Law School Stress: Students need help rather than hype.

Graduate and doctorate students face challenges that affect each area of life, from fiscal fitness and family responsibilities to physical and mental well-being. Those who have never pursued a degree or have long been removed from the stress associated with higher education sometimes lack the understanding necessary to feel compassion for students. Many often downplay the rigor of classes, homework, studying and the non-stop production of work-products that surpass the work of fellow-students to garner the B- or better average. Some even question a student's motives with quips about putting off "real" work.

When I began having difficulty adjusting to law school, my family and close-friends worked hard to provide support and encouragement. Still, the game-face many of my peers had, made my fears seem unfounded; until I did some research. Although students have lower suicide rates than their off-campus counterparts, graduate students account for the greatest percentage of campus suicides. Additional research revealed that law and med school students have an increased risk for substance abuse; especially women in these fields.

With the attention that school shootings receive, it seems that the media has not highlighted the risks facing graduate students and the factors contributing to pitfalls like substance abuse, self-abuse and suicide.

The point of this blog is not to publicize the dark times that graduate education can trigger, because many students have experienced the heartache first-hand. The point is for students to know they are not insane, incompetent or alone. The dangers of unaddressed, self-medicated depression and or stress are real. However, the avenues for support are open and success can be realized without caving in to the pressure.

A few students will always have "the time of their life" during law school, never knowing what it feels like to try and fail, to lose sleep, friends, lovers or spouses, financial security, weight and sometimes sanity. A few find it easy to complete the experience unscathed by its harshness and possibly delighted by the challenge. Yet, for the rest of us, who bleed when pricked and shiver when cold; there is NO shame in asking for help. We should take comfort in knowing that seeking the support needed to graduate with sanity will enable future success.

Law without ethics begets injustice; but so does one-sided media.

My last blog ranted about the need for positive news coverage on law school and the legal profession. The Baltimore Sun heard my cry this week.

According to Karen Rothenberg -- the exiting dean at the University of Maryland's law school -- the problem lies in the media's attention to rankings and financial gain related to legal education. So, in her article from the Baltimore Sun, she praises the efforts of a program that highlights professional training DURING legal education and a focus on ethics.

It's nice to know that leading administrators in legal education recognize the lack of coverage this great program has received. As I quipped in my last blog, there's no void of media coverage on the greedy, self-gratifying and (dare I say...yes I'll say it...) UNSCRUPULOUS issues in legal education and the legal profession. When insiders take action to correct the stereotypes, misconceptions and sometimes genuine faults of the field the media needs to it too.

Now, I'm a budding journalist, and I realize good news is often hard to sell. (Count the number of positive stories on the front pages of the top media websites). But...if we thoroughly publicize the good, bad and ugly...the stories will sell themselves.

So, I say, kudos to Dean Rothenberg for acknowledging the ills in legal education and offering support to programs that remedy them.

Law School Static

Stanford Law, stating the obvious, has decided to abandon letter grading for a more, emotion/sanity-friendly pass/fail scoring system.

I'm torn, folks. This makes me happy, because the unnecessary pressure and hazing that occurs in many law schools has made headlines. However - comma- I'm a tad jealous that students considering Stanford Law do not have to think about the berating they might receive from fellow students that walk around with their gpa and class rank in a key chain view finder. Well, maybe that's extra, but you get my point.

Since education is central to success for most Americans, issues that face all students should make the news. But, often, when law students receive media coverage, it's for racism, classism, sexism, alcoholism and [insert your fave -ism here].

So, why am I jealous? It would have aleviated a great deal of stress in my first-year, had I only needed to grasp the material instead of concerning myself with the ellusive A. Since I don't have the frame worthy gpa or class rank, I'm not concerned with letter grades at the present; because if I've learned anything in my 2.5 years in law school its that all achievement is relative...save passing the bar.