News Archive

Law students are actively working to help each other improve and maintain positive mental health during their time in law school. A column (subscription required) in the Indiana Lawyer by Judges and Lawyers Assistance Program Deputy Director Brittany Kelly, J.D. ’16, highlights the work of IU McKinney alumni and students.

Anamika Krishnan, LL.M. '23, said many international attorneys come to the U.S. to study only to feel undervalued because of cultural and language barriers. Many students also come from cultures where it is not seen as appropriate to ask for help. Kelly wrote that Krishnan asked herself "How do we build a community here where it is OK to ask for help without the fear of being judged or feeling ashamed?” As the LL.M. student representative on the Dean’s Student Advisory Board, Krishnan advocated for LL.M. students to have access to resources such as diverse food options, scholarship opportunities, and academic opportunities.

Julia Zuchkov, J.D. '23, founded the First Generation Law Student Society to help law students like herself. Kelly wrote that Zuchkov explained the feeling of “the hidden curriculum” in law school as a first-generation student herself. Ideas like how to outline, when to apply for jobs, the importance of doing a clerkship and the value of networking go unexplained to many first-generation law students. Wellness is an integral piece of the student group.

L. Sterling Satterfield, a 3L at IU McKinney, is the treasurer of the Black Law Students Association. The student group is prioritizing wellness among its members. Kelly wrote that Satterfield said this work is important because research by Thomas Vance for the Columbia University Department of Psychiatry, shows that the Black community experiences an increased rate of mental health concerns but is far less likely to receive help for those concerns, citing stigma as one of the most common reasons. Talking about mental health is one of the best ways to combat stigma. BLSA was scheduled to host an event with JLAP to discuss the importance of wellness, featuring one of JLAP’s newest case managers, Nicole Burts, J.D. ‘17. Satterfield said JLAP provides an avenue to more easily navigate mental health services. He said, “JLAP meets us where we are.”