Trauma-Informed Lawyering: Bridging The Gap Between Mental Health And Legal Practice In India

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Seema Rahman, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai

ABSTRACT

In a country as socio-economically diverse and deeply stratified as India, trauma is not just personal but systemic. Individuals navigating the legal system often come with histories of violence, displacement, caste-based or gender-based discrimination, and socio-economic marginalization. Traditional legal practices often overlook these lived realities, inadvertently perpetuating re-traumatization. Trauma-informed lawyering (TIL) is an emerging, empathetic legal approach that prioritizes client safety, agency, and dignity. This paper analyzes the relevance of TIL in the Indian context, explores its principles and integration into legal education and practice, and proposes reforms rooted in mental health jurisprudence, international human rights obligations, and lived experiences of clients.

Keywords: Trauma-Informed Lawyering, Access to Justice, Mental Health Jurisprudence, Marginalization and Discrimination & Human Rights Framework

TRAUMA-INFORMED LAWYERING- BRIDGING THE GAP BETWEEN MENTAL HEALTH AND LEGAL PRACTICE IN IN.

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