Mental Health, Wellbeing Support, and Resources

Image: Resident Wellness Program — yale.edu

Colorado Law is collectively committed to nurturing the success and well-being of all our students. There are a variety of resources available to students to help you maintain your well-being and reach your full potential.  All Colorado Law students have access to a full range of on-campus health and wellness services in addition to a variety of virtual offerings.

We strive to give students the skills and knowledge they need to develop healthy lifelong habits in their legal careers. Our approach recognizes 8 dimensions of wellness that contribute to our students’ success, well-being, and overall health.

It is no secret that the legal profession has a mental health problem. Substance abuse, anxiety disorders, and depression are all prevalent in law schools. Though you might not have a mental illness, it is probable that you will know someone that does. It is important to be aware of these issues so we can create a law school culture that destigmatizes mental health illnesses. And if you have, or you know someone who has, a mental illness, there are many great resources that can help provide support. 

• Colorado Lawyer Assistance Program (COLAP)
  • COLAP is a free, confidential, and independent program for the legal community of Colorado. Their mission is to promote well-being, resiliency, and competency by assisting Colorado judges, lawyers, and law students with personal and professional issues that compromise their practice, efficacy, and quality of life. COLAP protects the interests of clients, litigants, and the general public by educating the bench, bar, and law schools about well-being and impairment issues, and by providing confidential assistance to the legal community. 
• The ABA Mental Health Initiative
  • One of the biggest challenges the legal profession faces is erasing the stigma of addressing mental health issues. Take a look at the information here and let these people know that they are not alone by raising awareness of mental health issues.
• Law School Academic Support Blog
  • Law Professor Blogs, LLC is the nation's only network of legal blogs edited primarily by law professors. Law Professor Blogs, LLC’s legal blogs are edited by over 100 law professors, deans, and lawyers. 
• Collegiate Recovery Community
  • The CU Collegiate Recovery Community (CUCRC) provides community, support, and connection for students, faculty, and staff in recovery or seeking recovery from a wide range of behaviors. Our mission is to help develop peer-to-peer connections, support resiliency and contribute to their overall well-being through a welcoming and supportive community. At the CUCRC, recovery is defined as a process of change through which people strive to improve their health, live a self-directed life, and reach their full potential. This broader definition allows the CUCRC to support multiple paths to recovery, including sobriety, abstinence, and moderation.
• Student Legal Services (SLS) has a staff of two full-time attorneys, one part-time attorney, and a full-time legal assistant. SLS strives to:
  • Communicate clearly, openly, and honestly with students who come to see us about the realities of, potential outcomes for and costs likely associated with their legal situations
  • Work with those students based on our communications to set goals for their situations
  • Help put those students in the best positions possible to realize their goals so that they can focus on school.

• Colorado Attorney Mentoring Program
  • CAMP is a program of the Colorado Supreme Court designed to provide mentors, peer support, and professional development resources to new and transitioning lawyers throughout the state. CAMP promotes professional pride and identity in the legal profession; promotes the pursuit of excellence in service to clients; and promotes strong relationships between the bar, courts, clients, law schools and the public, through the teaching of the core values and ideals of the legal profession.

• The Office of Victim Assistance (OVA) 
  • Works towards a safer, more socially just, and supportive campus community by providing culturally relevant trauma response and prevention services. 
• The Office of Institutional Equity and Compliance (OIEC) 
  • Employs a comprehensive and integrated approach for case resolution, education, assessment, support services, and ADA accommodations to create and foster a safe, inclusive, and accessible campus environment for all members of the CU community and the general public. See CU Boulder's nondiscrimination statement.

Taking care of your mental and physical health has multiple benefits, but here are two good reasons to prioritize eating well, exercising, and making time for yourself during law school.

1. First, stress hurts your memory. By doing things that lower your stress, like exercising, spending time with friends, and pursuing relaxing hobbies, you’ll actually improve your ability to learn.
2. Second, exercising improves your memory, especially cardiovascular exercise. 

Take some time to look at the Maintaining Your Wellbeing section of the law school's website. Our Student Affairs Team is committed to supporting you during your time at Colorado Law. Please reach out to them if you ever have questions or concerns.

• Well-Being Toolkit for Lawyers  and Legal Employers
• Well-Being Toolkit Nutshell: 80 Tips for Lawyer Thriving
• Watch this Video Message from ABA Past-President Bob Carlson highlighting the ABA's efforts to improve lawyer well-beings.