Lawyer, Heal Thyself: Proposals to Develop Wellness Resources at Elon University School of Law Babak Zarin Class of 2014 Friday, May 2, 2014 Leadership Capstone
Lawyer, Heal Thyself: Proposals to Develop Wellness Resources at Elon University School of Law
Babak ZarinClass of 2014Friday, May 2, 2014Leadership Capstone
WELLNESS IN LAW SCHOOLS: WHAT HAVE STUDIES SHOWN ABOUT STUDENT WELLNESS?
• Kennon M. Sheldon & Lawrence S. Krieger, Does Legal Education Have Undermining Effects on Law Students? Evaluating Changes in Motivation, Values, and Well-Being, 22 BEHAV. SCI. & L. 261 (2004)
• Kennon M. Sheldon & Lawrence S. Krieger, Understanding the Negative Effects of Legal Education on Law Students: A Longitudinal Test and Extension of Self-Determination Theory, 33 PERS. & SOC. PSYCHOL. BULL. 883 (2007)
• Krieger, Lawrence S. and Sheldon, Kennon M., What Makes Lawyers Happy? Transcending the Anecdotes with Data from 6200 Lawyers (February 20, 2014). The George Washington University Law Review, Vol. 83 (2015 Forthcoming); FSU College of Law, Public Law Research Paper No. 667. Available at SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=2398989 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2398989
• marked increases in depression, negative mood, and physical symptoms, with corresponding decreases in life satisfaction
• shifts from helping, community-oriented values to extrinsic, rewards-based values
• similar shifts in motivation for becoming lawyers, from internal purposes (e.g. interest, meaning) to more superficial/external reasons (e.g. financial rewards, recognition,)
• decreases in values of all kinds after the first year, suggesting generalized demoralization or loss of personal purpose
Students undergo the following within the first year of law school alone:
WELLNESS PROGRAMS IN LAW SCHOOLS: A BRIEF OVERVIEW
1989: Jon Kabat-Zinn, director of Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care, and Society in Boston, offers program on Mindfulness-Stress Reduction to judges.
• Forums discussing impact of mindfulness on legal practice and ADR
• Some schools (e.g. Yale, Columbia) offer mindfulness retreats • For-credit and non-credit courses being offered, as either stand-
alone courses or in conjunction with others (e.g. ADR, Bar Preparation)
Over the past 25 years:
CURRENT WELLNESS RESOURCES
Main Campus Health Center
Barcares &
Lawyer Assistan
ce Progra
m Referral Lists
Literature at Law
SchoolPreceptor &
Fellows Progra
ms
Student Services
& Faculty
YMCA
STUDENT VIEWS OF WELLNESS RESOURCES
High Awareness of Resources• Rarely
accessed• Fear of
being known for accessing such resources
Lack of Counselor at Law School• Desire to
have access to one
• Strong rejection of main campus
Top Three Recognized Concerns• Finances• Anxiety• Time &
Stress Management
MAIN PROPOSAL: INCREASE AWARENESS OF WELLNESS ISSUES AND RESOURCES
Make physical resources more readily findableIncrease and
make online resources more easily findableInclude awareness of wellness in classes interactionsInclude
awareness of wellness in event planning
POTENTIAL FURTHER DEVELOPMENTS
Student Wellness
Center
Lectures & Events on Wellness
Partnership with Legal Community
INITIAL OBSTACLES
Logistics:
scheduling
events and
upkeep
Leadership: who’s
in charge of this?
Follow-up:
Ensuring resource
s are used