This book provides a novel contribution to the wider bodies of literature on student and academic wellbeing by including a series of rich and nuanced discussions of specific aspects of the wellbeing of legal academics. It contains original research contributions on this topic drawing on insights from law, education and psychology and throws a…

Based on the Transactional Model of Stress and Coping, this study examined the effectiveness of a brief psychological intervention to reduce study-related stress and enhance well-being. Our three-hour intervention taught students psychological strategies to cope with stress specifically tailored to their study situation. Our sample (N = 56) was…

The wellbeing of students in higher education generally, and law students, in particular, has become an area of increasing concern in recent years. Despite the growing interest in the area, empirical work on the wellbeing of distance learning law students remains sparse. This paper builds on previous studies around wellbeing in higher education,…

Adapting the work as calling theory (WCT), the present study used path analysis to examine the relations among calling, person-environment fit ("P"-E fit), life meaning, living one's calling, academic burnout, and life satisfaction in a sample of law students (N = 245). Propositions of the WCT model were generally supported by data in…

In 2017, the School of Law at the University of Wollongong commenced an experimental initiative through the introduction of a Law Student Pledge. It was designed as a symbolic statement to students that from the day they begin their law studies they become a member of the legal professional community. In this way, it invited First Year Students to…

Despite elevated rates of suicide and evidence of poor mental health among medical professionals, there is a paucity of research in the UK into the mental health of students destined for these careers. This study estimated and compared the prevalence of mental ill-health in students studying veterinary medicine, medicine, dentistry and pharmacy in…

The discourse around student wellness is a marked feature of the 21st century Australian legal academy. It has resulted in various initiatives on the part of law schools, including the development of a national forum. The phenomenon relates to psychological distress reported by students through surveys. Proposed remedies tend to focus on improving…

Since "Courting the Blues" was published by Kelk, Luscombe, Medlow and Hickie in 2009, legal educators across Australia have been measuring psychological distress in law students, as well as implementing and evaluating strategies to support students' well-being. This paper reports on initiatives implemented at the Newcastle Law School in…

Law students internationally suffer from a high level of psychological distress compared with the general and student populations, and anecdotal evidence suggests that students developing skills without adequate support experience significant stress and anxiety. This article considers an initiative at one Australian law school to develop a…

Empirical evidence in Australia and overseas has established that in many university disciplines, students begin to experience elevated levels of psychological distress in their first year of study. There is now a considerable body of empirical data that establishes that this is a significant problem for law students. Psychological distress may…

This qualitative study investigated the role of competition in the success and distress of law students. Participants from an Australian law faculty attended one of four focus groups (undergraduate, postgraduate, academic staff and administrative staff). They discussed their perceptions of competition, the competitive behaviours in law students,…

Research studies have reported elevated rates of psychological distress (e.g., depression) in practicing lawyers yet little research has examined predictors of such problems in law students. Specific personality traits have been shown to be predictors of a range of psychological problems. We administered a battery of tests to a cohort of 1st-year…