Date Chartered: 5/22/2007
Purpose
The Section on Balance & Well-Being in Legal Education seeks to investigate, discover, and inspire those practices that support the well-being of law students, lawyers, and judges. The Section encourages research into the conditions that allow students and practitioners to thrive, both personally and professionally, and informs the membership of the Association of American Law Schools about the results of that research. Among other things, Section activities explore the importance of health, compassion, integrity, and ethics to the effective study and practice of law. The Section promotes continual re-examination of pedagogical practices, program content, and institutional priorities to promote the long-term best interests of law students and the constituencies they will serve.
The AALS Section on Balance & Well-Being in Legal Education’s Executive Committee and Past Chairs are united in outrage by George Floyd’s murder on May 25, 2020, as well as the subsequent actions by the current administration and many federal, state, and local police officials.
George Floyd’s murder, along with the killings of Breonna Taylor, David McAtee, and countless other Black Americans by police—as well as the killings of those such as Ahmaud Arbery by citizens—are stark reminders of the systemic and structural racism connected to anti-Blackness that continues to plague our legal system and society.
We stand in solidarity with all those who are protesting racial injustice and police brutality.
As a Section, we are committed to studying the relationship between health, compassion, integrity, and ethics to the effective study and practice of law and to the elimination of systemic, structural, and cultural racial oppression.
In making this commitment, we recognize the generations of trauma that impact so many of us, our communities, and our society as a result of violence, discrimination, and oppression based upon the color of one’s skin.
In making this commitment, we also recognize the privilege many of us experience merely because we are not subject to that racial violence, discrimination, or oppression.
Finally, in making this commitment, we recognize that as members of the legal academy, we are responsible for educating future lawyers not only to fight injustice, but to turn inward and recognize the advantages they and we have. We recognize that as lawyers, our professional identities are tied to our social responsibilities to overall justice, to a functioning and content society, to a fair court system, and to ourselves. We recognize that “Equal Justice Under the Law” has to be more than just the inscription on the U.S. Supreme Court building, and that we must do our part to ensure that it is an ideal the nation and all of its institutions and officials live up to and that all of its citizens realize.
We offer our expertise to help those suffering from mental or emotional distress arising from the constructed inequality in our society. We recognize and accept our own social and professional advantages, and encourage others to engage in compassionate introspection of their own privilege as well as to have honest conversations about racial injustice.
Most critically, we offer compassion, understanding, and empathy to all, as we join everyone who continues to remind the world that Black Lives Matter.
In solidarity,
AALS Section on Balance and Well-Being in Legal Education Executive Committee
Rosario Lozada, Chair
Leah Terranova, Chair Elect
Chad L. Noreuil, Secretary
Jarrod Reich, Immediate Past Chair
Megan Bess
R. Lisle Baker
Megan Bess
Danielle Bifulci Kocal
Camille Lamar Campbell
Jordana Cofino
Jill C. Engle
Sonia Gipson Rankin
Jenipher Jones
Kendall L. Kerew
Alison F. Lintal
Michael Murphy
Clifford J. Rosky
Rebecca L.Scharf
Tamar R.Schwartz
Ann M. Sinsheimer
Kathleen E. Vinson
AALS Section on Balance & Well-Being in Legal Education Past Chairs
Jarrod Reich
Jennifer Brobst
Susan Brooks
Amy Bushaw
Kathy Hessler
Lawrence Krieger
Courtney Lee
Calvin Pang
Julie Sandine
Marjorie Silver
The foregoing is a statement of the Executive Committee and Past Chairs of the Balance & Well-Being in Legal Education Section of the Association of American Law Schools. It does not necessarily represent the position of the Association.
Fall 2022
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Upcoming
Past
2022 Speed-Idea Sharing Series
Session Six: Well-Being Offerings
Wednesday, July 27, 2022, 4:00 – 5:00 PM ET
Click here to watch the Webinar Replay.
