February 25, 2025

ASU Law puts student health and wellness at the forefront of lasting success

With the many demands of law school, the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University emphasizes the importance of prioritizing their health and wellness.

“If students do not care for their wellbeing, they risk becoming overstressed, burned out and losing enjoyment in activities they once loved,” said Morgan Slawson, a third-year JD student and president of the Mindfulness in Law Society. “While law school is incredibly important and requires focus, students can’t perform at their best if they’re not mentally and physically well.”

The Mindfulness in Law Society is one of the many organizations offering events designed to help students manage their wellbeing. These events range from mindfulness practices like meditation and intentional thinking to talks by professionals who share how they incorporate mindfulness into their legal practices. The goal is to show students there are healthy ways to handle the stress that comes with law school. Other events create space for students to connect, exchange advice and offer support to one another.

“Each event is designed to allow students to focus on their needs, especially since law school can get busy and self-care can often be overlooked,” Slawson said. “By practicing mindfulness, students can address their needs and show up as their best selves for clients, loved ones and themselves.”

On Feb. 25 the Disabled Law Students Association, and Mindfulness in Law Society hosted a seminar with Joan-Claire Gilbert, a leadership development expert and director of operations at The Collaborative Way. Gilbert introduced strategies from the Positive Intelligence program, which helps individuals strengthen their emotional intelligence, resilience and teamwork skills.

The ASU Law Student Bar Association also organizes monthly wellness Wednesday events. The topic for the Feb. 26th event will focus on how law students can implement self-care into their daily routines, with guest speaker Whitney Harvey, an ASU Law faculty associate and founder of The Self Coached Lawyer, LLC.

The Food Law Society, a relatively new student-run club at ASU Law, brings students together around a shared appreciation for food. Despite having members with various legal interests, from criminal law to business law, the unifying bond is their passion for how food connects people. The club hosts events that allow students to take a break from the pressures of law school, offering opportunities to enjoy the simple pleasures of food while engaging in legal topics. One upcoming event is the second annual Wine Law Panel, where guests will explore the intersection of wine and artificial intelligence, sparking discussions about ethics, history and humanity of AI’s role in the winemaking process.

ASU Law is committed to supporting students' overall wellbeing and health throughout their time at the college and beyond. The campus features an interfaith mediation room as a peaceful space for students to unwind. Other wellness rooms include a nursing room and a multi-faith prayer room. Willard H. Pedrick Dean, Regents and Foundation Professor of Law Stacy Leeds also hosts a basketball game, where students play against Leeds and other leadership and faculty members.  

Other student-run organizations focused on health and wellbeing include:

• Disabled Law Students Association
• Food Law Society
• Health Law Society
• Law and Science Student Association
• Mental Health Law Society
• Mindfulness in Law Society - ASU Chapter

For information on the health and wellbeing area of expertise, visit law.asu.edu/health-and-wellbeing

Written by Crystal Jimenez