New Beginnings

It is that time of year again. The start of law school. For incoming 1Ls, this can be an exciting time. It can also be a nerveracking, anxiety provoking time. That was certainly the case for me. My anxiety had my stomach so tied in knots that I think I spent the first 10 minutes in the restroom.

New beginnings are often thought of as exciting. Starting school, graduating, getting married, etc. Yet there is not enough discussion about the fact that these things can wreak havoc on anxiety conditions. And since it isn’t talked about, people often don’t know where to turn.

During my law school orientation, the only discussion at all about attorney well-being was a brief mention of addiction problems and how we need to look out for one another since it is a self-policing profession. While I had self-medicated the worst bouts of my depression with alcohol, the last thing I was going to do at the time was share that. On the contrary, the way they talked about it made me terrified that someone would find out.

There wasn’t a real discussion of resources you could turn to. There weren’t student groups. And just like the conversation in the profession generally, the conversation about mental health in law school needs to change.

In coming months we plan on reaching out to law schools to talk about starting student groups that can start changing these narratives. Of course, this is in addition to the peer support that the LegalMind Society offers to all legal professionals, including those in in law school.

For more information email info@thelegalmindsociety.org.