Law School Mental Health Day

If there is one universal fact we all know, it is this: law school is hard.

This upcoming Wednesday, March 28th, is National Mental Health Day at law schools nationwide. This day of awareness was created to help break the stigma associated with severe depression and anxiety among law students and lawyers.

To celebrate National Mental Health Day, Phi Alpha Delta, the Office of the Dean of Students, and the Student Bar Association will host attorney Daniel Lukasik as he speaks about Stress, Anxiety and Depression in the Legal Profession. Mr. Lukasik has been recognized as a one of the “Best Lawyers in America,” partly due to his trial advocacy skills, but also in light of the approach he takes to each and every client thanks to something that he lives with every day: depression. Mr. Lukasik has become very vocal and open about depression and mental illness, specifically in the legal community. He has created a blog, Lawyers with Depression, where he posts his comments surrounding advancements in the treatment of depression and mental illness and has guest blogs from leading psychologists and psychiatrists. The event will be on Thursday, March 29th from 3:30- 4:30pm in Room 283.

To help address the everyday needs of the RWU Law community, the law school has recently created a Wellness Committee, comprised of current students, staff, and administration. The Committee recently launched a Student Wellness page on the law school website highlighting resources available to students. This page contains information on how to access counseling services on campus; how to contact the Dean of Students Office and the Office of Diversity and Outreach; information on fitness and recreational services on campus, including waterfront activities; upcoming wellness-related events; and, more!

One of the resources highlighted on the Student Wellness page is a LawGuide created by the Law Library to help you find ways to manage the always-present stress of law school in serious ways and not-so-serious ways. The guide includes information on wellness and the law generally, the various reflective spaces at RWU, and ways to bring some fun into your life while in law school (it is possible!).

While law school may be hard, remember that there are resources available to help make the journey easier. We are all in this together!