Law professor Jerry Organ has released the latest results in an ongoing study of law student wellness, “'It is Okay to Not Be Okay': The 2021 Survey of Law Student Well-Being.” The paper is forthcoming in the University of Louisville Law Review. Organ co-authored the study with David Jaffe of American University - Washington College of Law and Katherine Bender of Bridgewater State University and the David Nee Foundation.
The 2021 survey followed up on a study conducted by the same researchers in 2014. When it was released, the 2014 survey was the first multi-law school study in over 20 years to assess alcohol and drug use among law students, and it was the first multi-law school study ever to address prescription drug use, mental health, and help-seeking attitudes. The article summarizing the results of the 2014 SLSWB has been downloaded over 12,000 times.
The latest study includes representation from 39 law schools across the country, including public, private, and religious law schools, as well as small, medium, and large law schools in terms of student enrollment. The findings have implications for multiple stakeholders in legal education, including students, faculty, staff, and administrators, along with boards of law examiners.
