Social Law And Social Work

WEEK #3

The gist of the law is justice, and its purpose is the common good. The content of social work is the correction and prevention of injurious relations, and it’s aim in common with that of the law, is the public well-being (Rome, 2013, p. 1).

From the beginnings of the Charity Organization Society in England in 1869 there was a movement to break the cycle of poverty. Jane Adams, Nobel Prize recipient in 1931, focused her efforts on the settlement houses in Chicago in the early 1900s, and later community organizing and activism. With the first cohort of social work students at Columbia in 1898, begun by an attorney Robert Weeks deForest, the profession has lead the way in developing private and public charitable organizations to serve marginalized populations. In the 1940s Francis Perkins, a social worker, was appointed to a cabinet position in the Roosevelt administration to craft the New Deal. From these beginnings, social workers have participated in assisting those in need through direct services and education but also have participated in the intersection of law, the legal system and social work.

During the late 19th century the legal profession was going through a transformation. The concept of a public defender office was first proposed at the end of the 19th century by Clara

Many of the people involved in the judicial system have not only legal problems but social ones as well. An example might be when a young man of color is arrested in a minor felony. When charged and brought to court the attorney’s sole focus may be to simply address the felony charge. Should a social worker become involved that professional might, with thorough assessment find that this young person has a mental disability with addiction. This should alter the focus of the judicial system from a focus of custody to an understanding for