Law school is difficult, but we aren't in this alone. By fostering the things we know lead to better student well-being (authenticity, autonomy, community, joy, meaning, and vitality), we can make the law school experience better for everyone. WBI is built on a foundation of trust, communication, and leadership. By creating space for students to take charge and be their authentic selves, we hope to change the law school culture to one that embraces joy, growth through failure, and a commitment to supporting each other.

In 2017, the National Task Force on Lawyer Well-Being released a report on the status of well-being in the legal profession. Among other things, the report found that "between 21 and 36 percent [of lawyers] qualify as problem drinkers, and that approximately 28 percent, 19 percent, and 23 percent are struggling with some level of depression, anxiety, and stress, respectively. The parade of difficulties also includes suicide, social alienation, work addiction, sleep deprivation, job dissatisfaction, a “diversity crisis,” complaints of work-life conflict, incivility, a narrowing of values so that profit predominates, and negative public perception."

Among law students, the report indicated that "17 percent experienced some level of depression, 14 percent experienced severe anxiety, 23 percent had mild or moderate anxiety, and six percent reported serious suicidal thoughts in the past year. As to alcohol use, 43 percent reported binge drinking at least once in the prior two weeks and nearly one-quarter (22 percent) reported binge-drinking two or more times during that period. One-quarter fell into the category of being at risk for alcoholism for which further screening was recommended."

This well-being crisis is no one party's fault, but addressing it is everyone's responsibility. Working together, we have the capacity to start changing the conversation on lawyer well-being from day one of law school.

The purpose of the WBI Ethics Agreement is to declare our values as members of the WBI community, and to ensure that everyone can participate. We want to set a standard for the type of considerate conduct we expect from members. The goal is to foster an environment where everyone feels safe, welcomed, and respected. This agreement is meant to help members consider the many ways we can make this space more inclusive. All of these best practices help make WBI the best it can be, and ensure the well-being of our community members. You can view our Ethics Agreement here.