health law, and general civil disputes. Furthermore, its success heralds the growth of other, emerging movements in the law, such as collaborative law, restorative justice, and other approaches. Thomas Scheff has called these emerging disciplines "vectors." These vectors comprise an overall movement towards law as a healing profession, which I have called a "comprehensive law movement."

Keywords: therapeutic jurisprudence, comprehensive law