AGENDA
Breakfast @8:30am 

Introductory Remarks @9:00am

Associate Justice of the Massachusetts Appeals Court Kathryn E. Hand

Suffolk University Law School Dean Andrew Perlman

Co-Chair, SJC Standing Committee on Lawyer Well-Being Legal Education Subcommittee, Professor Shailini George

Session I: Fireside Chat with Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers (LCL) @9:30am

Moderated conversation with LCL Executive Director, Stacey Best, LCL Clinician Barbara Bowe and UMass School of Law Assistant Dean of Students, Julie Cahill on how to give faculty tools to assist and support students, and help instill resiliency in students.

Conversations with the Legal Community @10:20am

Access to Justice Commission (Carolyn Goodwin)

Board of Bar Examiners (Kandace Kukas)

Board of Bar Overseers (Rich Abati)

Massachusetts Association of Hispanic Attorneys (Breanishea Amaya)

Massachusetts Black Women Attorneys (Desiree Murphy)

Massachusetts Black Lawyers Association (Tasha Marshall & Tiffanie Ellis-Niles)

Massachusetts LGBTQ Bar Association

SJC Pro Bono Committee (Ariel Clemmer)

SJC Standing Committee on Lawyer Well-Being (Nicole Pardo)

South Asian Bar Association of Greater Boston (Anant Saraswat)

Women’s Bar Association of Massachusetts (Alexandra Mitropoulos)

Session II: Speed Conversations @10:50am

Coffee Break: @11:40am

Session II: Speed Conversations Continued @11:50am

Speed Conversation Tables:

Financial Well-Being
Margaret Drew (UMass School of Law) will facilitate conversation on how to help students with their well-being, given that they often come to law school with undergraduate debt and accumulate significant law school debt which can create mental health concerns as well as limit their choice of work post-graduation.

Accessibility and Well-Being
Sarah Schendel (Suffolk University Law School) and Jenny Eldred (Northeast Legal Aid; Boston University School of Law '22) are excited to explore how in teaching and holding well-being conversations, increasing accessibility and inclusivity for law students with invisible disabilities in law school can support the well-being of not just these students, but also the broader law student population. Other issues for possible discussion include whether nutritional and exercise tips are being made with awareness of factors like "food deserts," chronic illness, cultural ties to food, and eating disorders?

Professional Identity Formation and Well-Being in the Curriculum
Lisle Baker (Suffolk University Law School), Beth Cohen (Western New England School of Law), and Breanishea Amaya (New England School of Law) will discuss curricular initiatives to help law students explore well-being practices as part of their professional identity development, including in such courses as Lawyering Skills, Professional Responsibility, Externship Seminars, Mindfulness in Law Practice, Positive Psychology for Lawyers, and Professional Identity Formation and Well-Being. They will have course descriptions and short sample exercises available, as well as some additional pedagogical resources.

Student Perspectives on Well-Being
Rebecca Arrowood (Suffolk University Law School) and Kimberly Kowalick (Massachusetts School of Law) will talk about efforts that have been helpful in improving student well-being as well as suggestions for future additional initiatives. They will also discuss how we can help students better utilize well-being resources.

Trauma-Informed Teaching and Well-Being
Stacey Best (Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers), Cyntoya Simmons (Northeastern University School of Law), and Gerry Muir (Boston University School of Law) will facilitate conversation on trauma-informed teaching, which acknowledges the prevalence of adverse experiences and other traumas and attempts to mitigate the widespread impact of such trauma. This approach also encompasses using modes of self-care and safety-planning to counterbalance the effect that engaging in the legal system may have on the student or client.

Accommodations and Well-Being
Ann Santos (Suffolk University Law School) and Julie Cahill (UMass Law) will facilitate conversation on how accommodations impact well-being, both from a student and an administrative perspective. What accommodations are most requested, and what are some of the challenges associated with these accommodations? 

Closing Reflection @12:35pm