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Mental Wellness in Law School and the Profession

Law school and the practice are stressful. Staying mentally fit is a priority for those who enter the profession of law. This guide is meant to help provide resources both in law school and the profession.

Reading for Wellness

The list below was started by Associate Dean Nancy Levit.  Feel free to contact UMKC Law Library with your own suggestions.

  • ABA, Resources for Law Students and Law Schools, https://www.americanbar.org/groups/lawyer_assistance/articles_and_info/law_student_resources/.
  • Jordana Alter Confino, Where Are We on the Path to Law Student Well-Being?: Report on the ABA CoLAP Law Student Assistance Committee Law School Wellness Survey, 68 J. Legal Educ. 650 (2019).
  • Paula A. Franzese, A Short & Happy Guide to Being a Law Student (2014).
  • Barbara Glesner Fines, Fear and Loathing in the Law Schools, 23 Conn. L. Rev. 627 (1991).
  • Nancy Levit & Douglas O. Linder, The Happy Lawyer: Making a Good Life in the Law (2010).
  • Nancy Levit & Douglas O. Linder, Happy Law Students, Happy Lawyers, 58 Syracuse L. Rev. 351 (2008).
  • Nancy Levit & Douglas O. Linder, The Summer Before Law School, National Jurist PreLaw (July 6, 2011), https://www.nationaljurist.com/prelaw/summer-law-school.
  • Douglas O. Linder & Nancy Levit, The Good Lawyer: Seeking Quality in the Practice of Law (2014).
  • Andrew McClurg, 1L of a Ride (3d ed. 2020).
  • Andrew McClurg, Christine Nero Coughlin & Nancy Levit, Law Jobs: The Complete Guide (2020).
  • Bret Rappaport, "Smile More": Kindling for Kindness in the Practice of Law, 44 Law & Psychol. Rev. 171 (2020).
  • Patrick J. Schlitz, On Being a Happy, Healthy, and Ethical Member of an Unhappy, Unhealthy, and Unethical Profession, 52 Vand. L. Rev. 871 (1999).
  • Helene S. Shapo & Marshall S. Shapo, Law School Without Fear: Strategies for Success (2009).
  • Kathryne M. Young, How to Be Sort of Happy in Law School (2018).

The following items are part of our Wellness collection, available on the Ground Floor of the law library, in the alcove between the two offices. If you have suggestions for items for the library to acquire or for services to be provided, please let us know.