Session Five: A Framework for Teaching and Exercises to Support Students’ Professional Identity Formation
Tuesday, July 12, 2022, 4:00 – 5:00 PM ET
Click here to watch the Webinar Replay.
Session Four: An Interdisciplinary Approach to Professional Identity Formation
Wednesday, June 15, 2022, 4:00 – 5:00 PM ET
Click here to watch the Webinar Replay.
Session Three: 1L Professional Identity Formation
Tuesday, June 7, 2022, 4:00 – 5:00 PM ET
Click here to watch the Webinar Replay.
Session Two: Upper-Level Professional Identity Formation
Wednesday, May 18, 2022, 4:00 – 5:00 PM ET
Click here to watch the Webinar Replay.
Session One: Second Annual Speed Sharing Presentation Series Kickoff
Tuesday, May 2, 2022, 4:00 – 5:00 PM ET
2021 Speed-Idea Sharing Series
Session Six: Anxiety & Stress Management Strategies
Tuesday, August 10, 2021, 4:00 – 5:00 PM ET
Click here to watch the Webinar Replay.
Session Five: Incorporating Well Being Into Any Class
Monday, July 26, 2021, 4:00 – 5:00 PM ET
Click here to watch the Webinar Replay.
Session Four: Well-Being Courses & Programs
Tuesday, July 13, 2021, 4:00 – 5:00 PM ET
Click here to watch the Webinar Replay.
Session Three: Well-Being Teaching Strategies
Thursday, June 24, 2021, 4:00 – 5:00 PM ET
Click here to watch the Webinar Replay.
Session Two: Well-Being From Day 1
Thursday, June 3, 2021, 4:00 – 5:00 PM ET
Click here to watch the Webinar Replay.
Session One: Well-Being Days & Spaces
Tuesday, May 18, 2021, 4:00 – 5:00 PM ET
Click here to watch the Webinar Replay.
Becoming More Physically Active While Stuck Inside
Many of us have found ourselves more sedentary during the pandemic shut down, especially with the closing of gyms, yoga studios and other places where many of us (and our students) get our exercise, especially when it gets cold. Yet even if we are not exercising or doing our other routines, physical movement is still important to all of us for many reasons, both physical and mental. This brief session will introduce you some useful principles for physical activity that you can do at home without special equipment, including two key stretches for those of us who sit too much in front of a computer, as well as four kinds of activity to help provide a balanced workout appropriate for members of the Balance Section of the AALS. Our special guest will be Massachusetts Fitness Professional Tony Colesano, who has worked with me and my students to help learn his Three Laws of Motion, among other things. Come prepared to watch, but perhaps even to move, if you would like to do so.
Click here to download a copy of the Presentation.
Click here to view the Webinar Replay.
Helping Ourselves: Conscious Coloring to Relieve Compassion Fatigue
Since the onset of the pandemic our work has become much more than teaching. Although we want to help as much as possible, being helpers for stressed out students is emotionally draining to us individually. We hear and we listen, and we assist to the point where we find ourselves numb, and we still forge ahead to continue to help the students, ignoring our own vulnerabilities and to overlooking our own needs. We have a self-care blind spot as teacher-helpers. We experience compassion fatigue. One thing that is helpful to reduce compassion fatigue is to color Mandalas. The word Mandala comes from the ancient Sanskrit language and loosely means “circle” or “center.” With ancient roots, the Mandala is used in indigenous practices around the globe and symbolizes sacred ceremonial space and the circle of life. In both eastern and western cultures, the Mandala has come to symbolize harmony, unity, wholeness, and healing. Our brain treats coloring as meditation, which is a hard thing for some of us who have difficulty calming our minds.
Click here to download a printable mandala to color.
