The increase in clinical social work malpractice over the past several years has not kept pace with the corresponding increase in malpractice claims in other professional fields such as accountancy, law and medicine. However, there has been a trend to litigate perceived wrongdoings in social work clinical practice in such areas as sexual impropriety, incorrect treatment, breach of confidentiality and diagnostic errors. This article updales the recent trends in malpractice litigation and suggests certain risk management techniques clinicians may wish to consider in an effort to keep clinical social work within a "low profile" malpractice configurat ion.Within the past decade or so, professional malpractice in social work and other fields has given rise to serious policy questions regarding the law and professional behavior. This issue has been reflected in an increased number of cases reported in both law reports and professional journals. The term "malpractice" is not liabilityspecific; that is, it does not apply simply to one form or type of activity but rather encompasses a host of possible activities that give rise to monetary legal liability.