Mindful Lawyering: a Pilot Study on Mindfulness Training for Law Students
Clifford J Rosky1, R Lynae Roberts2,3, Adam W Hanley2,3
1S.J. Quinney College of Law, University of Utah, 383 S. University St, Salt Lake City, UT 84112 USA.
Mindfulness
|August 24, 2022
Summary
Mindfulness training significantly improved well-being and reduced stress, anxiety, depression, and alcohol use in law students. This pilot study shows the "Mindful Lawyering" course is feasible and effective for improving law student mental health.
Area of Science:
- Legal Education
- Psychology
- Mental Health
Background:
- Law students experience high rates of anxiety, depression, stress, and alcohol use.
- There is a lack of empirical evidence on the effectiveness of mindfulness courses in law schools.
- US law schools are increasingly offering mindfulness electives to address student well-being.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the feasibility and impact of a 13-week mindfulness course tailored for law students.
- To test the hypothesis that mindfulness training improves well-being and mindfulness in law students.
- To provide empirical evidence for the effectiveness of mindfulness interventions in legal education.
Main Methods:
- A non-randomized, quasi-experimental pilot study with 64 law students.
- A mindfulness group (31 students) took the "Mindful Lawyering" course.
- A comparison group (33 students) took other law school courses. Standardized scales measured well-being, affect, alcohol use, and mindfulness.
Main Results:
- The mindfulness group showed significantly greater improvements in stress, anxiety, depression, and negative affect compared to the comparison group.
- Significant reductions in disordered alcohol use were observed in the mindfulness group.
- The "Mindful Lawyering" course demonstrated significant increases in mindfulness and was well-accepted and feasible for students.
Conclusions:
- Mindfulness training, specifically the "Mindful Lawyering" course, shows promising results for improving law student well-being.
- The findings suggest that mindfulness interventions can effectively alleviate common mental health challenges in law students.
- Further research with larger, randomized samples is recommended to confirm these positive outcomes.
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