Yoga: Aligning the Body to Still the Mind
As lawyers and academics we often primarily engage and (over)work the brain and intellectual center of the body. Yoga as a holistic system provides a means to integrate the mind-body-spirit which enables us to be less overwhelmed by the constantly changing nature of our world and the challenges it presents. The path of yoga is much more than asana or physical posture practice. Join Certified Level 1 Iyengar Yoga Teacher, Alison Lintal for a brief yoga philosophy discussion followed by a short guided yoga practice where we will explore how alignment in the physical sheath of the body can provide courage and support to the constantly fluctuating mind, especially during challenging or uncertain times. Those who are new to yoga as well as experienced practitioners are both welcome.
Conscious Practices: The Language of Well-Being in the Law School Classroom
Studies and statistics continue to reveal the devastating effects of chronic stress, substance abuse, and depression among attorneys. Today, the challenges of practicing law are further exacerbated by a global health crisis and continuing evidence of racial injustice in our country. For a sustainable legal profession, attorney well-being must become a core value. Educators are positioned to send the message: law students who attend to all dimensions of their well-being are more likely to become attorneys who do the same. And healthy advocates are better equipped to competently and ethically serve their clients, the profession, and society. In this session, we’ll explore micro-practices that promote well-being awareness among our law students. Ranging from zero to three minutes in length, each practice offers law professors of any discipline creative ways to introduce the empowering language of well-being into the law school classroom.
A Discussion with Sociologist-Legal Scholar Kathryne Young, author of “How to Be Sort of Happy in Law School”
Professor Young discusses the research behind her book, How to Be Sort of Happy in Law School (2018). Young’s book offers law students holistic guidance on how to navigate the academic, social, and economic pressures of the law school environment, including (i) maintaining mental wellbeing and tackling impostor syndrome; (ii) selecting courses and extracurricular activities; and (iii) forming relationships with mentors and peers. Young and Lozada (AALS Host) discuss ways in which law students across the country have used this book as a spring board for conversations about well-being, including a book club.
Mindful Lawyering: The Key to Creative Problem Solving
This presentation will discuss key concepts from the speakers’ book: Mindful Lawyering: The Key to Creative Problem Solving. The speakers, Shailini Jandail George, Samantha Alexis Moppett, and Kathleen Elliott Vinson, will discuss the need for mindfulness and creativity to effectively problem solve as a lawyer. They will also offer examples of how to be mindful and maximize creativity when problem solving.
Preventing Law Student Burnout: Catch Them Before They Fall
In this recording, Dr. Eran Magen (Scientific Director, Circles of Support, [email protected]) reviews ways to prevent law student burnout by strengthening available support and detecting early signs of distress, using two complementary approaches employed by medical schools: (1) My MD-to-Be: Educating family members and/or significant others about ways to effectively support students, using ongoing educational materials tailored to each school’s curriculum (including an example specific for law schools, My JD-to-Be); (2) Early Alert: Identifying students in early stages of distress and immediately referring them to support resources, using a confidential text messaging system for ongoing proactive check-ins.
The Need to Revisit Legal Education in an Era of Increased Diagnosis of ADHD and ASD
The last twenty years have seen an increase in the diagnosis of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity (ADHD) and Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). In this webinar, the presenter speculates that the increase in ADHD and ASD diagnoses is likely to impact our enrollment in law schools. Because of this postulated change, law professors should know how ADHD and ASD influence our non-neurotypical students and how their unique symptomatology may be exemplified in the classroom. The presenter discusses changes that she has implemented to assist the student with ADHD and or ASD in their challenges with: organization, focus, set shifting and social skills. At the close of the webinar, the presenter opens up the discussion for questions and suggestions from the live participants.
