B Zarin Wellness 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

THE END