Outlines

The Well-Being Initiative (WBI) was founded on the knowledge that law school is difficult, isolating, and stressful, as well as the belief that law school isn’t an undertaking which needs to be done alone. WBI began with the hope that our organization could in some way help ease the burden carried by our peers by creating space for students to express their needs, grow through failure, and share their struggles. With diligence and compassion, we hope to build a community where we can celebrate each other’s wins and commiserate each other’s losses.

To do this, WBI focuses on the many aspects of life that come together to influence a person’s well-being. This includes—but isn’t limited to—offering support groups, providing resources, and working with the administration to push for a more nuanced understanding of what well-being really is. Of course, part of a student’s well-being is influenced by their academics. The stress of law school, the importance of a grade that is often composed of one test score, and the weight of a GPA that feels like it will determine someone’s entire future are all burdens that law students carry with them. However, some law students are given resources that make those burdens easier to bear.

In pursuit of this goal, WBI hopes to see all exclusive outline banks made available to the entire student body. As of now, the Journal of Law, Science, and Technology is the only journal that has agreed to make its outline bank available to the entire student body. Eventually, the hope is that all journals and affinity groups will open their outline banks to any student of UMN Law that may wish to use them, rather than only to select students.

Here is a link to the WBI google drive that holds class outlines. It is accessible with your x500 email.

Going forward, WBI will accept outlines from those who wish to submit them to help their current and future peers. Anyone may submit outlines; however, they must follow two WBI guidelines:

1. If the outline has a name on it, then there can be no grade associated with the outline.

a. The goal of this is to prevent fostering a competitive atmosphere where students are associated with their grades.

2. If there is no name on the outline, then the submitting student must have received a B or better in the class.

a. While we do not believe that grades are what define students, we do want students that are seeking further understanding of class material to be able to use these outlines with confidence.

To submit outlines to WBI, please email them the WBI email account: law-wellbeing@umn.edu. In the header of your outline, please include the name of the class, the professor who taught the class, and the semester/year. In the email to WBI, please indicate whether you wish to be anonymous or not. If you choose to be anonymous, please include your grade for the class in the email (this will remain confidential! WBI will not share this information).