This course is designed to provide an introduction to the Belizean legal system and the various pieces of legislation that intersect with social work practice in Belize. The course examines some of the many critical perspectives on law, the legal system and the legal processes that interact with our professional practice. It explores the roles of the actors within the system and special attention is given to those roles played by the social services practitioner, including those of investigator, guardian ad litem, advocate and witness. The social work practice issues that arise from fulfilling these various roles will be examined and students will be taught practical skills such as court advocacy and report writing that will assist in the successful fulfillment of these roles. Students will be sensitized to the various ethical, human and cultural diversity issues that arise from practice within the legal system.