Part 1 of a 4 part series. This article is the first of four lectures given by Jerome Strickland at the 1980 June Institute. Strickland discusses the development of modern law in the West and examines the recent developments of “no-fault divorce” and abortion. Strickland examines how the development of legal precedent and systems impact the milieu in which biblical counseling happens. Part 1 is in JPP 5:4, Part 2 is in JPP 5:4, Part 3 is in JPP 6:1 and Part 4 is in JPP 6:2.