Using Therapeutic Jurisprudence to Build Effective Relationships with Students, Clients and Communities

Abstract

This article proposes that clinicians adopt the approach of therapeutic jurisprudence, an interdisciplinary movement focusing on the extent to which the law may enhance or inhibit the well being of those who are affected by it. It then outlines a set of guiding principles, which are core elements drawn from the field of social work, including micro-level and macro-level constructs that relate to building effective relationships with students, clients, and communities. The article posits that these core elements comprise a normative framework that can inform the question of how our clinical work can become more "therapeutic." It also provides specific examples taken from the author's own clinical teaching experiences to illustrate this framework. Taken as a whole, the article presents a model that can make meaningful contributions to clinical legal education.