This fourth edition of Social Work in the Shadow of the Law is a critical resource for social workers, social work students and for those who work in human services. All of the chapters from the third edition have been updated, with fresh accounts, references, perspectives and case studies authored by over 30 academics and senior practitioners.


The new title, Social Work in the Shadow of the Law signals a little more emphatically that this is a book that is written by and for social workers. The first part of the book offers deeply considered reflections on the relationship between social work and law, including from Phillip Swain, the founding editor of this book. It then builds on this broad, contextual introduction by examining how and when social workers interact with the law and lawyers in a wide range of different practice settings. The final section of the book considers the legal issues that arise in the social worker's own practice, addressing matters such as confidentially and ethics, courts, tribunals and interpreters, record keeping, administrative law, and evidentiary rules.