Therapeutic jurisprudence as theoretical and applied research

This chapter provides a model for scholars and researchers to make clearer and more express links to TJ theory in their writing and research, to both bolster its impact and credibility and to generate more powerful insights into social relationships within the legal system. Too often, we read TJ work which incorporates boilerplate descriptions of important TJ principles, concepts and methods, with little or no attempt to make explicit connections between discrete components of TJ theory and method with the particular research paradigm and methodology used. In order to facilitate a more nuanced approach to designing a TJ aligned methodology in their work, I suggest that scholars and researchers frame their project around the three component of ‘the TJ Imperative’. By making express statements about each of those three components and how each is linked to discrete elements of their research design, the risks of under theorizing and of simply invoking TJ (with the subsequent reputation risk to TJ itself) can be reduced