Health is wealth

joel-thomspon
Humans are complex beings. The evolutionary marvel that is the human brain is both our species’ greatest strength and weakness. It allows us, as lawyers and future lawyers, to understand, communicate and untangle intricate legal issues. On the other hand, it houses a complex web of emotions, thoughts and experiences all tied to the human condition. Lawyers are often called on to resolve distressing situations, frequently in time-sensitive settings. These type of environments create a concerning reality for many currently, and soon to be, in the legal profession.

In a recent study, the ABA partnered with Hazelden to examine the rates of substance use and other mental health concerns regarding lawyers. Among the approximately 13,000 lawyers polled, 61 percent reported concerns with anxiety and 46 percent reported concerns with depression. To cope with said mental health struggles, many attorneys turn to substance abuse—with over 20 percent of those polled screening positive for hazardous, harmful and potentially alcohol-dependent drinking.

The sad truth is we, as legal community, have known this for decades. Years and years of research has consistently indicated higher prevalence of suicide, alcohol/drug abuse, anxiety and depression among attorneys when compared to other professions. There seems to be a cloud of shame surrounding the issue for many—much of the way our society has, and still does, treat mental illnesses. For some, mental health is treated as inferior to physical well-being and there is much reason to believe this has had its consequences.

Thankfully law schools and organizations such as the ABA are teaming up to tackle the issue of mental health in the legal community. Furthermore, some law firms are adjusting internal policies and implementing programs geared toward their employees’ mental health.

Know that no amount of wealth or prestige can buy you a new brain. Know that no amount of wealth or prestige should take precedence over being mentally and physically healthy. Know that it is never too late to get healthy and never too early to start good habits. Know that there are people who are always available to talk. Know that your most important asset is your own well-being—because you simply cannot help other people until you help yourself.

-Jöel Thompson is a 2L and student ambassador from Fairfax, Virginia.

From covering trials to trying cases

Sangeeta Shastry

Reinvention the right move for journalist-turned-law student

Just a couple of months away from graduation and a few weeks out from my 28th birthday, I thought recently about where my pre-law school self would have envisioned me at this time in my life. I probably would have hoped that I’d be a news correspondent halfway around the globe. Instead, I ended up just over four hours away from where I grew up.

And I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

In high school, I was sure I’d be heading to medical school after graduation. But the summer before my senior year, I went to a journalism workshop because I’d always liked writing and hadn’t really made time for it in the middle of chemistry and biology (I’ve now forgotten everything I ever tried to learn in those classes). I fell in love with the newsroom — the pace, the constant change, the teamwork. It was enough to completely change the course of my life; I enrolled as a student at Mizzou’s journalism school a few months later.

Sangeeta Shastry as a reporter

Sangeeta Shastry (literally) in the field, doing a story about the Symphony in the Flint Hills for KCUR. Listen here

Once there, I was hooked. I learned to love cold calling potential sources — despite being absolutely terrified of doing so when I arrived on campus. I loved the adrenaline rush of turning around a breaking news story and publishing it just before deadline. I loved the precision and accuracy that editing required. I was certain that once I graduated and began working for the Kansas City Star, I’d be launching into a lifelong career as a reporter.

But when I had the chance to cover court proceedings, something changed once again — I found myself wanting to know more about the trials I was watching, to understand the rules and to be part of the advocacy instead of writing about it. But I didn’t know whether I could make the jump from being a journalist to potentially working as an attorney someday — or even the jump to going back to school. I was unsure of whether any of my writing and research skills would transfer and whether I could be an advocate. I didn’t know if I was prepared for what I’d heard would be a brutally competitive environment. I was convinced as I applied to law schools that I was reinventing myself and my career too many times — that I just needed to pick something and stick with it.

Now that I’m just weeks away from taking my last finals of law school, I’m so, so glad I was wrong. Being a law student showed me that there’s no “right” background to prepare anyone to be a lawyer. There isn’t a correct timeline to follow to get through the doors of Green Hall. All that’s required is that you show up, ready to learn and ready to work, with an understanding that everyone is starting with a blank slate. Far from the depiction of law schools I’d seen in movies, everyone at KU Law has given me so much support. I’ve had countless opportunities to develop as a writer and an advocate. I’ve been able to put the skills I’m learning in the classroom to practical use. And it didn’t matter how long it took me to get here.

— Sangeeta Shastry is a 3L and KU Law Student Ambassador from St. Louis.

Business suits + white coats

In MLP, student learns value of lawyers, doctors partnering for healthy communities

Looking past the stereotypes, lawyers and doctors have a lot in common. Usually seen as adversaries, I know that at least medical students and law students can be friends.

