The Hidden Sources of Law School Stress.

This booklet, written by the brilliant Lawrence S. Krieger, provides a fantastic explanation of the basic analysis explaining why law students are mentally harmed by our schools. Here is my summary.

Excessive stress is the primary culprit, and it has numerous sources:

Confused priorities that cause students prioritize studying over everything else, causing us to loose sleep, eat terribly, and isolate ourselves.

False values, that supplant our original values during law school, cause a loss of identity which leads to stress, anxiety and loss of self-esteem. It is important to realize that grades to not define you or your worthiness as a person. High grades, salary and a high-status job do not create happiness. Happiness comes from intrinsic motivators, such as "personal growth, close relationships or improving the community." This is perhaps the most crucial point, the competition for grades is going to cause you to be unhappy. This does not mean don't try, but it means that competing should not be your reason for trying. Aligning yourself with intrinsic motivators will make you happier and healthier and able to preform better.

Thinking Like A Lawyer, something we are constantly told to aspire to do in law school, causes a myriad of hidden stresses. It causes us to lose faith in our own thinking ability, and lose touch with our beliefs and values, which have no place in a lawyer's thought processes. Losing confidence in our values causes loss of identity, which is a stress fountain in itself.
An emphasis on thinking like a lawyer also teaches us to take the emotion out of often very emotional situation. Dampening your outrage and sense of right and wrong undermines our personality and identity and causes a disconnection between our behavior and our conscience. Anyone wonder where the immoral lawyer stereotype comes from?

Thinking like a lawyer also teaches an adversarial demeanor, and as you become more critical of those around you and aggressive/defensive, you will become more isolated and lonely. That causes depression.

The Fear of Failure and unrelenting need to get high grades can drive a need for and illusion of control of circumstances beyond our control. This causes students to spend excessive and unhealthy amounts of time studying under the illusion that doing so will produce high grades. We must realize that there are things beyond our control and a better strategy is to moderate expectations to match our inability to control events. The reality of dealing with the court system is that it is beyond our control, accepting this fact early will serve us well. Keeping a positive mindset will allow you to shrug off setbacks and is a priceless asset when on the hunt for a job.

Distractions can feel like an escape, but they can really produce more stress then they let off. There are ways to relieve stress that work, such as walks and socializing. Substance abuse is often a contributing factor to Lawyers losing their license, so avoid using law school to justify substance abuse. Substance abuse is also linked to depression and to increasing depression in a cyclical fashion.

HUGE Debt is, very understandably, very stressful. Live frugally, but comfortably. Investigate pay-off options and loan cancellation for after law school. Knowing what your options are will alleviate alot of stress. You will be able to pay it off, no fear.

Lying also produces significant stress as it breaks your integrity and can harm your self-identity and personality.

Knowing what you are getting into is important. During law school you are setting the stage for the life style of your professional life. I highly recommend this booklet, every law student (and lawyer for that matter) should read it. Here is the link again http://mailer.fsu.edu/~lkrieger/images/lawschoolstress.pdf