World Mental Health Day (October 10) and Law School Mental Health Awareness Days (October 10-12)

Dear Students,

Monday, October 10, 2022 is World Mental Health Day.  The ABA is also sponsoring Law School Mental Health Awareness Days on October 10 – 12, 2022.  Law school can be stressful, and that stress is has been exacerbated for many students by the pandemic.

I encourage you to take time to invest in your own mental health by working through one of the following modules.  Most modules should take approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour to complete.

Of course, you are welcome to explore more than one option if you like – there is some great information for each option.

Once you have completed a module, complete the Personal Wellness Self-Assessment.

Module 1:  Stress Management and Wellness from the Law Student Perspective

Listen to this ABA for Law Students Podcast, Examining Stress and Offering Hope to Law Students.  In this podcast, a group of law students discuss many of the stresses that law students face, including mental health issues like anxiety and depression, stress and time management pressures, particular challenges faced by LGBT students, etc. The podcast guests also have some practical advice for things law students can do to stay healthy, as well as some conversation about what law schools can do to support students.

Module 2:  The Benefits of Practicing Mindfulness in Law School

Listen to this three-part podcast from the ABA’s Path to Law Student Wellbeing Podcast Series, The Practice and Benefits of Mindfulness. This podcast features special guest Scott Rogers of the University of Miami School of Law’s Mindfulness in Law Program: Part I; Part II; Part III; and this bonus 3-minute mindfulness exercise. Mindful meditation is often used by lawyers and law students as part of their self-care strategies, and many who practice mindfulness report feeling less anxiety and improved ability to focus, among other benefits. The podcast explores some of the many benefits of mindfulness and explains how law students can develop their own mindfulness practices.

ABA | COLAP Virtual Conversation about Law Student Mental Health and Well-Being 

Each year the ABA Law Student Division and the ABA’s Commission on Lawyer Assistance Programs (COLAP) Law School Committee partner to provide national Mental Health Day Programs.  This year, the and ABA Law Student Division and COLAP are hosting a conversation with law students from across the country (virtually) on Friday, October 14, 2022, at 1:00 p.m. CST discussing how to improve access to mental health and wellbeing resources during law school. Register here. Find out more about what other mental health resources the ABA has available for law students and lawyers here.

Additional Mental Health Resources

Here are a number of counseling, stress, and mindfulness resources that are available to you through the law school, the university, and from a number of other sources other to support your mental health.

Finally, please reach out if you would like help being connected to any resources or otherwise need any assistance.

Thanks,

Dean Aden