Let’s Talk: A Framework for Supporting Law Students’ Wellbeing

Law is regularly regarded as one of the most difficult subjects you can study at university, and, much like the rest of higher education, law schools are changing. In the age of ‘resilience,’ high expectations are placed on both staff and students to deliver ever more competing demands. For students, the pressure of having to academically succeed; whilst also securing work experience, alongside a rounded CV that demonstrates the elusive concept of ‘commercial awareness,’ and interests outside of the discipline, can cause anxiety and stress. Putting to one side the bleak statistics and competition for securing a training contract, law students are under ever increasing pressure. Yet it is estimated that one in four students will suffer from poor mental health whilst studying. The complexity of supporting learners becomes more challenging when considering the increased diversity and different cultures within law school classrooms.
This article sets out an evidence-based framework, which was developed in 2020/21, for encouraging law students to reflect upon their wellbeing, and promote a more open supportive community amongst learners and facilitators. The framework details a senior tutor’s experience of leading a new pastoral care strategy which purposefully put mental health at the centre of every element of the student experience, from welcome week to teaching and assessments. Taken as a whole, the framework details ideas for embedding wellbeing within the law curriculum by reflecting upon thirteen new pedagogically informed interventions. In turn the framework’s interventions have the potential to facilitate an environment that can be more conducive for institutions to meet their responsibilities for student welfare.