Wellness & Wellbeing
Minnesota Law is committed to supporting students’ wellbeing by offering support and wellness initiatives. The American Bar Association recently released a Report from the National Task Force on Lawyer Well-Being which revealed that lawyers and law students experience high rates of chronic stress and high rates of substance abuse.
Managing stress and addressing personal or health barriers are keys to success in law school and legal practice. Like the American Bar Association, state bar authorities, and the legal profession more broadly, the Minnesota Law encourages students to seek help for personal, family, academic, or health challenges that arise during law school. In fact, the Law School’s Learning Outcomes highlight as fundamental the need for students - and future attorneys - to “Seek and use resources where necessary to address personal challenges.”
To equip students to conveniently access University-based supports, the Law School provides private meeting space in Mondale Hall for colleagues from the University’s Disability Resource Center, Office of Student Finance, and Student Counseling Services, as well as Minnesota Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers. Other resources are available on campus, via public transportation around the Twin Cities, and by phone.
Wellness and Wellbeing for Law Students
Wellness and Community Resources
The Well-Being Initiative
The Well-Being Initiative (WBI) is a student-led program working to improve the wellbeing of students in Mondale Hall. WBI conducts a student well-being survey each semester, connects students to their community through a peer mentorship program, organizes and hosts events and programs for the law school community, and collaborates with faculty and the administration to promote institutional and classroom practices that bolster well-being. Through WBI, students have the opportunity to engage with well-being on a variety of levels, including two pathways to transcript milestones for students who are interested in getting more involved. To learn more about WBI, including how to get involved, visit z.umn.edu/WBI.
Student Affairs Advising
Student Affairs advising is available to all students who may need help and support for personal or health challenges, exploring academic options, or addressing sensitive concerns. Please email the Assistant Dean of Students general account at lawdos@umn.edu to request a meeting.
Student Support Resources
Student Support Referral Form
Are you worried about a current law student? In addition to contacting 911 immediately for an urgent health or safety issue, we encourage you to share information with the Law School’s Student Affairs office that will equip us to follow-up with students who are experiencing personal, academic, or health-related challenges. Use the Student Support Referral Form to provide as much or as little information as you wish. If you don’t want to share specifics but at least put us on alert for possible concerns about a particular student, you can simply provide the student’s name.