The Developing Field of Elder Law: A Historical Perspective

Volume 1, Issue 1

The Developing Field of Elder Law: A Historical PerspectiveLawrence A. Frolik

The development of the field of elder law is the subject of Professor Frolik’s essay. He views the genesis of elder law as the result of both the emergence of legal specialization and the changing nature of legal education. In a climate marked by increasingly specialized practices, the advent of legal advertising, the changing nature of legal work, and the desire of lawyers to engage in satisfying practice, elder law has recently emerged as a growing field of practice and professional organization. At the same time, legal education has broadened the scope of the traditional curriculum to include subjects of a more practical nature, and the composition of student bodies at the nation’s law schools has become more reflective of the general population, with marked increases in the presence of women and students studying law as a second career. Professor Frolik celebrates the introduction of The Elder Law Journal as a medium of scholarly exchange for both practitioners and academicians in the field, and as a confirmation that the field of elder law has reached an elevated status.

Lawrence A. Frolik is Professor, University of Pittsburgh School of Law: B.A. 1966, University of Nebraska ; J.D. 1969, L.L.M. 1972, Harvard Law School.