2023
Main Program
Award Ceremony
Teaching Methods (Co-Sponsored by Academic Support, Balance & Well-Being in Legal Education, and Minority)
Teaching Methods (Co-Sponsored by Academic Support and Balance & Well-Being in Legal Education and New Law Professors)
Women in Legal Education (Co-Sponsored by Balance in Legal Education)
2022
Main Program
Networking Session
Section on For the Law School Dean and Pro-Bono Services and Public Service Opportunities Joint Program (Co-Sponsored by Balance in Legal Education)
2021
Main Program
Pedagogy
Teaching Methods (Co-Sponsored by Balance in Legal Education)
Section on Student Services and Part-Time Division Programs Joint Program (Co-Sponsored by Balance in Legal Education)
Panel 1
Panel 2
Panel 3
Panel 4
Business Meeting
Networking Session
2020
Section of the Year
Annual Award of the Section on Balance & Well-Being in Legal Education
This award is designed to honor an individual for outstanding contributions to the promotion of well-being in legal education. The awardee serves as a model of Balance & Well-being Section ideals, develops innovative programming that integrates this work into curricular or co-curricular offerings, contributes to academic scholarship in the field, and regularly serves the Section, their law school and greater legal community by providing access to well-being programming and/or services.
Criteria:
1. Modeling: Serves as a model of Balance & Well-being Section ideals (integrates this work into teaching, scholarship or service);
2. Innovation: Develops or proposes innovative curricular offerings designed to showcase the importance of health, compassion, integrity, and ethics to the effective study and practice of law;
3. Scholarship: Recent publications (scholarship related to the work of the section);
4. Section Contributions: Contributions to the Section through service/volunteer work; and
5. Service: Service to the law school and the greater legal community – providing access to well-being programming and/or services across multiple communities and platforms.
Nominations should address the following questions:
1. In what ways has this nominee made outstanding contributions to the promotion of well-being in legal education?
2. How has the nominee served as a model for balance and well-being in legal education?
3. How has the nominee inspired others to act or created opportunities for others to serve?
4. How has the nominee advanced or spread discourse on the importance of well-being in legal education?
5. How has the nominee enhanced or changed the way legal education is taught based upon humanistic or holistic models of legal practice?
6. How has the nominee impacted the professional identity formation and/or development of law students and legal educators through this work?
Recipients
| Year | Award Name | Recipient | Law School |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Annual Award of the Section on Balance & Well-Being in Legal Education | Heidi K. Brown | Brooklyn Law School |
| 2022 | Annual Award of the Section on Balance & Well-Being in Legal Education | Shailini George | Suffolk University Law School |
2021 Speed-Idea Sharing Series
Laura Ferrari: The Suffolk Chill Zone Description – Featured on Series One
Laura Ferrari: The Chill Zone Presentation – Featured on Series One
Chad Noreuil: Two Minutes of Zen & Mindful Mondays – Featured on Series One
Lisa Bliss: Semester-Long Exercise to Build Community in a Class – Featured on Series Two
David Jaffe: Individual Outreach – Featured on Series Two
Dena R. Bauman: Wellness Exercise – Featured on Series Three
Susan Brooks: One Word Check-In and Check-Out – Featured on Series Three
Cheli Hunt: Strengths-Based Bar Plan – Featured on Series Three
Lawrence Krieger: A Welcome Exercise – Featured on Series Three
Michael Murphy: Being Genuine – Featured on Series Three
Michael Murphy: Speed of Fun – Featured on Series Three
Jordana Confino: Peer Mentoring & Leadership Course – Featured on Series Four
Leanne Fuith: Foundations of Practice – Featured on Series Four
Dr. Susan Landrum: Guide to Creating SMART Academic Goals – Featured on Series Four
Charity Scott: Reflective Lawyer Course – Featured on Series Four
Charity Scott: Syllabus and Course Policies for the Reflective Lawyer Course – Featured on Series Four
Nicky Boothe-Perry: Mindful Minute – Featured on Series Five
Danielle Kocal: Incorporating Well-Being into Any Class – Featured on Series Five
Susan Liemer: Embodied Legal Education – Featured on Series Five
Seema Patel: The Mindful Minute – Featured on Series Five
Seema Patel: The Mindful Minute PowerPoint – Featured on Series Five
Christine Church: Anxiety Practice of Law Class – Featured on Series Six
Nyla Miller: Student Stress Management Plan – Featured on Series Six
Laurel Rigertas: Time Management Exercise Options – Featured on Series Six
Rebecca Simon: Spontaneous Remission – Featured on Series Six