My best friend is an M2 at KU Med – no, not a 2M. She has a different test schedule every four weeks, her grades depend on more than just a single test, she can view her class lectures online at home, and she administers physical exams on trained actors for practice.

We have vastly different academic experiences. She complains about memorizing the clotting cascade for blood platelets. And I argue about a comma under the Last Antecedent Rule.

But we both have professional mentors, we have ethical and professional responsibilities, we worry about passing boards and bar exams, and we both post up at the library for hours on end.

Most importantly, in life, we both care about healthy communities, advocating for progressive and supportive legislation, working for the public interest and promoting women in leadership positions. And that is what we have in common. To be effective in achieving these goals, our professions have to work together.

In undergrad, we took public policy classes together and discussed policy’s impacts on communities. Back then I viewed our future professions as two different worlds — until I participated in KU Law’s Medical-Legal Partnership Field Placement at Lawrence Memorial Hospital. My supervisor’s words meant more to me than she probably intended, that “we cannot work in silos.”

While working at Lawrence Memorial Hospital, I saw this firsthand. I was able to visit patients on the floor to conduct intake interviews, sit on follow-up appointments, call clients with updates and work on court documents. This required working with LMH’s Care Coordination Office, nurses and physicians to provide care to patients.

Doctors and lawyers alone or together can be intimidating, but we have to forge partnerships to make sure our community is healthy. Whether it’s working on the language for legislation, referring patients to supportive services or understanding the medical decisions patients make, combining perspectives is vital to efficiently make a lasting impact on our communities.

While working at the MLP Field Placement, not only did I reconcile medicine and law, but I also found a passion for legal services. As I enter the second half of my law school career, I am thankful that KU Law had an MLP to focus my studies and career aspirations as well as unearth the connection between my degree and skills and an enduring passion that brings different professions together.

— Jessie Pringle is a 2L and KU Law Student Ambassador from Chanute, Kansas.

KU Law superheroes

Omar Husain

Student appreciates ‘feats of strength and determination’ by classmates, faculty

Mega-blockbuster superhero flicks are taking the world by storm. “Black Panther” recently surpassed a cool billion dollars at the box office (Wakanda Forever!), and “Avengers: Infinity War” is coming out at the end of April (seriously, can’t wait). Society has become amazed with the incredible feats of fictional characters – so much so that the incredible feats of everyday people go unnoticed. We don’t all have to turn big and green, be the God of Thunder, the King of Wakanda, a science experiment or a “genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist” to be a superhero.

In my short time at KU Law, I have come to appreciate the incredible feats of strength and determination by the people around me. I have come to realize that we all have superpowers. They can be having the mental fortitude to endure an eight-hour final; the will power to fight the temptation to take a night off from studying; the resolve to commute up to an hour daily to Green Hall (and be on time!); the resilience to be stretched to your thinnest and still keep it together; or the concentration to go to school while having little kids and a family at home. These are all superpowers in my book, and this is not, by any means, an exhaustive list.

The source of these superpowers that we all possess is the human spirit. It can be used to do incredible things, and using our superpowers is what turns us in to superheroes. Superheroes overcome great adversity and keep fighting, even when the outlook is bleak. In addition to fighting your power-hungry, mischievous adopted brother; taking down a super-secret organization that wants global chaos; or facing off with a mad titan, adversity can be getting up before the birds or being the last one in the library to make sure you complete the assignments and reading. Adversity can be holding a textbook one in hand and a baby in the other. It can be moving hundreds of miles from family to go to school. The human spirit is a powerful tool that can turn a seemingly average person into an Avenger like Black Widow or Iron Man.

I see these feats in the students and faculty around me, and I am as astonished by them as I would be by seeing Spider-Man swing around above me. I consider myself blessed to spend each day with these superheroes and to face the grind of law school with them. They come from every background and have endured much more than me to be where there are. As for me, I’m just a kid from Lenexa.

— Omar Husain is a 1L and KU Law Student Ambassador from Lenexa, Kansas.

6 things I’ve learned in 6 months of law school​

Emily Leiker

I recently realized that I have been at KU Law for six months. It may not seem like a long time, but I’ve done a lot in this time. I moved to Lawrence, made new friends and finished an entire semester of law school! A person can learn a lot in six months, but I think there are six noteworthy things that I’ve figured out since August.

1) No one knows what they’re doing (and that’s OK!).

I’ve never had a lawyer in my family. I majored in tourism and hospitality as an undergraduate student. It’s safe to say that I knew next to nothing about law school before coming to KU for 1L orientation. As a control freak who hates surprises, this was pretty scary for me. But I realized very quickly in my first week at KU that everyone felt the exact same fear that I did. No one knows exactly what to expect before coming to law school. It’s a completely new experience for everyone, regardless of your academic background or your family tree. Your classmates are feeling just as freaked out, so lean on them for support!

