Norm Pattis over at Crime & Federalism isn’t impressed with the following offering by the University of Connecticut School of Law this semester:

Seminar: Therapeutic Jurisprudence 692
Professor: Robert G. Madden, LCSW, JD
Course Description: Therapeutic Jurisprudence is an interdisciplinary approach to law that focuses on the impact of legal rules, processes and institutions on people’s emotional lives and psychological well-being. Using this perspective, the course examines recent developments in several areas, including collaborative divorce law; creative problem solving; the establishment of drug treatment, domestic violence, mental health and other specialized courts; preventive law; procedural and restorative justice; and alternative dispute resolution. Readings include materials from psychology, criminology, social work, and other disciplines. The course is designed to emphasize how therapeutic jurisprudence may enrich the practice of law through the integration of interdisciplinary, non-adversarial, nontraditional, creative, collaborative, and psychologically-beneficial legal experiences.

Imagine the implications for courtroom exchanges during courtroom testimony:

“Objection, your honor.”
“What’s your objection?”
“Contrary to sound social policy.”