Student Lawyer: How to deal with law school stress
This issue of Student Lawyer is dedicated to the idea of wellness—the proper balance of mental, physical, and emotional health.
Category: Student Lawyer
You’re right: Law school stress is different – but it doesn't have to be debilitating
Depression, anxiety, and alcohol or drug-related impairment occur at much higher rates among lawyers and law students than in the general population, according to various studies over the past few decades. You might think the explanation is that people prone to stress and its effects are especially drawn to a career in the law. But that’s not what the research seems to show.
Two deans answer the law school wellness questions they hear the most
As deans of students with a long history of working on wellness initiatives, we’re here to share some advice on the resources and strategies available to you in this current era—and urge you to speak up and reach out. Here are 10 questions we hear often from worried students and the answers we provide.
Why I walk: Staying healthy both mentally and physically
I’d always been a voracious reader, plowing through volumes of both literature and non-fiction—even during the three intensive years I spent in law school—so I felt I was well on my way to achieving the second prong of the Cervantes quote. Being a person who walks far was a different story.
14 apps that can help you improve your well-being
We lawyers can be externally focused, constantly worrying and thinking about our clients and their cases and neglecting our own well-being. Fortunately, it’s easier than ever to care for your well-being thanks to apps and other online programs. So the next time you catch yourself mindlessly scrolling through Instagram, give one of these apps a try instead.
Leah Litman: The law hasn’t yet achieved parity
Parity between men and women in the legal profession is an aspiration. It’s not reality, at least not yet. I wish I’d have understood that in law school because hearing that there’s parity when there’s none can be maddening.
Wellness: A truly worthy law school goal
This issue of Student Lawyer is dedicated to the idea of wellness—the proper balance of mental, physical, and emotional health. It seems a particularly important topic for law students and future lawyers to consider since our profession leaves us famously unwell.Young associates at law firms report being dramatically overworked, and
Law school offers classical singer a chance to give performers more legal leverage
Law schools attract a diverse group, but Christian Ketter stands out. Ketter is a 3L at The John Marshall Law School in Chicago, a Chicagoland native and the son of a lawyer. He is also a professionally trained classical singer and pianist.
Go ahead and Google–then do a subject-based search
Here are five ways to use this necessary companion to Google-like searching and be more confident that you’ve scoured the research landscape.
What LSD leaders have been working on behind the scenes
The Law Student Division’s national leaders have been busy pursuing concrete issues that will improve the lives of law students today and in the future. They’ve been representing them at all levels, including before the ABA House of Delegates and Board of Governors.
Law School Nation: March 2018
News from law schools across the country including a legal incubator program, the business of recreational marijuana, Standing Rock Legal Connect, and a scholarship offer.
Student Lawyer: Becoming tomorrow's legal leader
How do you create career opportunities for yourself? One way is to develop leadership skills—and it’s never too early to do that. The January/February 2018 issue of <em>Student Lawyer</em> gets you off the starting square and on your way.
Start now to become tomorrow’s legal leader
Leadership is a skill that’s essential to most legal roles. As student now and shortly a new lawyer, you may think you’re not qualified to assume a leadership role today or when you land your first legal job because of youth, inexperience, or your short tenure on the job. However,
How ABA leadership roles shaped my career
You’re busy with school. The bar exam looms, and career choices are pending. You’ve got no time to think about how the American Bar Association fits into your world right now. Maybe you can get to active involvement with the ABA later. I completely understand that mentality. But based on my own experience, it may mean that you’ll miss out on opportunities that could, literally, shape your career.
It started in the Law Student Division
It began in 1976 when I was the American Bar Association’s Law Student Division representative for my law school. It—meaning my active involvement in the ABA— has continued for the past 41 years. And it has positively impacted me as an attorney and a person
How to succeed (and have fun) at informational interviews
It can be difficult trying to figure out exactly how you want to use your law degree. Do you want to work in the government? For a large firm? A smaller or medium-sized one? A public interest group?Lucky for us, we lawyers have lots of options. One of the best
Finding a mentor: You don’t have to go it alone in law school
One of the most important steps you can take during law school is developing a mentoring relationship with someone you trust. You’ve got your head down, and you’re focusing on your course work. Good plan. But it’s also smart to begin building the relationships that will help you plan and pursue your legal career goals. One way to do that is by finding a mentor who can help guide you down the smartest path.
LSD allowing more students to have a voice
Now that 2017 has drawn to a close, it’s clear that 2017 was a year of significant achievement for the ABA Law Student Division.Together, we empowered 120,000-plus law students. We implemented a caucus system where all law students can assemble and advance legislative interests. We revamped the division’s communication operation
I Wish I'd Known: Put away your ladder
Up until now, you’ve been climbing a ladder. You got good grades in high school, which helped you get into a good college. Then you worked hard in college so you could get into a great law school.Now you’ll be tempted to view law school as just another ladder. You’ll
Head of the Class: Designing dreams for ailing children
Teal Johnson has a thing for turning dreams into reality. Johnson, a Wisconsin native and 3L at Syracuse University College of Law, is a founding board member of Designing Dreams.Co-founded in 2012 by Johnson and four close friends at the University of Minnesota–Twin Cities, the group transforms
California holds steady on bar cut score
In “A Bar to the Bar” in the September/October issue of Student Lawyer, we reported on the fact that the California Supreme Court was about to receive a report on the validity of the California bar and decide on whether to lower the California cut score, which is the second-highest in the country. A month after that issue rolled off the presses, on October 18, the California Supreme Court declined to lower the bar cut score.
Law School Nation: January 2018
News from law schools across the country including a new child-abuse prevention program, DACA assistance, an animal law legal clinic, and defending the rights of military veterans in Massachusetts.
Student Lawyer: The New Lawyer
What does the lawyer of the future need to know? It's a lot more than just the law. No matter where you land after graduation, fluency in technology and skills that go beyond the legal field will help you shine. The November/December 2017 issue of Student Lawyer gets you on
Essential tech skills for the new lawyer
Whether you’ve already landed a job, you’re looking for a job, or you’ve just started law school, from now until the end of your career, you’ll market your own assets. At the beginning of your career, you may not have much legal expertise or experience, so your assets may be
9 bleeding edge legal technologies you should know
Pick one, or several, of the newest technologies to gain an expertise in, and you could be solidifying your career success.
