Teaching TJ: Therapeutic Jurisprudence for Law Students

Abstract

Why shouldn’t law school introduce its students to modern, cutting edge theories, concepts, and practical skills? Teaching therapeutic jurisprudence (TJ) to law students accomplishes this goal by exposing students to innovative perspectives that demand rigorous application of one’s knowledge and values in a creative problem-solving approach. TJ does not promote the practice of psychotherapy by untrained or unqualified personnel; rather it seeks to educate lawyers, judges, legal personnel, and law students to use the law in a manner helpful to individuals and society as a whole.

Keywords: therapeutic jurisprudence, education, law schools