The Importance of Teaching Social Work as a Sociolegal Practice: An Irish Perspective

Abstract

It has been argued that social work is the only profession that is based on a sociolegal expertise. In this article we suggest that this expertise differentiates social work from related social professions; requiring advanced sociolegal practice skills and a particular approach to sociolegal education. In a sociolegal environment, social workers and legal professionals practice in a space between service user and their wider environment. We demonstrate the importance of social work students developing competence in the use of the law and how a socioecological model can help students develop their sociolegal practice. We draw from our experience of the Irish child welfare and protection context and argue that specialist sociolegal skills education is required to inform practice across domains.