Skip to Main Content

Wellness & Mindfulness Resource Guide for Law Students

This page provides general information and resources for well-being, mindfulness, mental health and safety.
Purpose of This Guide

 

The purpose of this guide is to assist law students and legal professionals in finding basic information and resources on health, mindfulness, and emergency resources if needed. The current state of health among legal professionals is concerning. The perceived increase in substance abuse and mental health issues among legal practitioners is staggering, leaping from 41.19% in 2019 to a distressing 49.31% in 2023. (Lateral Link, 2023). For students it is important to learn now how to deal with stress, anxiety and other health challenges, before embarking on a demanding legal career. For current legal professionals, it is not too late to make your mental and physical health a priority. If this is a life-threatening emergency, please call 911. 

Suicide Prevention

September is national Suicide Prevention & Awareness Month—a time to share resources about how to take action to help prevent suicide in our communities. Below are some things to remember if we ever need to help or want to help others who may be struggling with depression and/or suicidal thoughts.

MentalHealthFirstAid.org recommends the acronym ‘ALGEE’ to help us remember important action steps when helping someone: 

 

WATCH FOR CRISIS WARNING SIGNS

Lawyers Concerned For Lawyers of Minnesota offers a list of crisis warning signs of suicide:

  • Hopelessness
  • Withdrawal
  • Desperation 
  • Increased use of alcohol and other controlled substances 
  • Impulsiveness or high-risk behavior 
  • Loss of engagement or sense of humor 
  • Deterioration in functioning