The paper describes a new method for the calculation of the Sommerfeld screening parameter ½. It requires neither the knowledge of the energy separations of spin doublet levels nor is it based on the application of the Hertz law. The only data required for the calculation are the experimental energy values of the level concerned for the series of elements belonging to the same subshell in which the element in the question is situated. As an illustration the values of ½ are calculated for the Ľ, ľ and Ä¿ levels for elements belonging to the subshell and these are found to be in excellent agreement with those published earlier by Gokhale and Misra. The method brings out the constancy of ½´Ä¾Ä¿µ ½´Ä½µ in a natural way and may thus be regarded as providing theoretical explanation of the Hertz law.