WBI Weekly Digest

Welcome Back, From Your Friends at WBI!


Welcome back, or for the first time, to Mondale Hall! We hope you had a fulfilling, restful, and enjoyable summer. We are grateful you are part of our Minnesota Law community!

Every Wednesday, WBI sends our weekly Well-Being Wednesday newsletters! This newsletter is the best way to be on the lookout for student-run wellbeing programs, community events, and ways to get involved. 


Are your friends interested in receiving this newsletter? They can sign up here. 


Programs, Events, and Exciting Things to Kick Off the School Year!

WBI Mentorship Program

We need mentors! The mentorship program is a staple of WBI. We have a large interest in students wanting to get involved with the program this year! Right now, we need more 2Ls and 3Ls to serve as mentors for our interested mentees! 

As a mentor/mentee duo, you get to choose how often you meet. As a mentor, you can help guide your mentee through law school using your own experiences. This is purely a peer-to-peer opportunity to share your advice and wisdom with other law students! It is also a great way to meet new people. 

If you are interested in becoming a mentor, please fill out this form


Subcommittees


WBI has three subcommittees: Physical, Personal, and Academic. 


Most of our events and initiatives are planned by members of the subcommittees. We are eagerly planning events and programs. Be on the lookout for exciting happenings throughout the school year. 


WE WANT YOU to join one of our subcommittees!! Fill out this form to express your interest! We are ALWAYS looking for new students to join – we love new ideas and perspectives!



Stress Management for Law Students 

Friday, September 16 ~ 12:15pm-1:15pm ~ Mondale Hall, Room 7


Come join us as we team up with Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers to equip law students with coping skills and strategies to manage stress in law school. The beginning of the school year is the perfect time to gain skills so you have strategies in your toolbox to manage stress when life gets overwhelming. Chase Andersen from LCL will be presenting and will be around to answer any questions!



NAMI Connections Group for Minnesota Law Students

The NAMI Connection group offers peer-led support for law students living with mental health disorders who attend any Minnesota Law School (UMN Law, St. Thomas, Mitchell Hamline).  


NAMI Connection is a recovery support group for adults with a mental illness regardless of their diagnosis. (Aka… you don’t need an official diagnosis to join us). This group is offered free of charge and is led by trained individuals who are also in recovery – people who understand the challenges folks with mental illness face. 


Who: Law students living with mental illness (No diagnosis required) 

What: Peer-led support group!

When: 2nd & 4th Mondays of each month; 4:30-6:00pm

Where: Remote; https://umn.zoom.us/j/97566449394

Meeting ID: 975 6644 9394

See attached flyer. 


This group is confidential. It is not therapy. 

Click here to see other NAMI Connection Groups offered in Minnesota. 



"Character and Fitness" Wellness Group

A student-run, safe, strictly confidential, judgment-free, casual support group welcomes anyone struggling with substance use or who is in recovery.

Who: University of Minnesota law students struggling with substance use or who are in recovery

What: Student-run, peer support group

When: Held every Friday at 12:30

Where: Mondale Hall

Hybrid meeting: Contact [log in to unmask] for room location, Zoom info, support, or other inquiries.

See attached flyer.




Find Mental Health Care Now! 

We want to stress the importance of prioritizing your mental health and wellbeing. While you may be feeling great right now, law school and unexpected life events can become overwhelming. Therefore, it is important to set up your mental health care NOW, even before you may feel that you need the extra support. With a nationwide lack of mental health providers, we suggest getting set up with mental health support early. It can take months to see a provider – if you get on a waitlist now, by the time midterms and finals roll around, you will already have the professional support at your fingertips!


Here are some tips:

Not sure where to start? Here are a few resources: 

Boynton Mental Health


Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers


Looking for a Therapist? 


Psychology Today Find a Therapist Search Tool


Fast Tracker 



Community Events

September is National Suicide Prevention Month

All month, mental health advocates, prevention organizations, survivors, allies, and community members unite to promote suicide prevention awareness.


Suicide Awareness and Prevention CLE Presented by LCL

Tuesday, September 13, 4-5 p.m.

“Our profession's stress is a predictor for depression, and untreated depression is the #1 predictor for suicide.  Lawyers must also deal with the fact that clients can be suicidal.  This program will help you understand facts and myths about suicide; recognize signs and indicators for depression, anxiety, and suicide; and provide resources and a protocol for offering and seeking help to prevent suicide. September 10 is World Suicide Prevention Day.” 



Minnesota Disability Bar Association 

This new organization is for legal professionals with disabilities and their allies. 


Advice Column

Hey all! My name is Sierra, I'm a 2L. Here are some 10 wellness and/or law school tips that I would like to pass on to you. Some are silly, some are serious, all are from personal experience. I hope one is helpful for you.

  1. Bring a fork or spoon in your lunch. (Also, bring a lunch and a snack!) There is one singular metal spoon in N20 at the moment, but if it's anything like the forks it is probably gone by the time you read this. The plastic silverware is not guaranteed to be refilled.

  2. Take your mental health seriously. Law school is hard. I know we all have a lot on our plates, but please start looking into therapy options and, if applicable, get in contact with the Disability Resource Center now rather than in the middle of the semester after a small break down in your Torts Professors’ office hours.

  3. Sleep. Make sure you are prioritizing sleep. Get your 7-9 hours a night. Your body, mind, and grades will thank you.

  4. Drink water. Yes, there is now more easily available coffee in N20, but for every cup of coffee please consider drinking a cup or two of water. Dehydration and over-caffeination may lead to odd answers during cold calls

  5. Talk to your professors. They are here to teach you the law, but they are also very valuable in helping you figure out what are the options in the legal field.

  6. Play. Find ways to have fun. Life is so much more than law school. Don't take yourself too seriously.

  7. Watch out for putting too many obligations on your plate. (I'm being a bit hypocritical right now but ignore that). It's great to be involved, but don't let the student org obligations take as much time as your actual classes, unless you like that vibe, then you do you.

  8. Move your body! Movement and exercise are helpful in preventing burnout and can help you retain what you learn.

  9. Don't be afraid to make mistakes. They happen. If you spend your time trying to avoid them you will not have the opportunity to learn from them. Ride the wave of embarrassment, shake it off, and learn.

  10. Organize. One of the hardest parts of law school is organizing and prioritizing your obligations and readings. There will be days that you cannot finish all of your readings, that is ok. Do what is the most important and leave the rest. A bad cold call happens to us all and working yourself to burnout will not prevent that.

Any questions, concerns, or topics that you’d like some advice on, feel free to submit them here! You’ll get real advice, and maybe some memes for your situation. 

Resources

Crisis Resources

988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline


Sand Creek 24/7 Phone Counseling 


NAMI Ramsey County Book Club

Join NAMI Ramsey County on the first Thursday of each month to discuss books with a mental illness theme. Learn through compassionate conversation. See which book they’re reading at namiramseycounty.org/bookclub.


NAMI Educational Courses

NAMI offers numerous educational courses for a wide variety of audiences, all relating to mental health. Check out their current schedule to find a course that looks interesting to you! (Practically all the courses are free!)


WBI has created a Resources Page on our website where law students can always go to find support.


UMN Law Well-Being Initiative
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