2) It’s important to have law school AND non-law school friends.

I love the friends that I’ve made in law school. They’re supportive, fun and always down for a coffee run to the DeBruce Center between classes. Plus, I would NOT have survived finals week without our little study groups! But I quickly learned to appreciate my friends outside of law school, too. For me, non-law school friends pull me back into the real world during those times I can’t seem to stop thinking about legal memos and Constitutional Law hypotheticals. Sometimes a person’s just gotta talk about the new shows on Netflix! Plus, knowing that my non-law friends are proud of me is enough to keep me motivated through the more stressful moments in law school.

3) Getting involved in organizations has perks. Major perks.

Outline banks, free food during group meetings and advice from law students who’ve made it through 1L year: What more can I say? I obviously need these things. Plus, organizations were a great way to meet people with the same interests as me.

4) On that note, there are WAY more opportunities for involvement than I had expected.

KU Law has political action groups, religious-interest clubs, legal clinics, moot court … I could go on, but I won’t. There’s something for everyone. Just a couple of months into law school, I had the opportunity to volunteer with the DACA Clinic. You don’t have to be an experienced law student to find something to do. In fact, if you’re a law student at KU and you’re bored, then you’re doing something wrong!

5) Having a hobby outside of law school is important.

I study a lot more in law school then I generally had to in undergrad. However, I can’t live in the law library forever or I’ll go crazy! So, there are a few things I do to keep my stress levels down. I’ll binge watch some TV (hellooo student subscription to Hulu!), do some yoga in my apartment or catch a movie at the theater. Did you know the seats recline at the Lawrence movie theater? It’s amazing. I also learned that having a hobby isn’t just a waste of time. You can put it on your resume to show employers a little more about your personality. That’s a win-win if you ask me.

6) I’ve already learned so much more than I ever could have expected.

If you go to law school, you’ll be amazed at how much you learn in such a short amount of time. Looking at the papers I wrote in the beginning of my Lawyering Skills class compared to my fall semester final memo, I’m pleasantly surprised by how much my legal writing skills have improved. While I’ve learned a lot in six months, I know that there’s still so much more to come. Here’s to the next two and a half years!

— Emily Leiker is a 1L and KU Law Student Ambassador from Hays.

What TV doesn’t tell you about law school

2017 Bluebook Relays champions.

First-year KU Law student Terra Brockman, front row sixth from left, was a member of the winning team in the 2017 Bluebook Relays. The annual competition is just one of the ways students bond with their small-section classmates during law school.

Contrary to popular belief, law school is nothing like how it is portrayed on TV. Unfortunately, no one wears pink blazers like Elle Woods in “Legally Blonde,” and although I am not yet finished with Criminal Law, it does not seem like our professor will be letting us work on cases in court like the 1Ls in “How to Get Away with Murder.” There are some similarities that can be drawn from what is shown on TV, but there is still a lot that they just don’t tell you.

Terra BrockmanLaw school is where you find your people. Almost every law school places you in small sections of people with whom you will have every class. On its face, this sounds a bit like high school, but it is probably the most comforting part of being a 1L. There is nothing worse than being sick in law school. However, being in a small section gives me an automatic 20 people I can reach out to for class notes. If you’re anything like me and managed to escape some undergraduate classes without learning a single person’s name, I promise that will not be possible in law school. These people quickly become your best friends – not just because you see them every day, but because there is something special about struggling together. The best of times, the worst of times, but at least you’re not alone!

At KU Law, different organizations put together events so you get to know your classmates. The Student Bar Association will make all your non-law school friends jealous that you get to relive your prom days. Barrister’s Ball, also known as Law Prom, is one of the few events where you’ll get to see that guy who sits in the back of the class all dressed up. The fun doesn’t stop there because Women in Law has a Pub Night where they auction off events with your professors. I mean, how often can someone say they had dinner at the dean’s house? In addition to both events being a fun excuse to dress up and get out of the house, the proceeds also go to charities within the community. So not only are you having a great time with your friends, but you are making a difference while doing it!

People say that college is the best four years of your life, but it’s safe to say those people probably never went to law school. The most accurate depiction of law school in “How to Get Away with Murder” is when Wes gets cold-called on the first day of class and has no idea that reading had been assigned. If that does scream 1L, I don’t know what does! This experience is like no other. You will lose sleep. You will be challenged beyond your comfort zone and will probably ask yourself, “Why am I here?” But behind every challenging endeavor comes a reward that makes it all worth it.

— Terra Brockman is a 1L and KU Law Student Ambassador from Overland Park.