The Hidden Curriculum of Law School - Navigating Mental Health, Burnout, and Well-Being

This episode of the Podvocate will explore the often overlooked and underdiscussed pressures of law school, focusing on what shapes students’ mental health and well-being. From the pervasive culture of perfectionism and the relentless grind mentality to the emotional toll of legal education, we dive into how law students can be impacted by unspoken expectations. This episode also discusses the stigma surrounding mental health in law school and how some schools are already taking steps to help their students. Resources ABA Launches Pledge Campaign to Improve Mental Health and Well-Being of Lawyers, American Bar Association, September 10, 2018. https://www.americanbar.org/news/abanews/aba-news-archives/2018/09/aba-launches-pledge-campaign-to-improve-mental-health-and-well-b/ Raashi Sharma, Well-Being Series: Law Student Mental Health: An Open Dialogue, February 9, 2023, https://bostonbar.org/journal/law-student-mental-health-an-open-dialogue/ Priscilla Henson, Addiction and Substance Abuse in Lawyers: Statistics, June 21, 2024, https://americanaddictioncenters.org/workforce-addiction/white-collar/lawyers David Jaffe, Law Schools Should Take on Students’ Mental Health and Substance Use From Day One, American Bar Association, May 17, 2023, https://www.abajournal.com/voice/article/the-legal-profession-has-a-drinking-problem Jerome M. Organ et. al, Suffering in Silence: The Survey of Law Student Well-Being and the Reluctance of Law Students to Seek Help for Substance Use and Mental Health Concerns, 66 Journal of Legal Education 1 (2016) Katherine M. Younge, Understanding the Social and Cognitive Process in Law School that Creates Unhealthy Lawyers, 89 Fordham L. Rev. 11 (2021)