Hello from the HLS Well-Being Working Group! We are a team of students, faculty, and staff charged with focusing on four questions:
- How can we create a community culture (including peers, faculty and staff and professionals) where all students feel connected and supported?
- How can we effectively communicate about resources, policies, and procedures for mental health and well-being?
- How will we define and measure success for this work and any supports or programs considered?
- How can HLS become a leader in the space in a way that will better not just legal education, but also the legal profession?
We are always interested in hearing from students about ideas for programming or other ways we can support the community. Please feel free to reach out to any of us with questions or ideas: Jessica Soban; Stephen L. Ball; Monica E. Monroe; Lakshmi Clark-McClendon; Glenn Cohen; Michael Gregory; Alice Hu ’24; Manoranjitha Reddy Ani ‘24; Maggie Hopkins ’25; Gabrielle Lewis ’26
Report of the working group
A Working Group consisting of students, faculty and staff was charged in 2018 with examining how best to build a supportive community culture, communicate resources, define and measure success, and ultimately become a leader in law student well-being. The group’s report includes comparative information regarding mental health challenges faced by law school students and the legal profession generally, a summary of HLS survey findings, a brief overview of actions taken in recent years, and four initial recommendations for improving student well-being.