THuRgood MaRSHaLL ScHooL of LaW STudenT WeLLneSS effoRT: Sustain Focus Through Balance

By aMy li ratra

When we think about law school, the first word that comes to mind may be “lawyer” or “judge.” However, soon after 1L law students embark on their journeys to be lawyers or judges, the word hovering in their minds will probably be “stressful.” Law study is full of academic challenges that are vastly different from undergraduate study. The academic environment of law school includes intense academic rigor, reading assignments of hundreds of cases, statutes, and articles, grading curves, and demands of lawyering and critical thinking. In addition to academic challenges, students may also encounter their own personal challenges, such as financial difficulty, family concerns, and health issues. Challenge is value-neutral. It can be a stimulus of creativity, curiosity, or ambition for accomplishment. It can also be a primer to generate stress. Excessive stress may cause wellness issues that negatively impact academic performance.

In keeping with the mission of Thurgood Marshall School of Law (TMSL) as part of a historically black university, TMSL places special emphasis on educating African Americans and Hispanics, two traditionally underrepresented groups.13 Many of our students expect to be the first in their immediate and extended families to become lawyers and have little to draw from when acclimating themselves to the rigors of law school life. Therefore, it is vital for a law school to provide an effective support system to help students adjust, overcome challenges, and avoid letting “stress” become “stressfulness.”

TMSL has established a support system to help students thrive both academically and mentally. Students are embraced with a wide range of counseling resources. TMSL’s Student Services Office (SSO) has an open-door policy for walk-in general counseling. For therapeutic counseling, students will be referred to the University Counseling Center (UCC) and the Texas Lawyers’ Assistance Program (TLAP). TMSL seamlessly provides accommodations for students with physical or mental disabilities through a joint effort with the law school’s SSO and the University’s Student Accessibility Services Office (SASO). University Student Health Services (SHS) provides students with high-quality healthcare and health-related advising. TSML invites UCC, TLAP, SASO, and SHS to present during Thurgood Law’s 1L new student orientation week.

The ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus has a well-known saying: “No man ever steps in the same river twice.” Nothing is permanent except change. For example, the COVID-19 pandemic changed how we view and manage health challenges. From our COVID-related knowledge, we better understand the importance of good physical and mental health in everyday life and the importance of preventive and proactive care in facilitating wellbeing. Inspired by this, the SSO will launch new wellness initiatives to proactively foster a culture of student wellbeing. First, the SSO plans to conduct a student wellness climate survey to have a clearer picture of current student wellness. Second, the SSO webpage will be updated with wellness resources information to increase information visibility and access efficiency. Third, we will organize wellness education events, such as a wellness week or mental health lectures. Increasing mental health knowledge can serve as a preventative measure to control stress and maintain mental health. Therefore, these events will focus on common causes and remedies for mental health issues, including academic-related stress, poor financial management of budgets and loans, family emergencies, illness, quality of “rest” during winter and summer breaks, and how to build some margin of calmness and tranquility into a busy life.

At TMSL, one goal of wellness is to guide our students to manage stress at the right amount and right level that can generate self-motivation but not lead to health concerns. Through our wellness initiatives, we hope to equip students with the knowledge to not only push through their challenging law school journeys, but also to push forward to their futures in the challenging yet rewarding legal profession.

Amy Li Ratra is the associate dean for student services and instructional support at Thurgood Marshall School of Law and an international administrator with over 20 years of experience in higher education. She has an LL.M. with Commendation in International Law from the University of Aberdeen.