Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2025

Abstract

Law students have reported common barriers during their academic journeys. They report that demands on their time are at an all-time high, that they believe that there’s one “right way” to be a law student and lawyer, or that they are constantly comparing themselves to others. Research suggests, however, that students can shape the way they experience difficult moments by looking at these challenges in positive ways and adopting a perspective that helps them to thrive. Working with psychology researcher Dr. Omid Fotuhi, and a group of law students, we created an intersession course—Thriving in the Law: Tools for Academic, Professional, and Personal Well-Being—that allows students to discuss the myriad of challenges that they face and to support their cultivation of a resilience toolbox to help them persevere when challenges arise.

In this course, we helped students analyze behavior and mindset from a psychological perspective. We know there are certain points in the students’ law school journey where they question their ability and that there are things in their environment that cause them to question themselves. Some are particular to our institution, some to law students as a whole, and some to students generally. We are not trying to take any of these things away; it would be impossible to do. Instead, we focused on helping students make meaning of the events that are maladaptive. We used science-based strategies to help students understand ways to boost motivation, manage distraction, form more meaningful connections, and improve performance. Using exercises, videos, lectures, and journaling, we explored best practices for learning how to thrive academically, professionally, and personally. Together, we helped students develop actionable skills, strategies, and routines for their toolbox so that they can positively adapt to challenging circumstances.

By addressing students’ well-being in these three categories, we are also guiding students in developing their professional identity. American Bar Association (ABA) Standard 303(b)(3) provides that “A law school shall provide substantial opportunities to students for: . . . the development of a professional identity.” Interpretation 303-5 has clarified that “[t]he development of professional identity should involve an intentional exploration of the values, guiding principles, and well-being practices considered foundational to successful legal practice.” Earlier works defining professional identity focused on values and guiding principles. Little time has been spent on developing professional identity through well-being. This article adds to the literature by exploring professional identity through the lens of students’ personal, academic, and professional well-being and discussing a new course where these concepts are explored with students.

This article first provides a brief overview of the history of professional identity formation in legal education. The article then explores the psychological research in the areas of well-being and mindset that influenced our work. With this backdrop, the article discusses in detail the Thriving in the Law course, providing information about the course creation, development, implementation, and lessons learned. Finally, the article provides examples of well-being practices that professors can adapt to their law school classrooms.

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